HYBE responds to ‘News Show’ content “Not undermining NewJeans’ achievements”
On Sep 25th, HYBE released a statement through their official website addressing the discussions that took place on the show.
During the broadcast, Seoul Shinmun reporter Jang Hyung-woo claimed he received a request from HYBE’s PR director to amend an article. He exposed, “They mentioned that selling 1.02 million copies in Japan wasn’t quite accurate since the sales were global, not just in Japan. They implied that the sales weren’t as good as it seemed.”
Additionally, Jang revealed that the PR director suggested NewJeans members were gaslighted by Min Hee-jin and mentioned offering golf entertainment.
Regarding this, HYBE clarified, “The reporter referenced the success of NewJeans’ concert in Japan on July 17th, stating that ‘1.02 million copies were sold locally’. However, at that time, about 50,000 copies were sold in Japan, while over 900,000 were sold in Korea. As a corporate PR representative, I could not leave incorrect information unaddressed, which is why I requested a correction.”
They further explained, “If incorrect information is left uncorrected, it can create significant confusion in the market and for investors, which is why we proceeded with the correction request. There is absolutely no reason to speak negatively about NewJeans’ achievements as a corporate PR representative.”
HYBE also addressed the gaslighting remarks, “The reporter asked how a person with less than 20% ownership could attempt a hostile takeover, and the response in the entertainment industry was that if a producer and artist are strongly bound, attempts can be made regardless of ownership percentage.”
They explained, “Reporter Jang recorded the content of a work-related phone call with the PR representative and leaked it to the opposing party. In July, we sent a formal notice to the media outlet to protest this. Despite that, he appeared on the broadcast and disclosed the content of his conversation with the PR representative under the name of a tip, without the other party’s consent.”
Finally, they added, “As a reporter who must uphold fairness and impartiality, this is a serious violation of professional ethics. We will respond to this matter strictly.”
Source: Daum