HYBE Allegedly Accidentally Admits To Sajaegi For Album Sales
HYBE‘s representatives attended an audit with the National Assembly on October 24, 2024. During the audit, the matter of sajaegi was brought up when HYBE‘s COO, who is also Belift Lab‘s CEO Kim Tae Ho, was on the hot seat.
At first, Kim Tae Ho denied having conducted sajaegi through bulk-buying and returning CDs, only to be shown a corporate exchange in an internal HYBE channel about plans for the matter.
Kim Tae Ho: “We have never done deals where we buy up albums on the condition of returning them later [in order to push numbers].”
Assemblyman: “Then we will show you an internal document. There is an email dated February 4, 2023. If you look here, it clearly states ‘returns proceedings project.”
Kim Tae Ho: “The content you have shown is regarding what I have just mentioned. The albums that were sold in 2023, were returned in 2024, and after reviewing this, in the future we will no longer be using such methods for sales.”
Assemblyman: “Let me show you one more [document]. An additional order of a minimum of 70,000 albums bought on the condition of returns, with the maximum purchase being 200,000. What is this about?”
Kim Tae Ho: “After we received many queries about such things, we have realized that we cannot do this and-”
Assemblyman: “So are you saying that you have been doing this all this while, but right now you’re not?”
Kim Tae Ho: “As I have said previously, this is not our company’s direction. However, we have confirmed that a portion of the staff decided to use this returns method, and in accordance with our company’s rules, we have laid down guidelines to prevent this from happening in the future.”
"저희는 (밀어내기를 위해) 반품조건부로 거래한적이 없기때문에.."
(밀어내기 하려고 반품했다는 업무용 메일자료 보여줌)
"..앞으로는 이런일이 일어나지 않을것이며"
"그러니까 이제까지는 밀어내기를 했는데 앞으로는 안하겠다 이건가요?"
"저희는 밀어내기를 한 적이 없습니다."
하…시발 pic.twitter.com/NkuZziwqzb
— mhj아카이브 (@Daepunimarchive) October 24, 2024
Although Kim Tae Ho has admitted to some of the staff members using the returns method to push sales after being shown documented evidence, he continued to claim that the company itself does not agree with it and ergo has never tried to conduct sajaegi to push numbers. His contrary words have led to fans believing that he accidentally admitted to the suspicions.
HYBE REGARDING SAJAEGI ALLEGATIONS
"We have never conducted those transactions"
(Shows a business mail proving they pushed stocks)
"This won’t happen again in the future.”
“So you've been doing it until now, but you won’t do it anymore?"
"…. We have never pushed stocks" pic.twitter.com/4rxBIT10iM
— shie (@shiecollects) October 24, 2024
The particular sajaegi method of bulk purchase and returning stocks can be read up on below.
