"Do they not consider them humans?" - Fans slam MBC for alleged mistreatment of K-pop idols at 2025 Idol Star Athletic Championship (ISAC) filming

On Monday, August 25, following the filming of MBC's annual Idol Star Athletic Championship (ISAC) for 2025, several fans and attendees of the event criticized the organizers. According to some posts that landed on the internet from those who were reportedly attending the event, the filming allegedly began from early in the morning to late in the night.

This issue first came to light through an attendee who posted about the same on TheQoo.

"I checked in at 5 am and am currently in the men's relay preliminaries.. haha. MBC doesn't even give you a bottle of water *Those who want to go home can go home," the post read, as translated from Korean.

Reportedly, everyone involved was expected to enter the ISAC venue by 5 am, and basic necessities such as water and food were not allowed inside the venue. This left fans unhappy because of the alleged overworking and mistreatment of the idols, as well as the fans, during the 2025 Idol Star Athletic Championship.

Especially given that the K-pop idols were involved in activities like track sports and related events, fans expressed that they felt the rest period and the necessary food sources to cope with the same were not being provided. Moreover, they also raised concerns about the alleged elongated working hours for the idols.

As the news spread across several social media platforms, it resulted in many criticizing MBC for its alleged mistreatment.

"Do they not consider them humans? wtf," tweeted one fan.

Many fans and netizens joined in to raise their concerns about the unfair work timings for the 2025 ISAC.

Others also shared their thoughts and opinions on the same.

Complete attendee list for MBC's 2025 Idol Star Athletic Championship (ISAC)

Meovv won in the Women's Pistol Shooting category (Image via Getty)

ISAC, otherwise known as the Idol Star Athletic Championship, filmed its 15th anniversary edition on August 25. For the unversed, the MBC event gathers several K-pop artists and groups to participate in a variety of sports such as track, shooting, soccer, and many more.

According to Soompi, this year's lineup for the Idol Star Athletic Championship gathered a total of 61 teams and 373 idols. Additionally, this year, five sports were conducted, namely track and field, which included 400m and 60m, Korean wrestling, pistol shooting, penalty shootouts for the men, and dance sports for the women. The hosts of the event were Jun Hyun-moo, BTOB's Changsub, Lee Eun-ji, and Jonathan.

Here's the complete list of artists who attended this year's ISAC:

AHOF
KIIRAS
Billlie
STAYC
TEMPEST
AMPERS&ONE
tripleS
The Wind
FIFTY FIFTY
ARrC
n.SSign
NEWBEAT
UNIS
YOU DAYEON
MEOVV
idntt
P1Harmony
LUN8
X:IN
Candy Shop
USPEER
CRAVITY
XODIAC
E’LAST
NouerA
YOUNG POSSE
NOWZ
Double 0ne
NCT WISH
Heart2Hearts
RIIZE
EVNNE
CLOSE YOUR EYES
KISS OF LIFE
SAY MY NAME
POW
Kep1er
NEXZ
8TURN
PURPLE KISS
KickFlip
ICHILLIN’
Dreamnote
82MAJOR
Queenz Eye
KiiiKiii
LUCY
PRIMROSE
ifeye
WOOAH
HITGS
ZEROBASEONE
WHIB
MADEIN S
&TEAM
ILLIT
BADVILLAIN
Baby DON’T Cry

NCT WISH won the Soccer Shootout (Image via Getty)

According to the attendees of the event, some of the winners of the sports were revealed. Here's the information on those who grabbed a gold medal for the five sports conducted at the Idol Star Athletic Championship:

Track & Field

400m Relay (Men): &TEAM
400m Relay (Women): Hearts2Hearts
60m (Men): NEXZ's So Geon
60m (Women): tripleS' Nien

Pistol Shooting

Men: RIIZE
Women: MEOVV

Soccer Shootout

NCT WISH

Korean Wrestling

Men: 82MAJOR
Women: Say My Name

Dance Sports

X:IN's NOVA

While the event's filming took place on August 25, the official airing of the same is expected to take place during the Chuseok holidays in October 2025.

About the author

Aishwarya is a pop culture writer who covers K-drama and K-pop at Sportskeeda. After completing her Bachelor's in English and Communication Skills, she sought a job that allowed her to explore her passion, and being a K-pop and K-drama reporter felt like the ideal fit. Aishwarya has 3 years of experience under her belt and previously took on several internships in the industry that further motivated her in choosing writing as a career.

Aishwarya believes in conducting extensive research and verifying facts with the help of reputable sources to produce accurate articles. She also spends a significant amount of time on Twitter to understand how netizens are reacting to the latest trends in the industry before crafting her content.

She admires SUGA from BTS for his dedication to his work and aspires to immerse herself into the things she loves, just like him. If she could go back in time, she would jump at the opportunity to be part of ""Reply 1988,"" a K-drama set in a time when neighborhood relationships were cherished and interpersonal connections were of utmost importance. Although she loves how technology has advanced, she would also love to experience living in an era before it was invented.

When Aishwarya's not writing and reading about the latest developments in the industry, she spends her time crocheting, sketching, cycling, reading Mangas, and cooking.

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Edited by Ankita Barat