Three over-enthusiastic K-pop fans delayed a flight from Hong Kong to Seoul by mobbing the objects of their affection and then demanding to be allowed to get off the aircraft.

The incident happened at Hong Kong International Airport on Saturday, when the three passengers - who have not been named but are reported to be in their 20s and from Hong Kong and mainland China - took seats in the business and first-class cabins of a Korean Air flight bound for the South Korean capital.

Shortly before the flight was due to take off, Wanna One, a Korean pop band that had been in Hong Kong to perform at the 2018 M-net Asian Music Awards the previous evening, also boarded the aircraft.

The three fans ignored requests from the cabin crew to remain in their seats and surrounded the musicians, the Hankook Ilbo newspaper reported in a story that branded the fans as “idiots”, carrying posters of the band.

As soon as they had been convinced to leave the pop stars alone, the three fans said they no longer wanted to go to Seoul and instead wanted to get off the aircraft. Flight attendants told them that under aviation laws, the entire flight would have to disembark and go through security screening once again, which would delay the flight significantly.