Hyundai Card, an organizer of the recent concert in Seoul on Tuesday that featured US pop star Ariana Grande, issued a letter of apology as complaints and criticisms mounted over the artist’s behavior and the organizer’s management of the event.

Ariana Grande (Hyundai Card)

The letter issued by Hyundai Card Thursday evening read: “We would like to sincerely apologize for having inconvenienced you during the ‘Hyundai Card Culture Project 25 Ariana Grande’ show. We have made a lot of effort over the last 10 years to present you with unforgettable experiences through organizing and running the ‘Super Concert’ series and ‘Culture Project’ series. However, the Tuesday concert has caused many of you inconvenience due to the artist’s circumstances, which combined with other unexpected situations such as bad weather.”

Grande landed in Korea on Tuesday, which was also Korean National Liberation Day, just few hours before taking to the stage for the Seoul leg of her “Dangerous Woman” world tour at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. She was initially scheduled to arrive in Korea on Monday after finishing her concerts in Japan from Aug. 10 to 13, but the singer reportedly did not want to be covered by the press upon arrival and asked Hyundai Card for a private entry.

The letter also stated that Hyundai Card was seeking ways to make refunds for fans who purchased high-priced premium tickets. Among the tickets sold were 650,000 won ($570) VIP tickets, which included entry to watch the rehearsal and join a pre-show fan event. But due to Grande’s late arrival, the rehearsal was called off and the fan event was delayed and cut in half.

Ariana Grande performs at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Tuesday. (Hong Dam-young/The Korea Herald)

Hyundai Card said, “The ‘VIP Package’ sold for the concert was a product of the fanpage within Grande’s official website. Hyundai Card decided not to intervene in this product’s sales and management in order to respect the artist’s rights, but we feel very sorry that the ticket holders couldn’t fully enjoy their privileges. We are doing all we can do to contact the sellers to ensure a full refund.”

Grande’s behavior before the concert also became a target of harsh criticism, as she posted a video of herself practicing inside a bathroom at a hospital near the venue on her Instagram, right before the concert.

Others pointed to Grande’s lack of communication with the audience and seemingly indifferent attitude during the show.

Fans remarked that Seoul was just a pit stop for the artist, as she showcased over 20 of her hits for about 100 minutes, but rarely spoke in between them.

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)