K-pop group Oh My Girl was flown back to South Korea after U.S. customs officials at the Los Angeles World Airports (LAX) refused them entry into the United States on Wednesday after allegedly mistaking them for sex workers, the group's agency said, according to NBC Los Angeles.
The group, which has eight members between the ages of 16 and 21, came to America to perform at a gala event in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Calif. over the weekend. However, they were detained at the airport and questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials for 15 hours, Oh My Girl's management agency WM Entertainment alleges.
The company also stated that the officials became suspicious after they found a large amount of props and costumes in the baggage of the group members and their entourage.
"As young women, they were mistaken as 'working women' which has recently been a big issue in the U.S.," the company added, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Representatives also cited that there might have been an issue with the group's visa but added that they "did not need a performance visa" since they were slated to perform at a promotional event and not a solo concert.
The agency said that the band eventually had to fly back to their motherland and were considering taking legal action over their drawn out detention at the airport.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who initially said that the agency could not respond to the group's claims or disclose any information about the incident due to the Privacy Act, later said that the K-pop group was denied entry into the country because the members lied about the purpose of their visit, not because they were mistaken for sex workers, as their representatives claim, Los Angeles Times reported.
