ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – 2024 has been a tumultuous year for K-pop, marred by controversies involving some of its biggest stars and agencies.
At the centre of the storm is the escalating feud between K-pop powerhouse Hybe and music producer Min Hee-jin, the former chief executive officer (CEO) of Ador, a Hybe subsidiary managing the popular girl group NewJeans.
The five-member group sided with Min following her dismissal, severing ties with Ador by unilaterally terminating their contract on November 28. At a press conference that day, member Hanni criticised Ador, stating, “Staying at the agency will only prolong our psychological pain and waste our time.”
Ador has denied the allegations, setting the stage for a lengthy legal battle.
Debuting in 2022, NewJeans quickly rose to fame with viral hits such as Hype Boy and OMG, but their musical output has slowed amidst the ongoing dispute.
The feud has even fuelled a sidebar scandal. After Hanni testified in South Korea’s parliament about being discriminated against at the workplace by Hybe employees – one of the group’s many complaints against their parent company – Hybe was subject to an audit and had to hand over an internal document to government officials.
The controversial document – which contained disparaging comments about many K-pop idols, including those under Hybe – was leaked.
The conglomerate said the document simply collated public sentiment and did not represent the views of the company, but issued a public apology following backlash from fans and idols alike.
Seungkwan of the boy band Seventeen – the most successful boy band in the Hybe stable, after BTS – seemingly alluded to the document in a long Instagram post, saying: “You have no right to belittle our stories.”
This year also saw the botched comeback of Seunghan, formerly of rookie boy band Riize, in October.
The group’s agency SM Entertainment had originally announced that Seunghan, who went on an extended hiatus in 2023 after a picture was leaked of him kissing a woman prior to his debut, would be rejoining the group.
But, after fans sent funeral wreaths to protest his comeback, he was officially kicked out of the group.
The incident sparked conversations online about the unrealistic expectations of K-pop idols’ personal lives.
But that is not all that happened in 2024.
BTS’ Suga was caught for drinking under the influence on an e-scooter in August and fined KRW15 million for the offence.
Rapper-singer Jessi was terminated by her label in October after she walked away from a fan who was physically assaulted in front of her.
NCT’s vocalist Taeil also made a shocking departure from the boy band in August for what was then an unspecified assault crime.
It was revealed in October that the police were investigating him for quasi-assault charges against a woman. Quasi-assault is when two or more people collectively attack a victim.
Taeil is reportedly the only public figure involved in the case.
Meanwhile, earlier in December, KG – an American member of K-pop agency JYP Entertainment’s girl group VCHA – accused the company of “abuse and mistreatment” and announced her departure from the group.
And who can forget Singapore’s very own “influencer CEO” and K-pop entrepreneur David Yong, who appeared in the Netflix reality series Super Rich In Korea (2024)?
He was arrested on August 1 and now faces four charges of falsification of accounts, involving sums that run into the millions. Yet, for fans of second-generation K-pop, there were some bright spots.
In October, the ‘King of K-pop’ G-Dragon released new solo music after a seven-year hiatus and performed at the Mama Awards in November, marking his first official performance at the awards in nine years. Formerly disbanded girl group 2NE1 reunited for a comeback tour with two nights at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on December 21 and 22.
And former members of boy band TVXQ Junsu and Jaejoong held a concert as a duo in Seoul to perform their old hits, while boy band Infinite announced their 15th-anniversary concert tour with an upcoming stop in Singapore at The Star Theatre on February 7.
