Weverse Magazine Issues Apology Regarding HYBE Idol Review Report Conducted by Former Editor-in-Chief

On November 9, Weverse Magazine took to its official website to issue an apology regarding a controversial document associated with the magazine. The statement aimed to address the concerns raised by readers about the situation.

Apology and Clarification

In the published statement, Weverse Magazine expressed, “We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and concerns caused to those who care about Weverse Magazine due to issues related to the monitoring document. We aim to clarify several points regarding this matter.”

Understanding the Document’s Origins

Weverse Magazine clarified that the contentious “industry trend report” was an isolated document created by the former editor-in-chief, about which the current Weverse Magazine team had no prior knowledge. Importantly, the statement highlighted that neither the team members nor any external writers directly involved in magazine production had any role in drafting the monitoring document.

In addressing the fallout, the magazine revealed that the former editor-in-chief has been dismissed from their position and that all personnel who were engaged for monitoring tasks as per the former editor’s request have been suspended. The magazine firmly stated, “We have no connection to the monitoring document in question, and our team opposes it unequivocally.”

Commitment to Readers

The statement concluded with a reiteration of their commitment to the audience, expressing, “We apologize once again for the discomfort and concerns this situation has caused. We promise to provide our readers with even richer and deeper content in the future.”

Context and Industry Impact

The situation unfolded further during a recent National Assembly audit where Kim Tae-ho, the COO of HYBE and CEO of BELIFT LAB, was called to testify. During the proceedings, Rep. Min Hyung-bae from the Democratic Party disclosed parts of the controversial document that contained derogatory remarks about the appearance of idols from rival agencies. Comments such as “they debuted when they were still in their awkward phase, so none of them look like idols” and “other members are shockingly unattractive” ignited public outrage and discussions regarding industry ethics.

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Full Statement from Weverse Magazine

“We at Weverse Magazine apologize deeply for the inconvenience and concerns caused to our readers due to issues related to the monitoring document.

To clarify a few facts regarding this matter:

The document was separately produced by the former editor-in-chief, and the Weverse Magazine team was unaware of its existence.

Other than the former editor-in-chief, neither the Weverse Magazine team members nor external contributors involved in magazine production participated in the creation of the monitoring document.

The former editor-in-chief has been relieved of their duties, with no further involvement in Weverse Magazine. The personnel requested by the former editor-in-chief for monitoring tasks have also ceased duties.

We assure you that Weverse Magazine has no connection to the monitoring document in question and that our team strongly opposes it.

We apologize again for the concerns this situation has caused and promise to deliver even more in-depth and valuable content in the future.”

— Weverse Magazine Team

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