The mix-up unfolded after the Mexican head of state mentioned during her regular morning press conference that the popular musical group would be joining the visiting South Korean leader. The announcement immediately sent ripples of excitement across social media and drew throngs of eager fans to the heart of the capital, hoping to catch a glimpse of the chart-topping artists outside the presidential headquarters.
However, as the hours ticked by, it became clear that the members of Stray Kids were nowhere near the National Palace. Instead, President Sheinbaum and President Lee Jae Myung appeared alone on the historic building’s balcony, stepping out to greet the large crowd of supporters who had gathered in the sprawling Zócalo plaza.
Addressing the confusion later that day, President Sheinbaum took to her official TikTok account to clear the air in a video message. Speaking against the backdrop of the diplomatic proceedings, she explained the mix-up with candid humor while bidding farewell to the South Korean president.
“We are seeing off the president of the Republic of Korea, Lee Jae Myung,” Sheinbaum said in the TikTok video posted on Thursday night. “We thought perhaps he was coming with the group Stray Kids. They are performing tomorrow at one of Mexico City’s most important venues. And we have already invited them to come to our country on another occasion.”
The confusion had its roots in the president’s morning press conference, where she initially broke the news of the South Korean leader’s itinerary while attempting to contextualize the immense cultural impact of the visiting delegation. During her remarks, Sheinbaum previewed the arrival of the group by comparing them to another legendary South Korean act, though she momentarily stumbled over the demographic details of the respective groups.
“The group coming is called Stray Kids,” Sheinbaum had stated during the morning briefing. “They’re kind of like BTS, but younger. I don’t know if they’re boys and girls — they’re young, younger than the members of BTS.”
In reality, Stray Kids is an all-male K-pop supergroup formed by JYP Entertainment, whose members range in age from 25 to 28. By comparison, the members of BTS range from 29 to 33 years old, making the generational gap between the two globally renowned musical acts relatively narrow, though distinct enough to spark playful commentary online.
President Sheinbaum’s public remarks, however well-intentioned, carried the immense weight of the passionate K-pop fandom in Mexico. Within hours of the morning announcement, dozens of dedicated Stray Kids fans—often referred to as STAY—rushed to the National Palace in hopes of witnessing a historic crossover between international diplomacy and modern pop culture.
Viral videos circulating across social media platforms captured the lively atmosphere outside the presidential residence, where fans waited patiently in the Zócalo. While the members of Stray Kids did not make an appearance alongside the heads of state, President Sheinbaum and President Lee Jae Myung did make a point of walking out to the building’s entrance and greeting the public gathered in the square.
The excitement surrounding a potential presidential K-pop sighting is not entirely unprecedented in Mexico City. Just a few months prior, in May, the city played host to members of BTS, who made a landmark visit that similarly galvanized the local music community. During that visit, BTS members stepped out onto a balcony of the presidential palace to wave to an estimated 50,000 members of the group’s fan base, known as ARMY, who had flooded the Zócalo to catch a glimpse of the superstars, according to figures released by the Mexico City government.
While Stray Kids ultimately missed the diplomatic photo-op at the National Palace, their actual itinerary in the Mexican capital remains firmly on track. The multi-platinum group is slated to perform two massive consecutive concerts on Friday, September 25, and Saturday, September 26, at the prominent Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City. The high-profile stadium shows form a major leg of their ongoing international touring schedule, bringing their electrifying choreography and chart-topping hits directly to tens of thousands of cheering fans in Latin America.
