On the 29th, the hashtag “#SEVENTEEN_LeaveHYBE” trended on X (formerly Twitter), likely spurred by the recent controversy over HYBE’s internal report evaluating artist appearances.
SEVENTEEN fans expressed their anger, condemning HYBE’s “inhumane actions”, including “documenting and conducting negative public relations activities against other companies’ artists, covering up for victims of staff overwork, ostracising their own artists, manipulate album and streaming numbers and exploit external partners.”
Fans also called for the resignation of those involved, stating, “We join this boycott by calling on HYBE President Bang Si-hyuk to return to Korea, participate in the National Assembly audit, and face the investigation of the National Tax Service on HYBE. We also call for a thorough examination of those associated with HYBE’s “Music Industry Report” and call for the resignation of the officials responsible.”
That same morning, SEVENTEEN’s Seungkwan shared a heartfelt message on social media, saying, “I don’t want to see any more pain inflicted on us. As I watched everything unfold, I tried to move forward with my members. But we are not just objects that you can use as you wish. He added: “Stop causing wounds that cannot be healed. I don’t want to see our fans, my members, our colleagues and the staff who have sincerely supported us continue to suffer.
Seungkwan’s anger, shared by Carat, stems from a report submitted during the audit of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly on the 24th. The report, titled “Weekly Music Industry Report”, contained insensitive assessments of the appearances of various members of idol groups, including SEVENTEEN, with harsh criticism aimed at idols from other agencies. This sparked public outrage due to the extreme nature of the ratings.
HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang issued an apology on the company’s website, saying: “We apologize to artists, industry colleagues and fans for the company’s tracking document. We fully acknowledge the guilt of maintaining such inflammatory language, personal opinions and unfiltered assessments in a formal document.” He added that HYBE feels a strong sense of responsibility for this incident.
As of the 29th, the author of HYBE’s internal report was removed from his position.
Source: Ilgan Sports
