HYBE CEO Lee Jae Sang has shared a public apology following a partial leak of the company’s internal “Weekly Music Industry Report,” which boasted about what some have called derogatory comments about the K-pop industry, including some young artists.

The letter emerged from a court hearing on Thursday (Oct. 24) on the HYBE audit conducted by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly. The Korean Herald reported that representative of the Democratic Party Min Hyung Bae revealed the weekly document during the heart. Reportedly spanning around 18,000 pages, Rep. Min noted that the document contains unverified rumors and sometimes harsh comments about very young artists, including minors, with alleged statements including: “They debuted at an age where are less attractive” and “Surprisingly, none of them are pretty.”

In response to the leak, a letter from Lee published in company official website on Tuesday (Oct. 29) offers an apology “to artists, industry stakeholders and fans” who were upset by the revelations.

“This document was created as part of a process to retrospectively gather diverse public reactions and opinions on industry trends and topics,” Lee wrote, clarifying that it was only shared with “a limited number of leaders.” However, he acknowledged that it was “highly inappropriate” for the document to include “provocative and explicit expressions directed at K-pop artists,” adding: “As a representative of the company, I acknowledge all errors and take full responsibility.”

Lee added that HYBE is “contacting each agency individually to offer our apologies directly” and continued, “I also sincerely extend an official apology to all HYBE Music Group artists who have come under fire because of the company.”

Lee also promised to “establish guidelines and strengthen internal controls to prevent these issues from occurring again,” adding that the company has stopped creating such documents. Near the end, he emphasized HYBE’s dedication to the well-being of all artists and their respect for fans, committing to reforms aimed at positively contributing to the K-pop industry.

Read the full statement (with translations provided by Soompi) below:

As CEO of HYBE, I extend my sincere apologies for HYBE’s follow-up document.

Regarding our follow-up document that was highlighted during the audit of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly on October 24, I deeply apologize to artists, industry stakeholders and fans.

This document was created as part of a process to retrospectively collect diverse public reactions and opinions on industry trends and topics. Although it was intended to be shared only with a limited number of leaders to understand the sentiments of the market and fans, the content was highly inappropriate. The document contained provocative and explicit expressions directed at K-pop artists, included the author’s personal opinions and assessments, and was preserved in written form. As a representative of the company, I acknowledge all errors and take full responsibility. I am especially sorry and distressed by the unfounded suspicions about reverse viral marketing that are not true at all and that cause misunderstandings and harm to innocent artists and individuals.

I formally and respectfully apologize to the outside artists mentioned in the document who have suffered harm and distress. We are also reaching out to each agency individually to offer our apologies directly. Furthermore, I also sincerely extend an official apology to all HYBE Music Group artists who have been the subject of criticism because of the company.

I recognize the lack of awareness among the leaders who received the document and, as CEO, I immediately stopped the creation of such monitoring documents. I promise to establish guidelines and strengthen internal controls to prevent these problems from happening again.

Once again, I apologize to the artists, industry stakeholders, fans, and everyone who loves and supports K-pop for the pain caused by this incident. As a representative of the company, I commit to thorough reflection and self-examination to rectify past mistakes and prioritize the rights of all K-pop artists and respect for fans. We will do everything possible to contribute to the healthy development of the K-pop industry.

Thank you.
Lee Jae-Sang, CEO of HYBE