A major K-pop label, which is behind the hit boy band BTS, has issued an apology after a ‘leak’ of an internal document included scathing comments from idols, many of whom are likely young teenagers in training. .
Last month, a report believed to have circulated among Hybe music executives revealed several derogatory comments about artists, describing them as “ugly” and “lacking sex appeal.”
The Music Industry Weekly Report appeared in October during a court hearing into the HYBE audit by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly, with excerpts leaked online.
Said to contain “public opinions on industry trends and topics”, the document, which some have said is up to 18,000 pages long, contained numerous scathing comments about young aspiring stars.
But in a new statement, Hybe CEO Lee Jae-Sang apologized for the “highly inappropriate” comments, insisting it won’t happen again and that the brand is committed to the “healthy” progress of the industry.
In the photo: Hybe CEO Lee Jae-Sang. He apologized for the “highly inappropriate” comments, insisting it won’t happen again and that the brand is committed to the “healthy” progress of the industry.
The document first surfaced in mid-October during a court hearing for an audit being conducted for the brand.
According The Herald of Korea, was brought to court by Democratic Party lawmaker Rep. Min Hyung-bae, who criticized the scathing comments directed at young idols.
As reported by Korean timesMin Hyung-bae described the comment as “derogatory expressions,” which were “directed at minors.”
Among the huge pages were comments such as: “They debuted at an age where they are less attractive” and “Surprisingly, none of them are pretty.”
Another allegedly described the young stars as “shockingly unattractive.”
While it is unclear who the damning comments were about, reports suggest they were directed at underage performers.
It is common within the world of K-pop for aspiring stars to begin their journey to stardom at incredibly young ages. Hopeful artists are often subjected to grueling training regimens and criticism for both their appearance and their talent.
Other comments in the report refer to the plastic surgeries of some stars. One of them is said to have read: “They underwent plastic surgery to the point where they were almost unrecognizable.”
The document first surfaced in mid-October during a court hearing for an audit being conducted for the brand. Stock image used
According to Yahoo! News, the report reflects difficulties around the collaboration between NewJeans (pictured) and other groups managed by Hybe, ILLIT and LE SSERAFIM.
In the photo: the popular K-pop group BTS, led by Hybe. Last month, a leaked report revealed several derogatory comments about idols, many of whom were underage, describing them as “ugly” and “without sex appeal.”
Popular group, BTS in the photo. The report first surfaced in mid-October during a court hearing into an audit being conducted for the brand.
According Kyunghyang SportsThe criticism refers to a group from JYP Entertainment.
Another component of the report allegedly revealed suggestions that K-pop group NewJeans would be “eliminated.”
According Yahoo! NewsThe report reflects difficulties regarding collaboration between NewJeans and other groups managed by Hybe, ILLIT and LE SSERAFIM.
He described dissatisfied opinions after finding a name that would combine the three groups; the suggestion was ‘New-I-LE’.
According to the alleged report, it was suggested that instead of trying to change the name, NewJeans could be removed from the collaboration.
“We can get rid of NewJeans and create a new phrase,” the report said.
During the audit, Belift Lab CEO and Hybe COO Kim Tae-ho defended the document, arguing that the crushing comment was not a reflection of Hybe’s own views.
According to Kim Tae-ho, the comments were collected from online forums so that the record label could monitor public perception.
Despite Hybe’s attempts to defend himself, the controversy continued to spark outrage around the world.
With the National Assembly audit still ongoing, the label took to its official website to release a public statement apologizing “to artists, industry stakeholders and fans” who were upset by the criticism in the document.
The label reiterated that the harsh words were not theirs, but rather compiled from public opinion online.
They wrote: “We will hold accountable those who selectively leaked provocative parts of the report to make it appear that Hybe had criticized the artists.”
But Hybe’s chief operating officer was later forced to apologize after committee members protested that the statement was made while the National Assembly audit was ongoing.
Defending the statement, which has since been removed from Hybe’s website, Tae-ho insisted that the label only wanted to prevent the spread of misinformation.
“I accept the criticism that it was inappropriate to publish the statement during the audit,” he said.
Later on October 29, the label’s CEO Lee Jae-Sang, who recently took over from Park Jivon earlier this summer, posted a full apology. reiterating Kim Tae-ho’s sentiment that the comments had been collected online and that the criticisms were not a reflection of his own views.
Jae-Sang said the documents were never supposed to have made it to the Internet and had only been shared by a small number of music executives.
BTS in the photo. Major Korean label Hybe has apologized after a document was released that included scathing comments about the appearance of underage idols.
He said it was “highly inappropriate” that the document had “provocative and explicit expressions directed at K-pop artists.”
“This document was created as part of a process to retrospectively gather diverse public reactions and opinions on industry trends and issues,” adding that the report had only been shared with a “limited number of leaders.”
“As a representative of the company, I acknowledge all errors and take full responsibility,” he wrote.
‘I formally and respectfully apologize to the outside artists mentioned in the document who have suffered harm and distress.
“I also sincerely extend an official apology to all HYBE Music Group artists who have been the subject of criticism because of the company,” he said.
Jae-Sang said the label was also reaching out to individual agencies to apologize directly.
‘Furthermore, I also sincerely extend an official apology to all HYBE Music Group artists who have been the subject of criticism because of the company.
He promised to ‘establish guidelines and strengthen internal controls to prevent these types of problems from occurring again’ and assured that the label will not prepare future ‘monitoring documents’.
‘As a representative of the company, I commit to thorough reflection and self-examination to rectify past mistakes and prioritize the rights of all K-pop artists and respect for fans.
“We will do our best to contribute to the healthy development of the K-pop industry.”
An artist from Pledis Entertainment, which was acquired by Hybe in 2020, took to social media to denounce the mistreatment of idols in a post.
To all my colleagues who are working hard right now, I feel like I can’t stay silent any longer,” Seventeen’s Seungkwan, who performed at Glastonbury this year, said in instagram.
He stressed that artists “are not objects” and highlighted the arduous training that K-pop stars go through.
“The resistance of my entire body is exhausted,” he revealed. “I just want everyone to stay healthy and not get sick.”