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Korean netizens have reportedly filed a petition titled "Petition to urge cancellation of HYBE's top company selection" on the official website of the National Assembly. The form was first filed on October 31, 2024, and will take signatures till November 30, 2024. The petition demands the removal of HYBE's 'Top Company' designation amidst its ongoing internal report controversy.
This follows the event of October 24, 2024, when Representative Min Hyun-bae of the Democratic Party of Korea revealed an internal report in the National Assembly Audit. The document allegedly contained demeaning remarks on other K-pop groups and their physical appearances like plastic surgery, height, and more. Since then, HYBE has been embroiled in a controversy, inviting public backlash.
Furthermore, NewJeans' Hanni was also summoned as a witness to the audit to talk about alleged workplace bullying in the company on October 15. Hanni claimed that she felt "ignored" in the company as another group's manager allegedly told the group to "ignore Hanni."
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Now, as of November 4, 2024, over 38,488 people have signed the petition. In the petition, the netizen highlighted how on October 15, 2024, Representative Park Hong-bae demanded HYBE's status as a top company be revoked at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee audit due to its issue of alleged workplace bullying following Hanni's statement.
For the unversed, HYBE earned the 'Top Company' status in April 2024 from the Fair Trade Commission. The entertainment label's total asset reportedly was over 5 trillion KRW (over 3.85 billion USD) and included 16 subsidiaries like Belift Lab, Pledis Entertainment, and more. It also became the first entertainment label to earn a "conglomerate" status and a "billion-dollar company" title in South Korea.
Meanwhile, the petitioner claimed that the Ministry apparently refused to provide precise information on the investigation's plans or status despite repeated demands.
Netizens demand HYBE's 'conglomerate' status be revoked to strip its tax deferral benefits
Netizens claim that the main reason for this petition is the benefits associated with the 'Top Company' status as it provides the label with benefits such as the deferral of tax audits. The Chosun Daily reported that in South Korea, only 88 companies have been awarded this distinction including HYBE—the only entertainment company on the list.
Meanwhile, supporters of the petition contend that the ministry's delay in revoking HYBE's status also erodes confidence in the "Top Company" system's credibility.
The petitioner—username seaweed** due to the confidentiality of their identity—mentioned that an investigation should be held into why the company's 'Top Company' status hasn't been removed yet. The contains of the petition said:
"However, the Ministry of Employment and Labor has not disclosed information on the investigation progress and future schedule for the cancellation of the top company, citing the receipt of complaints and investigations by the regional office. This can only be seen as the ministry’s negligence in responding to the National Assembly’s request to secure the soundness of the system."
The petition further continued:
"The cancellation of the top company due to workplace bullying was already implemented for OOO in April 2022. We request an investigation at the National Assembly level and prompt processing as no prompt decision has been made on a case that already has precedent."
Representative Min Hyun-bae pointed out that the dossier was reportedly 18,000 pages long.
Billboard reported that on October 29, 2024, HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang apologized for the ongoing controversy and assured fans that the executive who created the document was fired. Lee Jae-sang added that the document was a compilation of fan comments left online.
