[theqoo] [EXCLUSIVE] BTS’S SAJAEGI INVESTIGATION TRANSFERRED TO KOCCA… CIVIL COMPLAINT TO REVOKE ‘CULTURAL MERIT’

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will order an investigation into the alleged chart-rigging practice, known as sajaegi in Korea, of boy band BTS’s agency HYBE back in 2017.

 

The culture ministry said Saturday that it received a petition to investigate why the BTS agency was blackmailed for chart rigging practices and paid off the blackmailers back in 2017.

An additional petition was also sent to the culture ministry, requesting that the Order of Cultural Merit, given out by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, be revoked from the group, should the allegation be true.

 

Online posts began pointing out last weekend that HYBE, known as Big Hit Entertainment in the past, was blackmailed by a person surnamed Lee and three accomplices in 2017 for allegedly using “expedient marketing strategies” while promoting BTS’s album in 2015. 

 

Lee was sentenced to a year in prison and the three others were let off with a fine, but the term “sajaegi marketing” was specifically mentioned in the ruling, with the court saying that Lee had made a “sajaegi marketing deal” with Big Hit Entertainment and threatened the company based on that account.

 

“The victim did provide grounds [for Lee] to make the blackmail by proceeding with expedient marketing measures,” the court said in its reasoning for sentencing Lee to a year in prison.

 

HYBE said on Thursday that it reported malicious posts defaming the boy band and will continue monitoring online communities to prevent further damage against the artists.

CR: Korea Joongang Daily

1. This is f*cking humiliating. I bet that some fans are getting a reality check…

2. This is not from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, KONJIWON or investigation agency, they are just pretending they are doing something about itㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ they had to give some answer because there were civil complaints about it

3. This was all due to Bang Sihyuk’s greed

4. The sajaegi is clear as day and various places have raised concerns about it but big conglomerates and companies have positioned themselves in a way where they act like they are being persecuted by smaller companies. And just as intended by those companies committing sajaegi, fans are creating imaginary enemies and hate and demonize said enemies while supporting their bias group. Whether it’s in Korea or overseas, if you look at the core fans, they all form this underdog that has overcome persecution-kind of narrative, even if they stan idols from big companies. Seriously, this is just an evil and malicious positioning

5. I’m just f*cking disappointed

6. Up until now, Bangtan have been treated like some national hero. They are getting invitation from the president and they’ve been catered to the political establishment already. So of course they will do their best to bury everything

7. I’m indeed freaking disappointed but I also find this kinda hilariousㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

8. ARMYs being ARMYs

9. There’s already a court ruling about this, what “investigation” is there left to do?

10. So the shielders have not yet disappeared