HYBE entertainment agency has been going through a series of ordeal in the past few days.
In addition to the Newjeans and Min Hee Jin’s issue, the recent series of ordeals stem from HYBE’s controversial internal report that criticized idols. The report gained attention during the October 2024 National Assembly audit where its inhumane content started gaining trackion on the internet. The report included statements such as “members debuted when they were at their ugliest” and “no one has the features of an idol, and the plastic surgery is excessive”.
The report, titled “Weekly Music Industry Report”, was meant for key leaders of HYBE and its subsidiary labels. The content criticized idols to the extent of demeaning their appearances and skills. Amidst the rage which saw artists and producers also respond to the criticisms, HYBE dismissed the report creator, Chief Content Officer Kang, on October 29.
On October 29, HYBE’s CEO Lee Jae Sang also posted an apology on the agency’s official website. The CEO apologized to artists, fans, and industry colleagues for the demeaning report. Jae Sang highlighted that the report was for collecting opinions on industry trends and issues. However, he admitted that the company was at fault for using provocative language toward K-pop artists and allowing the author’s personal assessments and opinions to be included in the document.
—-Karen Mwenda
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