K-pop idol G-Dragon (aka GD and King of K-pop) held the local leg of his ongoing world tour, after an eight-year hiatus in Macau, performing over three nights between Friday and yesterday at Galaxy Arena. However, the hugely successful event sparked controversy over nearly one hundred workers caught by the police on the sidelines of the gig.
According to a statement by the Public Security Police (PCP) on Saturday, around 10 a.m., they conducted a joint inspection of the concert venue with the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL). A total of 96 non-local individuals suspected of engaging in illegal work were apprehended during the operation, while two event organisers were taken to the police station for questioning.
According to Macau’s immigration rules, visitors are banned from engaging in paid or even unpaid work during their stay here.
Some netizens speculated that the police operation may have been triggered by disputes among ticket touts. Social media reports suggested that on Friday, staff of the event organiser had caught ticket scalpers near the venue, leading to claims by netizens that some of the touts may have told police about the presence of dozens of illegal workers at the venue.
Notably, a recruitment ad related to the concert had previously circulated on the social media platform Xiaohongshu (“Little Red Book”), seeking women to sell merchandise at the venue. The reported offer included a base pay of 200 yuan plus bonuses, with lunch provided but no admission to the concert. However, as of last night, the event organiser, Tencent Music Entertainment Group Live (TME), had yet to respond to the matter.
According to information spread online yesterday, new recruitment posts have emerged on the “Little Red Book” platform sought “volunteers” to work for the three-day G-Dragon gig in Macau.
However, Article 2 (1) of Macau’s Illegal Work Regulations states that a non-resident engaging in any work-related activities without a proper work permit – even on an unpaid basis – commits the crime of working here illegally.
This unverified photo, taken from a Threads social media platform account yesterday, shows the Public Security Service (PCP) carrying out a joint operation at the G-Dragon concert venue with the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) in Cotai on Saturday.
