As we approach April 2024, the turmoil within HYBE Corporation continues to escalate, particularly involving Min Hee Jin, the mastermind behind NewJeans. The company’s internal disputes have manifested through public accusations, media leaks, and even Min Hee Jin’s removal from her CEO position, creating a highly intricate web of conflict within South Korea’s leading entertainment enterprise.
Recent disclosures from internal documents during a Korean National Assembly hearing have added further embarrassment for HYBE. These documents suggest that the company may have manipulated sales figures for two significant albums, LE SSERAFIM’s Unforgiven and ENHYPEN’s Dark Blood. It is alleged that HYBE employed a “conditional return” tactic, where distributors ordered large quantities of albums that they could return if unsold, leading to artificially inflated sales statistics.
In the midst of this scandal, other leaked documents point towards plans for a slow phase-out of NewJeans. The information also contains a damaging “assemblage of negative remarks,” where HYBE critiqued the talent and looks of various K-pop acts such as aespa, RIIZE, and NMIXX. Additionally, TXT members Yeonjun and Soobin were unfavorably compared to NCT Dream and Stray Kids.
Aespa, already criticized by Min Hee Jin in an April press conference, was again targeted by HYBE officials. They made disparaging comments about aespa, alleging their performance lacked synchronization and teamwork, particularly highlighted during their Girls promotion. One document noted, “With four members, there’s not a single moment that showcases them dancing in unison. It appears they hardly practice, and their teamwork doesn’t seem to have improved at all.”
Even SEVENTEEN, a top moneymaker under Pledis Entertainment and a significant player for HYBE, wasn’t spared the harsh criticism. HYBE executives reportedly commented on their appearance, implying that Pledis had too much confidence in their success and that the 13-member group did not meet visual expectations.
The documents also unveiled that HYBE has taken no steps to mend the internal rifts within the fandom of BTS, particularly those between the fans of Jung Kook and Jimin. Their strategies seemingly escalated divisions within the individual fanbases, enabling fans to clash while directing resources toward one member, thereby leaving the other exposed to critique. This approach has raised serious questions about HYBE’s management of fan relationships and its duty to safeguard the well-being of its artists.
These disclosures have significantly tarnished HYBE’s reputation. Critics maintain that the company’s obsession with amassing trivial negative information and instigating internal conflicts represents a misallocation of resources. Once a titan in the K-pop landscape, HYBE now faces derision, labelled as a “temporary success”and the “laughingstock of the century”within the industry.
Source: K14
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