• "We've long prepared for this", HYBE assures investors that preparations are underway ahead of BTS military enlistment

    As an alternative to falling sales and the possibility that BTS members will join the military, HYBE has said that it will introduce four new groups.

    On October 17, the CEO of HYBE, Park Ji Won, sent a letter to shareholders in which he said, "We have been getting ready for this for a long time, just in case something like this ever happened. We want to make it possible for BTS and their fans to be together."

    He said, "We fully understand that investors are worried about whether HYBE will be able to keep growing at the same rate it has because BTS isn't doing as much".

    He added, "We are setting up a structure that can make them, and we are taking on different challenges by combining new technologies like platform business and game business."

    HYBE has a plan for how to do this:

    • The debut of four or more groups next year with a K-pop production method including Japan and the US
    • Live streaming on the fan platform Weverse
    • New subscription service
    • Continuous update of the BTS game and expansion of publishing
    • Incorporation of AI-based voice and singing synthesis technology of Supertone was presented.

    Aside from BTS, the sales of established artists like SEVENTEEN, TXT, ENHYPHEN, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, Zico, Fromis9, Justin Bieber, and Ariana Grande grew by more than three times last year on average. It is said to make nine independent labels work together and compete.

    It has been studied and found that the confirmation of BTS's membership will hurt HYBE's stock price.

    By doing things like getting into the game business, HYBE is making BTS less dependent on sales, but it is still high. HYBE was able to cut its reliance on BTS from 80% when it went public to 60%.

    As long as there was doubt about BTS joining, the securities industry kept lowering HYBE's target price. It was changed to 250,000 won for NH Investment & Securities, 210,000 won for Samsung Securities, and 210,000 won for Hyundai Motor Securities.

    Source[1]

  • Seo Ye Ji shocks fans with controversial jokes about her scandals on 'SNL Korea' after 8 years away from variety shows but fans are not buying it

    Seo Ye Ji is facing major backlash after her surprising appearance on SNL Korea 7.

    On April 12, Seo Ye Ji made her long-awaited return to variety shows by guest-starring on Coupang Play's SNL Korea Season 7.

    Before the show started, she made jaws drop by joking, "I'll gaslight the SNL crew and make it fun," referencing her own past controversies.

    During the "Seo Ye GPT" segment, Seo Ye Ji played an AI that helped Kim Won Hoon nail a company presentation. She then made a sharp comment, saying, "The truly embarrassing thing is sitting quietly and being talked about behind your back. I've experienced that a lot," hinting at the criticism she’s faced.

    In the "Eve Hair Salon" skit, Seo Ye Ji acted as a salon director and joked about her past "Kim Ddak Ddak" scandal, where she was accused of controlling her then-boyfriend Kim Jung Hyun. When a character mentioned her stiff neck, she responded, "It's firm," making everyone laugh but also stirring mixed feelings.

    Fans were shocked to see Seo Ye Ji using her past scandals as comedy material, especially since it’s been eight years since her last variety show appearance. Many pointed out that joking about serious accusations like gaslighting and academic fraud might have gone too far.

    The controversy over Seo Ye Ji’s education also came back into the spotlight. She had previously claimed she studied abroad in Spain, but in 2021 it was revealed she never actually attended the university she mentioned.

    Her agency explained she was accepted but didn’t attend because of her career in Korea, but many netizens weren’t convinced.

    On SNL Korea, Seo Ye Ji even played a character who lied about her past to impress a boyfriend, making fans think of her real-life academic background scandal.

    After the episode aired, reactions online exploded. Some comments included, "Falsifying academic background is a crime," "This was too much," "It was funny though," "Let’s forgive it since it’s black comedy," and "Why was Seo Ye Ji the first guest?"

    Seo Ye Ji’s bold jokes have definitely split public opinion, with some calling it brave and others saying it only reopened old wounds.

    Source (1)