The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST) has apologized for mentioning NewJeans during a discussion on “tampering” at a National Assembly audit on October 25 KST.

On November 12, the NewJeans fanbase, Bunnies, released the MCST’s response to their complaint. According to the statement, the MCST clarified that the comments during the audit were intended to highlight that “tampering is an activity that hinders the growth of the content industry, and self-regulation within the industry is required more than legal measures.” The MCST apologized for the confusion caused by the remarks and the resulting negative reactions.

Additionally, the MCST stated that they are carefully monitoring issues involving HYBE and that if any violations of ministry regulations are confirmed, they will take action as stipulated by the law.

Previously, Minister Yoo In-chon, responding to questions about “tampering” that arose following the dispute over FIFTY FIFTY’s contract, stated at the National Assembly, “This is an issue where industry efforts are needed. It’s challenging to regulate by law,” adding, “Though it’s not the same, I see NewJeans as somewhat related in this context.”

Some have argued that equating NewJeans with FIFTY FIFTY is “inappropriate,” leading Bunnies to send a protest letter to the MCST and Minister Yoo, for which they received a response.

Bunnies stated, “We are grateful for the prompt response and actions taken, and we urge continued scrutiny, as mentioned in the reply, to ensure that HYBE’s potential misconduct is closely monitored and evaluated.”

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