The Word "Sister" Was Behind Oh My Girl's Detainment at Los Angeles Airport

Girl group Oh My Girl made headlines yesterday when it was reported that the members and their staff had been detained at a Los Angeles airport for over seven hours. Oh My Girl was traveling to the U.S. to take pictures for their new album and also to to perform at the “Unforgettable 2015” event. Initially, it was reported that while the traveling group made it past immigrations, they were stopped by customs due to an issue with the outfits and equipment. It wasn’t a visa problem because Oh My Girl wasn’t holding a solo concert and they weren’t being paid to perform; they didn’t need special visas. So many were left wondering exactly why Oh My Girl was prevented from entering the U.S. and now WM Entertainment has opened up about the specific details.

WM Entertainment revealed that one of the staff members, when questioned by a customs officer on his relationship to Oh My Girl, used the word “sister.” WM Entertainment stated that the customs officer found the usage of “sister” strange and started focusing on the numerous prop/equipment and outfits that the group was traveling with. The agency also speculated the because of the young ages of the girl group and the U.S. recently experiencing issues with “working women,” the customs officer was even more suspicious.

In the Korean language, the word(s) for sister does not only apply to blood relations. Females younger or older than you can be described as a “sister” in Korean.

WM Entertainment continued to describe how they went back to immigrations to try to solve the issue but they couldn’t reach an agreement. The airport staff also took away the agency staff’s phones so they couldn’t contact anyone outside. After a total of 15 hours at the airport, they were able to return to Korea.

The agency stated that it was seeking consultation with a U.S. based lawyer on the legitimacy of the detainment and it apologized to the public for causing them worry.

Oh My Girl is an eight-member girl group from WM Entertainment, home to boy group B1A4. Oh My Girl’s latest release was in October with “Closer.”

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