“We are currently checking artist’s true intentions” — HYBE responds to Jungkook’s dog’s Instagram posts seemingly in support of NewJeans

BTS Jungkook and the girlgroup NewJeans(Image via Instagram/@bts.bighitofficial and @newjeans_official)

On September 14, 2024, BTS' Jungkook shared two posts on Bam's Instagram, which some believe addressed the conflict between Hybe, former Adore CEO Min Hee-jin, and NewJeans.

Jungkook posted a photo of his dog Bam with the caption "Artists are not guilty," followed by another post with the caption "Do not use them." This sparked debate over whether he was supporting NewJeans.

While the fans are still speculating about the true intentions of the Top Billboard artist's recent social media posts, HYBE has issued a statement.

"We are currently checking the artist's true intentions."

The speculation about Jungkook posting the photos in support of his junior girl group NewJeans

In the first photograph featuring Bam, along with the caption "Artists are not guilty," Jungkook added a muscle-revealing arm emoji accompanied by blue, pink, yellow, green, and purple hearts. As these colors are the symbolic colors of the "Powerpuff Girls" concept of the New Jeans members, some are speculating that Jungkook may have been indirectly expressing his perspective on the Adore internal conflict.

Fans' comment on Jungkook's post (Image via Instagram/@bowwow_bam)

It is noteworthy that since the conflicts between HYBE and former CEO Min Hee-jin commenced, BTS' Jungkook is the first individual to respond, albeit indirectly, as a member of the Hybe label. The conjecture is further reinforced as this post was published immediately after the New Jeans members recently became directly involved in the management dispute through their recent personal live broadcasts.

Nevertheless, with posts having more than millions of likes and thousands of comments from fans, the comments section is divided with opinions regarding the purpose of these posts.

Some fans believe that this was an indirect criticism of former CEO Min Hee-jin, who is rumored to have used NewJeans members in her conflict with Hybe. In particular, some interpreted the phrase "Don't use them" in the caption of the second photo as a warning against using innocent and young artists as shields in conflicts.

However, a large number of fans believe that Jungkook's account may have been compromised, as the artist seldom includes captions with his photographs. Given that the artist has openly acknowledged his limited English proficiency, the use of English captions rather than his native Korean language appears odd to them too.

The feud between Hybe and Ador's former CEO Min Hee-jin

There has been an ongoing dispute since the end of April between the South Korean girl group that debuted in July 2022, their company Ador's former CEO, Min Hee-jin, and their umbrella company Hybe.

The disagreement arose when Min Hee-jin accused the parent company of copying NewJeans's concept to create another girl group. The discourse continued until Hybe ultimately decided to part ways with Min Hee-jin on August 27, 2024.

Since then, NewJeans, the girl group from Ador, has been embroiled in a controversy, with many fans expressing concern that the former CEO is exploiting the artists. This discourse has also drawn the attention of the entire K-pop fandom, as the former CEO has dragged prominent names such as BTS, ILLITS, and other Hybe groups, as well as girl groups like Aespa from SM Entertainment into the conflict.

Recently, the conflict took an unexpected turn when the members of NewJeans discussed their experiences during a now-deleted personal live broadcast on September 11. They expressed their dissatisfaction with the current situation at Hybe, particularly since the departure of former CEO Min Hee-jin.

The members of NewJeans concluded their livestream by requesting the return of Min Hee-jin as their CEO and expressing their desire for more creative control over their music.

Amidst this, Jungkook's photo caption has ignited fresh discussions.

Edited by Divya Singh