A past photo featuring HYBE Labels leaders stirs gender disparity debate amid the ongoing feud with ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin

Recently, a photo of all the HYBE Labels' leaders sparked controversy on the internet for its alleged representation of male dominance at the entertainment agency. The picture showcased 11 people who led the company which consisted only of men, bringing attention to the lack of women leaders in HYBE.

A journalist, Jung Hye-seung, who brought attention to the popularly passed around in online communities, commented on the picture. She stated that the picture was already a controversial image that received a lot of backlash and criticism in 2021.

Despite several people pointing out the gender disparity the image showcased, HYBE Labels made no statement addressing it or took the criticism constructively to mold their agency into a more inclusive space. This image has gained attention again recently following the breakout between HYBE and ADOR.

Given that HYBE has an infamous reputation for being non-inclusive of women, the current power imbalance portrayed through the controversy between ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE raised concerns among netizens. It also highlighted how the ADOR CEO, despite holding a high-level position in HYBE, has allegedly fallen victim to HYBE's lack of power positions for women.

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HYBE Labels' photo featuring all its leaders gains attention on the topic of gender disparity amidst the HYBE X ADOR feud

Recently, a past picture of all the HYBE Labels' leaders from 2021 when the agency released their introduction video resurfaced on the internet. When the image was released, it received heavy criticism from netizens for the agency being a male-dominant space since all the 11 leaders showcased in the image were men.

The picture garnered attention once again after a journalist's comment on the same. Jung Hye-seung, a South Korean journalist, stated that the picture showcased, HYBE's Gaejuhssi, a derogatory term used to refer to older men in power. She specifically talked about how the agency failed to address the concerns raised by the netizens on the gender disparity.

She stated—

"An organization that fails to recognize the issue presented by such a problematic photo is facing a crisis. Whether it's a company, government, political party, university, or conference, such images should not be condoned, particularly on an international level. Events with only "manels" (male panels) instead of panels featuring both genders will inevitably face boycotts from speakers and debaters."

Jung Hye-seung stated that even as of 2023, the leaders of HYBE Labels include 9 men and only 1 woman. The disparity also spilled over in terms of pay. She added—

"HYBE sustains the industry's widest gender pay gap, with men earning an average of 76 million KRW (~55,152.42 USD) compared to women's 51 million KRW (~37,010 USD)."

Apart from the visible gender disparity in HYBE, the journalist also pointed out that the issues go further than this. She also explained that when like-minded come together and occupy positions of power, it often leads to overlooking critical aspects. Therefore, she pointed out the lack of cultural and other kinds of diversity in HYBE Labels.

Additionally, Park Ji-won, the current CEO of HYBE who occupied the position of COO, revealed his affiliation with Sudden Attack 2, a game created by Nexon Korea that was criticized for its extreme s*xualization of female characters. The issue eventually led to the game's ban, and Ji-won's connection to the game is currently being criticized by netizens.

With several instances of HYBE's non-inclusivity for women and other forms of diversity in the agency, netizens have been re-evaluating their perspective on the ongoing feud between HYBE Labels and ADOR, especially with concerns over Min Hee-jin's situation.