HYBE CEO issues apology for controversial leaked internal reports

nme.com:

HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang has issued a formal apology regarding leaked internal reports, which allegedly contained controversial remarks about K-pop idols.According to The Korea Herald, the document and its contents were first made public during a National Assembly audit into the entertainment giant on October 24, during which HYBE COO and subsidiary label Belift Labs CEO Kim Tae-ho was questioned about its practices.During the audit carried out by the South Korean National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee, assemblyman Min Hyung-bae said that the “Weekly Industry Music Report” allegedly contained 18,000 pages of malicious comments about various K-pop artists and groups, including minors.The idols reportedly mentioned in the leaked document hail from industry rivals such as JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment and more.

Following the leak, HYBE faced widespread backlash from fans.On October 29, CEO Lee Jae-sang issued a formal apology via HYBE’s website to “the artists, industry colleagues and fans affected by the language used in our monitoring document”, per CNA Lifestyle.“The document was created in the process of collecting various responses and public opinions on industry trends and issues,” he wrote.