HYBE Tried to Block NewJeans’ Tribute to Jeju Air Victims? False Information, No Reason
On the afternoon of March 7, HYBE released an official statement regarding accusations of the company trying to damage NewJeans’ reputation by blocking them from paying tribute to Jeju Air Victims. In particular, the company stated, “False information is spreading regarding memorial ribbons,” adding “There is no reason for the company to block artists from wearing memorial ribbons”.
HYBE also explained, “At that time, HYBE was conducting a comprehensive review of whether and how not only NewJeans but also each label’s artists would wear the memorial ribbons. Considering the different broadcasting conditions in Japan and Korea, we relayed to each label the need for prior coordination with the broadcasting companies. We also coordinated in advance with the broadcasting companies the subtitles, MC comments, etc. regarding the reasons for wearing the memorial ribbons”.
“During this process, all artists expressed their intention to wear them, and we attempted to provide the same ribbons to New Jeans. However, they expressed their intention to wear the ribbons they had prepared, so we respected that and made the final decision“, the company added.
Meanwhile previously on the same day, all five members of NewJeans (NJZ) appeared at the Seoul Central District Court for a legal hearing regarding ADOR’s injunction against HYBE. The injunction aims to prevent HYBE from interfering in ADOR’s management decisions and advertising contracts. During the session, NewJeans (NJZ)’ legal team strongly criticized HYBE’s actions, stating, “HYBE’s scheme nearly made the members a target of public criticism.”
The controversy stems from an incident on December 30, the day after the tragic Jeju Air accident. On that day, NewJeans (NJZ) performed at the 66th Japan Record Awards, a prestigious live music broadcast in Japan. As a tribute to the victims, the members intended to wear black ribbons during their performance.
However, according to NewJeans’ legal representatives, HYBE initially blocked this plan, citing concerns that Japanese broadcasters might disapprove. Upon further verification, it was confirmed that the broadcasters had no objections to the tribute. In the end, member Hanni quickly crafted a black ribbon herself and wore it on stage.
NewJeans’ legal team further alleged that HYBE displayed clear favoritism, stating, “Other HYBE artists were allowed to wear regular memorial ribbons without any issues. If the NewJeans members had followed ADOR’s directive and refrained from wearing the ribbons, they could have been severely criticized by the public. This situation serves as clear evidence that ADOR has been working behind the scenes to tarnish the members’ reputation.”
