The 'H.O.T. Incident' at a US Airport: A Hilarious Misunderstanding
In the late 1990s, H.O.T., often considered the pioneers of K-pop, encountered an unexpected incident while traveling to the United States for a performance.
Moon Hee-joon, the leader of H.O.T., was detained at U.S. immigration due to a misunderstanding involving suspected drug possession.
In a recent episode of the YouTube web series 'Shindong-yup's Zzanhan Hyeong,' Moon Hee-joon, along with fellow H.O.T. members Kangta, Tony An, Jang Woo-hyuk, and Lee Jae-won, shared the amusing behind-the-scenes story.
Kangta revealed, "Moon Hee-joon was once detained for 12 hours at U.S. immigration because of his English skills," surprising everyone.
The incident occurred around 1997 when U.S. immigration procedures were particularly stringent. Moon Hee-joon's innocent mistake in English led to unforeseen misunderstandings.
Kangta elaborated on the situation: "Hee-joon was being questioned first, and I was behind him. Suddenly, he started doing a strange dance in front of the immigration officer. Then, the security personnel took me away too. They detained us because they thought we were suspicious."
When the immigration officer asked Moon Hee-joon, "What is your occupation?" he replied, "Singer." To the follow-up question, "What genre?" he decided to demonstrate with a dance performance. That's where the trouble began.
The officer then asked, "Do you have any drugs?" Due to his limited English, Moon Hee-joon mistakenly answered, "Yes." He also responded "Of course" when asked if he planned to stay in the United States.
Instantly, the airport staff suspected him of being someone who "does drugs and dances" and immediately detained him.
Moon Hee-joon recalled, "After dancing, I was asked questions, but I didn't understand English, so I just answered randomly. I think they misunderstood that I was dancing because I was on drugs," he said, laughing.
Kangta added, "Eventually, someone from the embassy came and helped us get released."
This episode highlights the challenges faced by first-generation K-pop idols during their early overseas activities. A single English mistake nearly branded him as an illegal alien and drug offender. It was a moment of panic back then, but now it's a source of laughter.
The broadcast also showcased the enduring camaraderie among the H.O.T. members, who reunited after a long time. Kangta is still active with his melodic voice, and his relationship with actress Jung Yu-mi, which became public in 2020, garnered much attention.
Moon Hee-joon married Soyul from Crayon Pop in 2017 and has two children, a daughter named Hee-yul and a son named Hee-woo. He is loved for his family-oriented image and continues to be active in entertainment with his honest and humorous charm.
What was once a tense situation has now become a legendary English mishap for Moon Hee-joon among fans.
Nicknames like "the idol who got caught dancing" and "the singer detained because of 'Yes'" have stuck with him, evoking memories of H.O.T.'s early days and the innocence of that era.
The challenges faced by the first generation of K-pop artists as they ventured beyond language barriers paved the way for the global K-pop phenomenon we see today.
Moon Hee-joon's incident is more than just a funny story; it's a testament to the passion that drove them to persevere even on unfamiliar stages.
Source :https://blog.naver.com/plug_and_play_life/224056258533
No comments yet.
