“Caught Red-Handed: Internet Reacts to HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang’s Apology for Leaked Inappropriate Internal Documents”

On October 29, Newsen, a South Korean news outlet, announced that Lee Jae-sang, the CEO of HYBE, has issued a public apology in response to a leak that disclosed damaging information about artists from various entertainment companies. Many netizens criticized HYBE, suggesting that the apology was merely a reaction to the documents being exposed.

In his remarks, Lee conveyed remorse regarding the offensive language in the leaked documents, which contained negative assessments of K-pop idols from rival agencies, such as SM, JYP, and YG Entertainment. He recognized that the report was initially designed to analyze public sentiment and market dynamics.

Nonetheless, he conceded that the document’s inclusion of derisive comments and personal viewpoints was unacceptable. Lee stated,

“As the CEO of HYBE, I sincerely apologize for the inappropriate HYBE monitoring documents. This document was prepared as part of our efforts to gather diverse feedback and understand public views on industry trends. It was distributed to a limited group of leaders to assess market perceptions and fan sentiment, but its content was completely inappropriate.”

In spite of the apology, numerous fans expressed their discontent on social media, asserting that the label was only taking action due to the public reaction. Many netizens felt the apology lacked sincerity and seemed like a tactic to manage the situation. A user on X, @jieuncheolk remarked,

“It’s clear you’re only apologizing because you got caught. This doesn’t change the fact that you disregard your artists’ reputations. F**k your company. F**k HYBE.”

“Reports like this have circulated for years, and you’re only now realizing there are problems within them?,”another user complained.

“We will only believe in true and meaningful changes at the company and in the corporate culture, not just formal apologies,”an X user commented.

“Sorry, but we don’t accept your apology,”another netizen added.

“These are just empty words! He’s only apologizing because they were exposed, and the situation continues to deteriorate. These apologies will never be accepted. We wish you nothing but failure; we want HYBE to answer for its actions and manipulations!,”another X user wrote.

Several users expressed their dissatisfaction, pointing out that an apology does little to repair the damage inflicted on the reputations of idols throughout the K-pop industry, including those from other labels.

“This apology doesn’t fix the damage done to the idols,”a user stated.

“Next time, show your sincerity through actions, not just words. This apology doesn’t alleviate the harm HYBE has caused to its idols,”one commenter asserted.

“This is ridiculous; you’re apologizing only because you got caught. It doesn’t erase the suffering your artists have endured,”another user remarked.

Additional Insights into HYBE’s CEO Apology Amid the Leak Controversy

The internal documents from HYBE, which became a focal point during an audit by the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee, quickly spread online, inciting a significant public uproar.

CEO Lee Jae-sang affirmed that the label’s executive team was initially unaware of the report’s objectionable contents and has since suspended any further reports of this nature. He expressed sincere apologies to the artists referenced in the document, saying,

“We would like to extend a formal and respectful apology to the outside artists mentioned in the document who have been harmed and affected. We are in the process of reaching out individually to each agency for direct apologies, and we also offer our deepest and formal apologies to all artists within the Hybe Music Group who were targeted by this company.”

He assured fans that efforts are being made to contact affected agencies and artists personally to issue apologies. Lee also committed to instituting stricter policies to prevent future incidents, stating,

“We recognize that there was a lack of oversight from our leadership regarding the document’s content; I have immediately put a stop to the creation of such monitoring documents. I commit to establishing comprehensive guidelines and enhancing our internal controls to ensure that incidents like this cannot happen again.”

As the situation evolves, netizens are keenly awaiting the official findings from the National Assembly regarding the ongoing issues faced both within and outside the label.

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