HYBE at the heart of the controversy: Additional revelations from the controversial report on the music industry
Shocking Revelations from HYBE
Additional pages of the music industry report, previously discussed at a National Assembly hearing attended by HYBE COO and Belift Lab CEO Kim Tae Ho, have been revealed. On October 28, Sports Kyunghyang exposed the extensive contents of the report it obtained. These new documents not only comment on HYBE idols, but also include harsh evaluations of idols from other entertainment agencies regarding their appearance and other aspects such as personal life controversies, online community opinions, and viral marketing strategies.
The report was initially revealed during the audit by the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on October 24. Compiled weekly, the report was reportedly circulated by A, a former music critic turned editor-in-chief of Weverse Magazine (published by HYBE's subsidiary Weverse Company), to HYBE Chairman Bang Si Hyuk and executives.
The original unedited document has sparked concerns, with the controversies mainly focusing on comments regarding the idols' appearance. The newly released portions have intensified the criticism. For example, regarding an SM Entertainment idol group, the report mentioned that it seems that SM, once a symbol of ignoring criticism, has been forced to change by adding supervisory staff or updating its feedback system. Recently, there has been a significantly negative response regarding a member, and coincidentally, there was an anonymous report that this member had donated 10 million KRW (approximately $7,217 USD) to an animal welfare organization.
The report also commented on another member who appeared on a variety show, criticizing the scripted nature of scenes such as the awkward purchase and preparation of a watermelon punch, and calling the narrative style "cheesy."
HYBE clarified that the report in question was surveillance data, not an official statement from HYBE. Previously, Kim Tae Ho responded during the National Assembly audit on October 24, where parts of the report were revealed, stating that “although this document was created within HYBE, it only contains surveillance data and does not represent HYBE’s position. We acknowledge the inappropriateness of the report and will work to prevent such issues from happening again.”
In an official statement quickly posted on its website after the report was released, HYBE explained that "the monitoring report leaked during the audit of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee collects various public opinions and sentiments from fandoms and the industry. It compiles responses from communities and social media as is for reference by a small internal group and does not reflect HYBE's position."
HYBE further stressed that "the report also includes positive feedback from fans, which we as an entertainment company must take into account. We will hold those who selectively edited and leaked only provocative content accountable, as this falsely suggests that HYBE created a document criticizing artists," which sparked anger among the assembly members.
Despite HYBE's explanation, the publication of the report, which contained content perceived as personal attacks, sparked widespread backlash among entertainment agencies and K-pop fans. The report quickly spread across various online communities, sparking outrage.
As the controversy continues, all eyes are on HYBE to see if they will provide further clarification or remain silent.
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