Seventeen’s Seungkwan writes lengthy post on behalf of K-pop idols

Boy band Seventeen member Seungkwan [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
Seungkwan of boy band Seventeen made an Instagram post on Tuesday seemingly criticizing HYBE, which recently faced backlash for its internal report containing malicious comments on K-pop idols. 
 
This marks the first time an artist from a HYBE-affiliated company has publicly addressed the controversy. Seventeen is under Pledis Entertainment, a HYBE subsidiary.  
 
The singer’s post comes five days after the conglomerate came under fire when Rep. Min Hyung-bae of the Democratic Party revealed an internal HYBE document that included derogatory comments about K-pop idols during a National Assembly audit on Oct. 24. The report in question, titled “Weekly Music Industry Report,” was initially distributed to the CEOs of HYBE’s subsidiary labels and its executives. It included disparaging remarks from HYBE employees about idols from various agencies, including SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment, such as “They [idols] are shockingly ugly,” and “None of the members have the visuals of an idol since they debuted at such a young age.” 
 
 
Seungkwan began his post by saying, “I no longer want to see people hurting each other anymore.” 
 
The singer said his decision to speak out came as he could “not remain silent” on behalf of “his fans, members and all fellow idols who work hard even at this moment.” 
 
“At least those that I know in K-pop and my friends, including our members, love this job purely,” he added.
 
The boy band member acknowledged that, as a celebrity, he must endure certain challenges, but said that, “I do not think it’s a career in which I must endure when I keep getting hurt and hurt myself until the end.”
 

Boy band Seventeen member Seungkwan’s Instagram post on Tuesday [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
The singer also emphasized that idols should not be treated as puppets. “You have no right to speak poorly of our stories,” he wrote. 
 
“Not only us, but other artists are not your items. Don’t think you can use us as you please.”
 
While Seungkwan did not name any specific parties, his comments were seen as directed at HYBE.  
 
He pleaded for an end to the harm toward his fellow singers, staff and fans, calling it his “fervent wish.”
 
HYBE issued a statement on Oct. 25 clarifying that the report was a collection of “feedback from fans and various businesses” gathered from social media and fan communities to provide insights into current industry trends, and that “it did not reflect the views of HYBE itself.”  
 
HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang also issued a formal apology on Tuesday. “I take full responsibility for these serious errors,” he said. “The inclusion of provocative and crude language to describe K-pop artists, the addition of personal opinions and evaluations and the fact that these remarks were documented in writing are all unacceptable.”

To find out more about Seungkwan, visit Celeb Confirmed!    
 

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]