The group NCT WISH, belonging to SM Entertainment (SME), did not attend the SM Town concert held in Los Angeles on the 11th (local time) due to visa approval issues.
This incident occurred just a month after the cancellation of singer Taeyeon's Japan concert "The Tense" due to SM's mistake.
The industry anticipated that SM's series of operational disruptions would lead to fans' disappointment.
SM Entertainment announced through its official social media (SNS) on the 10th that "NCT WISH could not participate in the 'SM Town Live 2025 in L.A.' stage due to visa issues." The 'SM Town Live 2025 in L.A.' is a performance celebrating the 30th anniversary of SM Entertainment, featuring Dongbang, aespa, NCT 127, and others.
SM stated, "We diligently carried out all necessary procedures, including document submission and interviews, to obtain visa approval for this stage with our fans," adding, "We could not obtain the visa due to unexpected approval delays." However, the statement did not include any plans for compensation.
Fans of NCT WISH expressed their astonishment. One fan mentioned on social media X, "I was looking forward to this performance because NCT WISH was supposed to appear, and I'm very angry to hear that they couldn't attend due to failing to meet basic requirements."
Previously, the schedule for the SM Town concert was announced on December 3rd last year through the fan communication platform "Weverse." Since the announcement was made about six months before the performance day, it has been pointed out that there was sufficient time to resolve any visa approval issues.
Fans also noted that compensation will be necessary in the future. A woman in her 20s who identified as a fan of NCT WISH stated, "The concert price is nearly 200,000 won, and how can you cancel just a day before the performance? Fans deserve fair compensation." The lowest price for a ticket to the 'SM Town Concert in L.A.' is $120 (about 168,000 won). SM stated, "There are currently no plans under review for future compensation."
This is not the first time SM has suddenly canceled a concert. Last month, they canceled Taeyeon's Tokyo Ariake performance "The Tense" on the same day due to 'equipment not arriving.' At that time, SM informed fans of the cancellation via a short email, and most fans learned of the cancellation only after arriving at the venue.
As a result, the financial loss for fans amounts to hundreds of thousands of won per person. Considering the ticket price of 154,000 won along with expenses for airfare, accommodation, and transportation, the scale of the damage is considerable. In response, Taeyeon and her global fan alliance urged SM to provide a responsible explanation and compensation in an official statement, and about two weeks later, SM announced that it would fully refund concert ticket costs.
The Ariake Arena, where the performance was scheduled, is a large venue with a capacity of about 15,000 people. If all seats were sold and each person was refunded 154,000 won, the refund cost alone would be estimated at around 2.31 billion won.
Experts are concerned that SM's series of operational disruptions could lower fan trust.
Professor Cho Jae-hee from the Sogang University Media & Entertainment Department stated, "In the entertainment industry ecosystem, fans are more than just simple customers." He noted, "If promises like concerts cannot be kept, the trust of loyal fans will collapse, which can have a negative impact on the entire industry."
However, while SM's operational disruptions are indeed negative issues, projections suggest they will not have a significant impact on performance.
SM's overseas concert revenue in the first quarter of this year was 39 billion won, a 58% increase compared to the same period last year. This accounts for approximately 17% of total revenue.