The controversy surrounding HYBE 's "idol report" intensifies with the involvement of its president, Bang Si Hyuk .

The “ Idol Report ” case, which revealed unfiltered comments about K-pop idols’ appearance, sparked controversy following its disclosure during a National Assembly audit session. Revealed on October 30 KST, it emerged that HYBE chairman Bang Si Hyuk had ordered the document to be distributed to top executives, raising further questions about accountability as Kang Myung Seok , former head of Weverse Magazine and the author of the document, was ousted from his position the day before.

Email records obtained by The Hankyoreh showed that in January 2022, Bang ordered that the “ Music Industry Weekly Report III ” be shared with rapper ZICO , CEO of KOZ Entertainment , a label acquired by HYBE in 2020. The report, distributed weekly, was previously sent only to senior executives, indicating that ZICO may have initially been excluded to avoid unease.

New email exchanges from June 2023 revealed that Bang managed the report’s recipients, with requests to add specific company executives. This direct involvement in the distribution of the documents suggests a degree of oversight, making accountability likely to be a public talking point. HYBE has already removed Kang from his position, and CEO Lee Jae Sang has issued an apology, acknowledging the inappropriate language used and the problematic content of the report.

HYBE has refrained from further comment beyond Lee's statement, despite increasing scrutiny over the content of the document, which included negative remarks about idols' appearance and inappropriate comments about underage idols.