HYBE Clarifies Misunderstandings Regarding NewJeans' Achievements Amid Controversy

HYBE has addressed allegations of downplaying the achievements of its artist NewJeans, stating that there was no reason to undermine the group and that their actions were aimed at preventing investor confusion.

On the 25th, HYBE released a statement explaining, "We would like to clarify the comments made by a journalist on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show.'"

HYBE emphasized the need to correct misinformation to avoid misleading investors. They stated, "The journalist mentioned that NewJeans' concert in Japan on July 17th led to the sale of 1.02 million albums locally. However, as of that date, around 50,000 albums were sold in Japan, with over 900,000 sold domestically."

They further explained, "If the article had stated that 1.02 million albums were sold solely in Japan, it could be inferred that tens of millions were sold globally. Leaving such misinformation uncorrected could cause significant confusion among the market and investors. As a corporate PR representative, there is no reason to speak negatively about NewJeans' achievements."

Additionally, HYBE highlighted their efforts to support positive media coverage of NewJeans' popularity in Japan. They stated, "HYBE PR facilitated close media coverage of NewJeans' fan meeting at Tokyo Dome to ensure positive reporting. We also proposed to the label to support media coverage of the pop-up store to highlight NewJeans' popularity from various angles."

HYBE also addressed claims that a corporate PR representative suggested that NewJeans was being gaslighted by former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. They clarified, "The journalist asked, 'How can management rights be usurped with less than a 20% stake?' The term 'gaslighting' was used in the context of explaining that in the entertainment industry, strong bonds between producers and artists can lead to such attempts regardless of shareholding percentages."

HYBE responded to allegations that their PR team had shown willingness to offer golf hospitality to the journalist's superior. They explained, "The golf schedule with the media manager was arranged in May, long before the journalist's recorded call. However, it was canceled as it was deemed inappropriate to proceed during a sensitive period."

Finally, HYBE revealed ongoing conflicts with the journalist since July due to the unauthorized release of work-related call recordings. They stated, "The journalist recorded a work-related call with our PR representative and leaked it to the opposing party, prompting us to send a formal protest to the media outlet in July. Despite this, the journalist disclosed the call contents on air without consent, which is a severe breach of journalistic ethics." HYBE warned of strict measures in response.

Reporter Min-kyung Lee, TenAsia 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr