According to reports in the music industry, HYBE suspended Mr. Kang, who was responsible for the report titled “Weekly Music Industry Report,” from his managerial position that morning. This action appears to hold him accountable for the backlash caused by the report’s provocative and dehumanizing content.
The internal report has been sent weekly to the C-level executives of HYBE and its affiliated labels. The controversy escalated on October 24 when some of the report’s content was disclosed during a National Assembly audit by the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee, with Democratic Party member Min Hyung-bae raising questions about it.
The report included shocking evaluations of the appearances of domestic idols, stating things like, “Members were debuted at an age where they are most unattractive, and nobody’s facial features are appealing, plus the plastic surgery is too extreme,” and, “There is a noticeable tendency regarding appearance and sexual appeal,” and, “Other members were shockingly unattractive,” which caused significant outrage.
In response, HYBE issued an official statement explaining, “The monitoring report disclosed in the National Assembly is a document that compiles various responses and public opinion from fandoms and the industry.” They clarified that the report was prepared for internal reference by a small group, extracting community and social media reactions as they are, and does not reflect HYBE’s stance.
However, as additional content from the report was released online, the situation escalated. Amid the ongoing controversy, SEVENTEEN member Seungkwan, from one of HYBE’s labels, expressed his frustration on October 29, stating, “We are not people who have been able to smoothly and gently engage in activities to be judged so easily. I hope you do not take idols lightly.”
Seungkwan further asserted, “We do not deserve to be easily included in your narratives. Not just for us, but for other artists as well, we are not your items,” expressing his anger at the situation.
Source: Daum
