[talk] SEVENTEEN's Seungkwan's inner cry in response to HYBE report: "Don't hurt me any more"

SEVENTEEN's Seungkwan has spoken out about the HYBE report controversy.

Breaking his silence for his fans and peers, his message highlights the true value of K-pop idols and has caused a huge response. Amid the controversy over the report, Seungkwan's heartfelt words provide an opportunity to reconsider the reality idols face.

1. Background

Recently, HYBE's 'Weekly Music Industry Report' published evaluations of Korean idols' appearances have sparked a fierce controversy after they were made public.

The report's contents include criticism of the idols' appearances and abilities, causing a stir among fans and industry insiders.

2. Seungkwan's SNS post

On October 29, 2024, Seungkwan published a message on his Instagram that began with the sentence, "I don't want to see any more hurting each other." He expressed his feelings, saying, "I can't stay silent any longer for the sake of our fans, members, and colleagues who are still working hard," emphasizing the hardships and pride of idols in the K-pop industry.

[Full text posted by Seungkwan]

I don't want to see them hurting each other anymore.

I have seen many things that have happened up until now, but I have kept my head in the sand, thinking that things will somehow pass, and have continued to work hard with the members as I always have.

However, I felt that I could no longer remain silent for the sake of my hurting friends, my fans, my members, and all my comrades who are working hard even at this very moment, and simply watch over this situation and hope that the fire will die down.

To some it may seem like intrusiveness, and to others it may be insufficient, but still, I will muster up my courage.

Being a celebrity is a profession I chose, and because I have received a lot of love there are probably some aspects I have to accept, but I don't think it's a profession where I have to endure getting hurt and wasting myself until the moment I die.

I just wanted to do my best and take responsibility in the things I was given, repay the fans who love me, and somehow share the positive energy I can give in various ways. Because of this, the pressure and sense of oppression, and the physical and mental fatigue are so great that they cannot be explained in words.

But even so, we must carry on in this moment. Some look upon it rationally, some seem to smile approvingly, and some are struggling but adapt and somehow manage to endure and live. Because it is my choice and I have to accept it. But the reason for this is the truly bitter and harsh today. Just as some days are sunny and some days are cloudy, today is very cloudy for me.

Haven't there been days when I tried to overcome things in a positive way? Haven't there been days when I tried to smile somehow? But today is not so easy. I feel sorry for those who are hurting at this very moment. It's a pity that I can't embrace everyone. I wonder if my inadequate words will resonate with anyone, if I can comfort anyone.

My members and the friends and colleagues I know, who work hard together in this huge industry called K-POP, are people who genuinely and sincerely love this job. Sometimes they get hurt because they're so serious, and sometimes they feel empty because they love it so much, but they still live each day giving and receiving love for themselves, their members, their families, and their fans.

I want to make this clear. They are not people who have been active in a calm and gentle way so that you can easily raise or lower them and judge them. They are people who have been hurt and frustrated enough, but who somehow overcome it and work desperately to show their best selves on stage to their fans. Please don't underestimate idols. They don't have the right to easily intrude into our epic.

But to us, and to other artists, we are not your property, so don't feel free to use them however you like and have fun with them.

Even just appearing on a music show for a week is enough to drain all of your physical strength. In the meantime, we also have to deal with advertisements, events, performances, and other schedules, and recently, many of my colleagues greet me warmly and with a smile that is even stronger than mine. Every time they do, I greet them with a smile too. This is all I can give them. When they greet us with a strong smile, that one moment is precious and I am grateful, and even the one-line message from the album that our colleagues wrote for us behind the greeting, which may be considered a formality, gives me energy even after a tired day. I just hope that everyone stays healthy and stays active.

I also like the culture of challenges. Whether you're close friends or strangers, you can take one challenge and dance each other's dances together off stage as good friends, and leave a challenge video of you doing the same thing. It's beautiful to make even one small memory together during the most beautiful and wonderful time of your youth, and if the fans who watch it are happy, that's even better. Even if you don't know each other that well, it's nice to be able to exchange a small word of encouragement like "good luck" at the end of filming in an awkward and embarrassing atmosphere. If you can meet with respect and be of some help, I think that in itself is meaningful and something to be grateful for.

I should make an effort, but I hope we can all be a little warmer together. I think things will be a little better if we look at each other with kindness, support, love, and make each other feel warmer. It's also so painful to see someone fail and give up in the end. If you can't take responsibility, then please don't hurt others. That's my sincere wish.

I don't want to see myself and my members, all the colleagues who are working hard even now, the staff who are doing their best for us, and my fans get hurt any more. I want to tell the fans who love us so warmly even at this moment that I'm sorry and that I love you.

3. Content of the statement

Although Seungkwan said he believes that the job of a celebrity is to deliver love to people, he declared, "Idols are not your item." He also said, "Please don't take them lightly and judge them based on some provocative content," and asked people to understand how hard idols work in their daily activities.

4. HYBE’s Position

HYBE explained that the report was a compilation of reactions from fans and social media, and was not an official statement from the company. However, the announcement in the National Assembly has caused controversy, with many fans expressing disappointment and disbelief.

Full text of Hive CEO Lee Jae-sang's official statement

Regarding the Hive monitoring documents, as Hive CEO, I would like to apologize.

We would like to offer our sincere apologies to our artists, industry insiders, and fans regarding the monitoring documents that were pointed out during the National Assembly's Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee's national audit on October 24.

This document was created in the process of retroactively collecting various reactions and public opinion regarding industry trends and issues. It was shared only with a select group of leadership for the purpose of understanding the market and public opinion of artists' fans, but the content of the document was extremely inappropriate. On behalf of the company, we acknowledge all mistakes and feel a deep sense of responsibility for the fact that provocative and crude language aimed at K-pop artists was included as is, that the creator's personal views and evaluations were added, and that the content was allowed to remain as a document. In particular, we feel extremely sorry and devastated that innocent artists and members have been misunderstood and harmed by the addition of completely untrue allegations of reverse virality.

We would like to offer our sincere and official apologies to the external artists who were featured in the document and suffered damage and injury. We have contacted each agency separately to offer direct apologies. We have also offered our sincere and official apologies to all artists of Hybe Music Group who have been the target of criticism by the company.

I acknowledged that there was a lack of awareness of the issue from leadership in sharing the document, and as CEO, I immediately stopped creating the monitoring document. I promise to establish guidelines and strengthen internal controls to prevent such an issue from occurring again.

Once again, I would like to apologize to the artists, industry insiders, fans, and all those who love and support K-pop who have been hurt by this incident. As the representative of the company, I would like to express my sincere regret and say that we will thoroughly correct past mistakes through self-reflection and self-analysis, prioritize the rights and interests of all K-pop artists and respect for fans, and do our utmost to promote the healthy development of the K-pop industry.

thank you.

Hive CEO Lee Jae-sang

5. Fan Reaction

Seungkwan's message showed how deeply he cares about his fans and his peers, and many fans were moved and sent messages of support. Responses such as "I was touched by Seungkwan's courageous statement" and "I can feel his sense of mission as an idol" have been posted one after another, and the message has become a hot topic.

6. Conclusion

Seungkwan's comments are attracting attention as the first internal criticism within HYBE. His message, filled with the pain and sense of responsibility of being an idol, and gratitude to his fans, has evoked deep sympathy from many people. We hope that this will be an opportunity for the entire industry to re-evaluate the true value of idols.

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