HYBE Chairman Bang Si Hyuk recently made a public appearance, and fans couldn’t help but notice his drastic weight loss!

On February 20, Bang Si Hyuk attended the 64th annual Korea Economic Association (KEF) meeting at the FKI Conference Center in Yeouido, Seoul.

This marked his first time participating in the event, where he was joined by other major business figures, including Dunamu CEO Lee Seok Woo.

What grabbed everyone's attention was Bang Si Hyuk’s visibly slimmer figure. Dressed in a sharp black suit, he stepped on stage for a commemorative photo.

And netizens quickly noticed his more defined jawline and smaller frame compared to past appearances. His transformed look has since become a hot topic among K-pop fans.

Meanwhile, Bang Si Hyuk remains in the spotlight due to the ongoing contract dispute between HYBE and NewJeans.

On February 7, all five NewJeans members—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—announced their new group name, "NJZ", in the midst of a legal battle over their exclusive contracts.

ADOR responded by expressing disappointment, stating, "It is very unfortunate that the members made this decision unilaterally before a legal ruling."

Adding to the drama, the parents of NewJeans members claimed on February 19 that Bang Si Hyuk personally contacted U.S. industry officials to pressure the cancellation of the group’s scheduled Hong Kong concert.

This sparked heated discussions, but ADOR quickly denied the accusation, saying, "ADOR never pressured the cancellation of NewJeans' Hong Kong concert. We have also confirmed that Bang Si Hyuk had no involvement."

As the legal battle continues, Bang Si Hyuk’s appearance and the NJZ controversy remain major topics among fans!

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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.

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