Article: 'Leave HYBE', 'Boycott HYBE'... HYBE, who touched K-pop fandom nose hairs goes 'quiet'
Source: Dailian
HYBE, the no.1 entertainment agency in Korea in terms of market cap has fallen to the level of an ugly duckling in the industry. Not only K-pop fans but other entertainment officials are expressing criticisms about the company and HYBE seems to be waiting in silence for the right time to address the matter rather that solving the fundamental issue.
HYBE ended up in it's current situation after an internal report containing crude criticisms of idols looks from rivals SM, JYP, YG, and other small and medium-sized entertainment agencies was leaked publicly. After the content was first revealed during the state audit, the controversy grew uncontrollably as additional content from the unreleased report circulated in online communities.
In particular, after Seungkwan, a member of Pledis idol group Seventeen under HYBE posted criticisms of the company, the fandom's criticism grew even louder. Seungkwan wrote, "We're not kids who've had a smooth and easy ride that you can easily judge up and down. Do not take idols lightly! We're not your goods. Don't think you can use and discard us as you please!"
Currently, fandoms are showing signs of boycotting HYBE. Fans are participating in trending hashtags like "Boycott HYBE" and "Get out of HYBE" for their idol groups. In particular, Seventeen fandom is actively participating in a national petition calling for the Ministry of Employment and Labor to withdraw HYBE's designation as a "leading company for jobs."
Agency officials mentioned in the document are also expressing discomfort. One official stated, "It's beyond absurd that HYBE, an industry leader, created a document with such low-quality content and shared it. It's such a miserable feeling. HYBE called each agency mentioned in the document to apologize but there was no action taken in relation to it. Looks like they're trying to just gloss over it because its 'difficult to confirm.'"
When this issue was raised, HYBE released an apology statement under CEO Lee Jae-sang stating, "The document was written in the process of compiling various responses and public opinions on industry trends and issues after the fact. It was shared with only some leaders for the purpose of understanding the public opinion of the market and artist fans, but the content of the document was very inappropriate. We will contact each agency separately and apologize."
Another entertainment official stated, "As the K-pop scene has been criticized for commercializing idols, there were efforts to create a slightly better environment, but after HYBE's document was released, all of our efforts feel meaningless." He raised his voice saying, "The fact that the document was shared without any internal criticism for a long-time is proof of HYBE's values as a company."
He added, "Since HYBE artists have influence, there may still be demand for challenges or joint stages. But it's creepy to think that they'll use some story about our artists as a springboard to evaluate them in order to elevate their own position. The industry is already of opinion that we should avoid contact with HYBE. I hope that HYBE's document doesn't degrade the entire K-pop scene as a low-quality group and culture."
With the excessive pricing of album and goods, lax protection measures for artists, and issues revealed in the conflict with former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin over idol group New Jeans since April of this year, it's no exaggeration to say that the industry, fandom, and artists' trust in HYBE has hit rock bottom with this document.
However, HYBE hasn't made any specific statement since CEO Lee Jae-sang's apology. In particular, HYBE's chairman and head Bang Si-hyuk, who's suspected of ordering the sharing of the document in question, seems to be holding his breath, hiding behind his executives. In the current situation where suspicion and distrust are growing, Chairman Bang Si-hyuk's silence is golden.
