The K-pop industry recently faced school violence controversies, such as LE SSERAFIM Kim Garam and Yang Dong Hwa. Following HYBE and IST's move, a Korean media outlet discussed the difference between the agencies' responses to the issues.
Ex-ATBO Yang Dong Hwa vs LE SSERAFIM Kim Garam's School Violence Controversies
Lately, there has been an increasing number of idols embroiled in school violence controversies. Due to this, K-pop fans are showing interest in the idols' school life and history, even before their official debut.
This 2022, there are two cases of school violence issues that attracted the attention the most. One of them is IST Entertainment's upcoming boy group ATBO. The members were selected through the survival program "THE ORIGIN - A, B, Or What?," released on the Kakao TV-MBN channel.
There were ups and downs before forming the final debut group for ATBO. Aside from the changes in their group's name, a member was also accused of school violence.
On May 7, it was already decided that Yang Dong Hwa would join ATBO's debut in the year's second half. However, allegations of school violence were raised through various online communities and SNS against the aspirant.
ALSO READ: Lawyer Asks How Kim Garam Was Selected To Join LE SSERAFIM Despite THIS Reason
Prior to him, LE SSERAFIM Kim Garam became a hot topic due to suspicions of school violence. According to speculations, Kim Garam abused one of her classmates in middle school.
What made the situation worse was when the victim released the "Notification of the Results of the School Violence Countermeasures Committee" to prove their allegations.
K-Media Highlights Difference Between HYBE & IST Response to School Violence Controversies
On June 22, the Korean media outlet Sports World discussed the difference between how HYBE and IST handled their artists' controversies.
Starting with IST Entertainment, the outlet emphasized how they continued to check facts about the allegations before making a decision.
In particular, ATBO was supposed to start its debut preparation in May, just after the final lineup announcement. But due to the issue, their debut was delayed until June 13.
RELATED ARTICLE: Yang Donghwa Won't Debut in IST Entertainment's New Boy Group ATBO-Here's Why
On this day, IST reported that Yang Dong Hwa will not be joining the final lineup, stating:
"We checked the post about Yang Dong Hwa and contacted his acquaintances with his consent. In the process of confirming whether it was true or not, some assertions turned out to be different from the truth.
But it was also found that some students were hurt because of Yang Dong Hwa's immature and inappropriate remarks and actions.
Yang Dong Hwa met the victim in person and apologized. However, apart from this, Yang Don Hwa will no longer be joining ATBO."
On the other side, when Kim Garam's controversy broke even before debut, HYBE x Source Music pushed for the group's debut, mantaining Kim Garam in the lineup.
After the allegations were raised, the company insisted on filing legal actions against the rumors and claimed that these were "groundless facts" despite "evidence."
READ MORE: Kim Garam to Join LE SSERAFIM's Japan Promotions, Draws Intense Backlash
When the case worsened, HYBE decided to put Kim Garam on a temporary hiatus 18 days after her debut. But on June 21, it was revealed that the rookie will join the group once again for their Japanese activities.
Comparing the two, IST acknowledged the mistakes of Yang Dong Hwa after checking facts and allowed him to apologize to his victims. The agency also attested to support him in his future endeavors after reflection.
Meanwhile, HYBE let Kim Garam join LE SSERAFIM, which affected the group's image.
The media outlet stated that contrary to HYBE, IST Entertainment left a good precedent in the music industry, saying:
"In particular, in the case of "school violence," it is an issue that is inevitably more fatal and sensitive due to the characteristics of idol groups that target teenagers. ATBO's response, which focuses on apologizing for the victims and preventing recurrence, has left a good precedent in the music industry."
The article went on:
"'IDOL' is a word that means 'idol'. It has a great influence on peers and the public. The party who dreams of making a debut and the agency that prepares the idol group with its name on it should prepare for the debut process with a sense of responsibility. This is because the choice of the moment determines the future of the group."
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Written by Eunice Dawson
