Kim Taeho, COO of HYBE, is responding to questions from Rep. Min Hyung-bae. Photo by New Journalist Today
SEOUL — A recently exposed internal report from HYBE, the entertainment powerhouse behind global K-pop sensations, has sparked a fierce backlash following its disclosure during a parliamentary audit (October 24) by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee. The report, shared among HYBE’s top executives and its subsidiary labels, included blunt and often harsh evaluations of idols’ physical appearances, including minors from other companies.
In response to the public outcry, HYBE issued a formal apology, pledging “deep remorse” and promising to strengthen internal oversight.
Representative Min Hyung-bae, who exposed the report during the audit, questioned HYBE’s motives for compiling such material. During the audit, Rep. Min confronted HYBE COO Kim Taeho, asking, “That is an official document you use within the company, correct?” Rep. Min went on, “What is the reason for reviewing and discussing such a document?” Kim replied, “As a company in the K-pop industry, we pay close attention to public opinion regarding our fans, the industry, and the artists affiliated with HYBE.”
Rep. Min persisted, noting that he had reviewed multiple documents containing “harsh, explicit criticism, including blunt, negative assessments of appearances.” Some idols, Rep. Min observed, were described as “far from idol-like, with comments about how unattractive their facial features were.” He added that the report emphasized appearance and sex appeal, stating, “Surprisingly, no one is actually good-looking.” Rep. Min suggested that such assessments reveal a dehumanizing view toward idols, asking if this reflected a violation of the Cultural Industry Promotion Act, which mandates good faith in promoting cultural enterprises.
Kim Taeho, in his responses, claimed he was “not able to recall the specific content of that document,” emphasizing that the material reflected online opinions gathered “for monitoring purposes” and did not represent HYBE’s official stance.
In a public statement, HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang formally addressed the controversy, acknowledging the document’s “highly inappropriate” content. Lee’s apology extended to artists and their labels, and he confirmed HYBE had ceased the report’s production. “The document contained overtly provocative language targeting K-pop artists, with subjective opinions that have no place in a company report,” he wrote. He added that HYBE would enhance transparency and implement stricter internal controls to prevent similar issues in the future.
Lee pledged, “We deeply apologize to all artists, industry partners, and fans who were affected,” and personally reached out to each affected label. Moving forward, HYBE faces the challenge of reforming internal practices to address transparency issues, as the global K-pop industry continues to call for respect and professionalism toward artists.
Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, a longstanding critic of the report, recently aired her concerns, saying, “After holding back for a year, I finally sent a scathing critique to HYBE’s leadership.” She condemned the report as unnecessarily inflammatory and biased, expressing concern over its potential impact on industry newcomers unfamiliar with the nuances of K-pop.
The scandal took on new dimensions with revelations that HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk had directly instructed the distribution of the report. According to email records obtained by the Hankyoreh, Bang directed then-Weverse Magazine head Kang Myung-seok to add rapper Zico to the report’s recipient list. Zico has since clarified that he was unaware of his inclusion, learning of it only through media reports. Bang’s involvement has intensified public criticism, raising questions about leadership accountability.
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