HYBE’s Thoughts On Pro-Palestine Protests Leaked In New Internal Documents
This article is part of our coverage of HYBE Internal Documents Scandal. You can read more and view the entire timeline here.
As more of HYBE‘s internal documents are released, more information about the company’s internal procedures and thoughts on various subjects are revealed.
On November 1, KST, an employee seemingly shared a new set of documents online, sparking new controversy. Inside these documents were comments on various subjects, including pro-Palestine protests launched against the label’s artists.
Since the additional focus was placed on the human rights violations taking place in the Gaza Strip, many began protesting companies alleged to have connections to Israel. This includes McDonald’s and Starbucks, which launched as grassroots protests and were later encouraged by official protests.
K-Pop Fans Upset As Idols “Promote” Starbucks Amidst Boycott For Palestine… But Should They Be?
HYBE discussed these protests in a section about ENHYPEN‘s Jake, referring to an instance where the idol responded to fan protests. The company seems to have decided to “wait for the issue to pass” as Korea is not involved in the conflict.
“Recently, there has been an intensifying political intervention campaign led by overseas fandoms around brands like Starbucks and McDonald’s in relation to the Israel issue. Although I previously mentioned this, South Korea isn’t a country involved in the conflict, so the wisest choice is likely to wait for the issue to pass. However, with the Golden Disc Awards as a turning point, Indonesian fans have been heavily promoting this issue to other fans on platforms like Weverse. There was even an incident where Jake agreed with a post by an overseas fan urging people not to support Starbucks, responding with a reflective comment, which has stirred some controversy.”
— HYBE Documents
The document then addressed fans’ efforts to “educate” idols, marking them as a potential risk as the term upset domestic fans. The company seemed most concerned with this sparking a more complex situation.
The term “education on the issue,” often used by international fans, is particularly upsetting for Korean fans, creating a potential risk. Since this issue isn’t just a matter of personal choice but a complex political one, Jake’s response could become problematic in the future, so it’s essential to keep monitoring this situation. Above all, even if the situation seems resolved simply because Jake kindly responded to fans, this could still act as a tipping point that fuels ENHYPEN’s fandom’s identity-based conflicts. It’s a sensitive time where managing the atmosphere is crucial. If fans rally around unrelated issues to push for member reactions, the situation could become more complicated.
Additionally, it seems Jake still struggles with telling apart between issues he can respond to vs. ones he should not. Looking back on the Itaewon incident, where Jake’s reaction ended up complicating things, it feels like he may not fully understand the weight of these issues. This may call for more foundational case studies on risk detection. There’s also a need for members like Jay (with his history-related controversies) and Jake (with his cover song promises) to resolve ongoing issues concerning their individual actions. The weight each member personally feels regarding these matters may vary, and that needs to be considered.
— HYBE Documents
It seems, based on these documents, the actual issue of the conflict is not something on HYBE’s radar, but rather the potential issues that could arise from an idol under the label’s acknowledgment of such issues.
HYBE has also been protested over its own connections to Israel, which you can read about below.
HYBE Director Pushes Away Muslim Fans With Recent, Blatantly Islamophobic Messages
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