K-pop fans are rallying outside HYBE’s headquarters in Seoul, showing their support for BTS amid allegations of chart manipulation and dissatisfaction with the agency’s management.
The uproar began after a petition was submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, calling for an investigation into claims that Big Hit Music, a sublabel of HYBE managing BTS, tampered with music charts.
The allegations stem from a past court case where an individual associated with a marketing company linked to Big Hit Music was convicted of blackmail. The court documents suggested that there may have been improper marketing activities, leading to suspicions of chart manipulation or sajaegi.
However, Big Hit Music has refuted these claims, stating that the mentioned activities were solely unilateral claims by the defendant and referred to ordinary online viral marketing.
Despite the agency’s explanations, K-pop fans are expressing their outrage on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with hashtags such as “South Korea Apologize to BTS” trending. Fans emphasize BTS’s significant contributions to promoting K-pop globally and urge both the government and HYBE to protect the group’s reputation.
The protest outside HYBE’s headquarters features flower wreaths and protest trucks bearing sharp messages criticizing the agency’s management. Messages include calls for BTS to leave HYBE and accusations of incompetence within the agency.
Fans from various nations, including Japan, have joined the protest, expressing their frustration at the continuous scrutiny BTS faces.
This controversy comes at a challenging time for HYBE, as it faces other internal conflicts, including discord with its sublabel Ador and allegations of connections to a pseudo-religious group. HYBE has denied all allegations and pledged to take legal action against those spreading malicious rumors involving its artists.
As the feud between K-pop fans and HYBE intensifies, the future of BTS and the agency’s reputation remain uncertain.
Authorities are yet to respond to the petition, leaving fans anxiously awaiting the outcome of the investigation and hoping for a resolution that protects BTS and upholds the integrity of the K-pop industry.
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