"Another day bts being accused of sajaegi" — Internet divided over new alleged claims of chart manipulation in BTS' early days by HYBE

On December 20, 2024, a post on the South Korean platform Instiz alleged that HYBE (formerly BIGHIT) engaged in chart manipulation in 2015 to boost BTS's performance. A self-identified ex-employee of a marketing company claimed the label sought their services to elevate BTS's rankings, asserting that the hit song I Need U benefited from these efforts, resulting in a sharp rise on South Korean music charts.

Supporting their accusations, the individual referenced past posts, emails, and internal communications that purportedly involved HYBE and the marketing firm.

The allegations have sparked mixed reactions online. Supporters of BTS defended the group, highlighting the challenges they faced during their debut years. Fans claimed that the sudden resurfacing of old claims was a tactic to divert attention from the ongoing contract dispute involving NewJeans, a group under ADOR.

An X user, @superjamsi wrote,

"another newjeans drama, meaning another day bts being accused of sajaegi back in 2015. oh well! life goes on. it’s a cycle atp."

Debunking the allegations, others noted that BTS struggled financially in the early days, even casting production staff in their music videos due to budget constraints.

"they can't even hire actors for their mvs and you're telling me they're doing sajaegi? lmfao," an X user wrote.

"yall cant keep a narrative itʼs bighit is broke and poor canʼt afford good producer and shit yesterday but today bighit doing sajaegi that could cost tons of money during the almost bankruptcy state they were in that year. i can never understand peoples logic," a fan commented.

"Im saying this again but the industry can accuse bts of sajaegi until their last breath and i still won’t believe it. I was there and telling me that we had it easy is a big insult," another fan remarked.

"why do they keep reviving the same damn 2015 case that was already cleared," a person wrote.

Conversely, others pointed to the group's sudden breakthrough in 2015 as suspicious, questioning how the group, from a relatively small company at the time, managed to overtake established acts from major labels.

"And this is why people won’t believe any records of bighit/hybe anymore they lost validity," an X user commented.

"things start to make sense how bts blew up out of nowhere," another netizen wrote.

"Everything this group has achieved has been questionable ever since," a user mentioned.

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More about the alleged claims against BTS and previous allegations

In the detailed post, the accuser expressed frustration with the lack of progress in investigations by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST) and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).

They claimed to have sent detailed evidence to various media outlets, government agencies, and YouTube channels, seeking a transparent inquiry into the allegations. Giving their reason for the article, the individual wrote,

"In addition, in April of this year, suspicions of music chart manipulation by Hive (formerly Big Hit) were raised again. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) and the Korea Creative Content Agency, both under the government, said they would receive related complaints and begin an investigation."

The claim further read,

"but it is not being carried out properly. I cannot remain silent about this, so I mustered up the courage to write this article."

Allegations of chart manipulation against the group are not new. Similar claims emerged in 2017, culminating in a blackmail case involving the CEO of a marketing firm who threatened to expose HYBE.

While the CEO faced legal consequences, accusations against BTS and BIGHIT continued. HYBE denied the claims, calling them defamatory and baseless. Fans suspect the renewed focus on past allegations is a diversion from internal conflicts at HYBE, including disputes with its subsidiary ADOR.

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While there has been no official confirmation of the claims, both fans and critics are eagerly awaiting the final verdict.