Recently, as Hive has been embroiled in a controversy at the parliamentary audit, Seventeen’s fandom has filed a complaint with the National Newspaper to withdraw the selection of Hive, the parent company of its agency Pledis, as the “best job company.” This move is also linked to the controversy over Hive’s internal documents. The document received a great backlash from the fandom as it contains an explicit review of the appearance of idol members of other companies
Hive issued an apology immediately after the controversy, but fans still boycotted and filed complaints as they saw the apology and response as insufficient. During the parliamentary audit, Hive’s selection process as the “best job company” and the alleged concealment of overwork were intensively investigated, and fans are demanding a thorough fact-finding investigation
International fans express strong disappointment and anger over the incident, pointing out that inappropriate evaluations of K-pop stars in particular undermine the trust of global agencies. Fans have criticized Hive’s opaque organizational culture on social media, and are campaigning and boycotting to call for the protection of artists.
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
