Bang Si Hyuk, the chairman of HYBE, is at the center of online controversy as claims surface that he has been neglecting the members of NewJeans. Adding fuel to the fire, a video showing him engaging warmly with LE SSERAFIM members has recently gone viral.
In February, LE SSERAFIM’s Huh Yunjin and Sakura appeared on YouTube show “Eunchae’s StarDiary” hosted by fellow member Hong Eunchae. During the episode, the trio received a question from a fan: “Who’s the closest to Chairman Bang Si Hyuk? Let’s ee who gets a reply from him first on a personal chat!”
Sakura messaged Bang Si Hyuk, asking if he was watching their “EASY” promotions. Yunjin sent a photo with a heart on her cheek, saying, “I know this is sudden, but thank you for all your hard work on this album.” Eunchae wrote, “Did you see our ‘EASY’ performance? It’s cold these days, so take care not to catch a cold.”
Then, during their banter, Eunchae excitedly announced, “He just replied!” about 40 minutes after she had sent her text. Sakura received a reply within 39 minutes with three additional messages. Yunjin, matching Sakura’s time, received four messages, delighting the fans. The video received positive reactions like, “This is such a LE SSERAFIM thing to do,” and “The members’ reactions are adorable.”
However, the excitement was overshadowed by allegations of Bang Si Hyuk ignoring NewJeans. An article on the 13th revealed that parents of NewJeans members had sent a letter to ADOR, raising concerns about HYBE’s treatment of the group. The parents claimed that despite encountering Bang Si Hyuk, NewJeans members were ignored. They also highlighted that although NewJeans was supposed to be HYBE’s first girl group, LE SSERAFIM debuted first, stating, “We cannot forget the unfulfilled promise of being the first girl group and the endless waiting and neglect during their trainee days under Source Music.”
The claims have escalated tensions between HYBE and ADOR’s chief representative Min Hee Jin, who are currently engaged in a dispute over management rights. With NewJeans’ parents joining the fray and alleging discrimination, an ADOR shareholders’ meeting is scheduled for the 31st to address these issues.
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