HYBE COO Denies Allegations of Plagiarism and Album Manipulation at National Assembly Hearing
Oct 24, 2024
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On the 24th, Kim Tae-ho, COO of HYBE and CEO of BELIFT LAB, testified as a witness at the parliamentary audit of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee.
Min Hyung-bae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, questioned Kim about allegations of plagiarism involving NewJeans by agency artist ILLIT, the delay in album releases, and accusations of appearance reviews for minors. In response, Kim asserted that these claims are unfounded.
Min presented data from an industry trend review shared within HYBE as evidence. While the specific singer targeted by the remarks was not disclosed, the phrases included comments like "No one has idol features, and the plastic surgery was excessive," and "Other members are surprisingly unattractive."
Representative Min highlighted that the remarks reflected "appearance evaluation and low-quality expressions towards minors" and contained impersonal attitudes toward idols. However, CEO Kim clarified, "We are closely monitoring public opinion regarding HYBE artists and K-pop as a whole. The document in question is not HYBE's opinion or official judgment; it's a compilation of online writings."
In response to allegations that sales exceeding actual demand were counted as first-week sales (initial) and that unsold volumes were returned to HYBE through "Pushback Conditional Albums," CEO Kim stated, "We conducted an audit due to issues at the beginning of the year. Only a small percentage of the albums sold in 2023 were eligible for return, and we have never sold records on a return basis. Albums sold in 2023 were returned in early 2024 based on decisions made by working-level officials, and guidelines were revised according to company regulations. I aimed to improve the situation. We didn't push out albums, and the number sold on a return basis was not sufficient to disturb the market."
Kim also refuted claims that BELIFT LAB plagiarized NewJeans with the launch of ILLIT, stating, "A civil and criminal lawsuit has been filed against former CEO Min Hee-jin, and we await a judicial decision. We aim to clarify through the court the evidence supporting that these claims are false."
He added, "I apologize for the considerable fatigue caused. We will work to resolve these issues effectively."
Culture, Sports, and Tourism Minister Yoo In-chon expressed concern, stating, "HYBE is an international company representing Korea, so I am particularly worried. This situation is unacceptable. I will ensure a thorough investigation."
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