Zico Denies Involvement in HYBE Idol Rating Controversy
Oct 30, 2024
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On the 30th, Zico commented, "What's going on here? I think it'd be better to review today's news and respond in person," explaining his stance.
He continued, "I haven't seen the document or even received the email. I only learned about being added as a recipient from today's article. We also asked KOZ directly to verify that the email and documents were unopened before forming our response to avoid any misunderstanding."
He reassured fans, saying, "If you've been worried, I hope you can find some peace today."
On the same day, a media outlet reported that Chairman Bang Si-hyuk personally instructed executives to share the controversial documents, and Zico was supposedly added to the distribution list.
Zico founded KOZ Entertainment in 2018, which HYBE later acquired in November 2020. The media outlet alleged that Chairman Bang issued the instruction to share the document in January 2022, which Zico directly denied.
HYBE found itself at the center of controversy on the 24th when an internal document titled "Weekly Music Industry Report" was presented at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee audit. The document included appearance-based assessments such as "No member looks like an idol due to debuting at an unattractive age," "Surprisingly unattractive," along with rumors about other companies and their artists' private lives.
In response, HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang stated, "The document was shared only with select leaders to gauge market trends and artist-related public opinion, but the content was highly inappropriate. On behalf of the company, I acknowledge all wrongdoing and accept responsibility. I sincerely apologize to the artists mentioned who were hurt or affected by this." He further shared that HYBE reached out to each agency individually to extend direct apologies.
Additionally, CEO Lee announced an immediate halt to the preparation of such monitoring reports, a commitment to implementing guidelines, and the strengthening of internal controls to prevent similar issues in the future. The employee responsible for this report, identified as "A," has since been removed from their position.
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