Did HYBE Try to Downplay NewJeans' Success? The Truth Behind the Tokyo Dome Drama

HYBE, one of South Korea’s largest entertainment agencies, is currently facing accusations of downplaying the success of their popular girl group, NewJeans. On September 25th KST, during CBS’s "Kim Hyun Jung’s News Show," a reporter from the Seoul Newspaper alleged that a HYBE representative requested changes to an article about NewJeans' Tokyo Dome concert. The reporter claimed HYBE asked them to revise the article in a way that would distort and downplay the achievements of NewJeans.

The controversy began when the reporter shared this allegation on a broadcast. According to the reporter, the incident occurred during communication between the media outlet and HYBE, which led to the claims being made public on the popular news show.

HYBE Responds to the Allegations

HYBE, however, has strongly denied the accusations. They clarified that the request to revise the article was made to correct factual inaccuracies. The original report stated that NewJeans had sold over 1.02 million albums in Japan alone. HYBE explained that this was incorrect, as only around 50,000 albums were sold in Japan, while over 900,000 albums were sold in Korea.

HYBE emphasized that their intention was to correct the misleading information and that they had no reason to diminish NewJeans' achievements.

Addressing the reporter’s claims that HYBE used terms like “gaslighting,” the agency explained the context. According to HYBE, in the entertainment industry, strong bonds between creators and artists can sometimes lead to attempts to control management. The term "gaslighting" was used in reference to this context during their discussions, not in relation to NewJeans.

HYBE Defends Its Actions

In addition to denying the allegations, HYBE expressed frustration over the public disclosure of their internal communication with the reporter. HYBE stated that leaking work-related conversations between the PR team and the reporter violated journalistic ethics. The agency has sent a certified letter of protest to the media outlet, calling the leak a serious ethical violation. HYBE's firm response to these accusations has drawn attention to the complexity of communication between entertainment agencies and media outlets. While HYBE insists their actions were aimed at ensuring accurate reporting, the situation has sparked debate among fans and the media alike. As the controversy continues to unfold, both HYBE and NewJeans' supporters will be watching closely to see how the matter is resolved.