HYBE employees have anonymously reacted to Jungkook's recent show of support for NewJeans.
It was reported that some HYBE employees expressed frustration after the BTS member posted a photo of his pet dog on Instagram, accompanied by the caption, "Artists are not guilty."
Following Jungkook's post, discussions erupted on HYBE's board in the anonymous workplace community, Blind.
One employee shared Jungkook's post and commented, "I feel even more bitter. What have we been working for?"
Other employees quickly chimed in, with reactions like, "It feels like the company is really falling apart," "Of all artists, why this one? Is this a sign the company is doomed? A signal to escape?" "Artists aren’t guilty, that's true. I’m not guilty either—so what are those who are guilty doing right now?" "It feels like they're determined to destroy everyone else," and "Once again, it’s clear that we, the ordinary employees, are insignificant."
There were also different takes. One HYBE employee asked, "Isn’t this directed at former CEO Min Hee Jin?"
Meanwhile, some voiced disappointment with Jungkook’s post, with comments like, "Are we really listening to the most reckless one here?" and "Look at how this is being interpreted and sparking more controversy. What’s good about that?"
As debates raged both internally and externally, HYBE stepped in to manage the situation. On the same day, Jungkook posted again on Instagram, stating, "Don't use them."
HYBE's label, BigHit Music, also issued a statement, clarifying, "Jungkook’s post was made from the belief that young artists should not be dragged into disputes or used as shields under any circumstances."
Additionally, media reports suggest that HYBE is "distancing itself from the issue by saying they cannot disclose who the real grammatical subject and object of Jungkook’s sentences are," implying that Jungkook's support for NewJeans might have been framed in a way advantageous to the company while suggesting it was criticizing Min Hee Jin.
Moreover, it was revealed on Blind’s HYBE board that employees had been slandering former CEO Min Hee Jin, Dolphiners Films' CEO Shin Woo Seok, and NewJeans, further fueling disruption among NewJeans’ fanbase.
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