BTS Fans Call for “HYBE Boycott” as Discontent Intensifies 

Recently, ARMYs (fans of BTS) have been expressing frustration about the group’s agency – HYBE and Big Hit, at the same time taking action in earnest by starting a boycott. 

Particularly, a place where signs of ARMYs’ boycott can be observed is the pop-up store currently being held in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, since April 26th.

This place, where various goods including black and white photos taken before BTS members’ enlistment are available for purchase, has consistently shown a quiet atmosphere.

One ARMY, who requested anonymity, stated, “In the case of BTS pop-up stores, there are often long lines or goods are frequently sold out, but the response at this pop-up store is significantly lower than before,” adding, “Isn’t this evidence that many ARMYs are angry with HYBE?”

In addition, reviews from those who visited the BTS Seongsu-dong pop-up store mentioned that goods are still easily available for purchase and there are no waiting lines, allowing for a comfortable viewing experience unlike previous BTS-related pop-up stores.

The discontent among ARMYs towards HYBE is growing. A recent example is the mourning wreaths and truck protests held in front of the HYBE building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. At that time, they expressed their dissatisfaction with messages such as “Absolute opposition to a contract renewal”, “HYBE’s trustworthiness is at rock bottom”, “HYBE is an empty shell of a large corporation”, “We hope for BTS to leave HYBE without rest”, and so on.

One ARMY asked, “With less than 50 days left until the members’ first discharge, what do you expect in terms of support while observing how HYBE handles the controversy?” and stated, “The only way for ARMYs to express their opinions to HYBE is to refrain from spending money without proper treatment, and boycotting the (Seongsu-dong) pop-up store currently open is the fastest way,”

Furthermore, they said, “ARMYs are fans of BTS, not HYBE. I think this is the last chance to separate the image of HYBE from BTS.”

The majority of ARMYs seem to agree with such opinions. Similar posts are appearing on online communities related to BTS on social networking services (SNS). Ultimately, the ongoing boycott of the Seongsu-dong pop-up store is expected to continue, and the “HYBE boycott” movement is likely to persist in the future.

Additionally, on May 3, ARMYs advertised their stance to the media, stating, “Bang Si-hyuk, Chairman of HYBE, and Park Ji-won, CEO, should stop using BTS as a shield for the agency’s internal and external negative issues,” and “We support BTS, not HYBE.”

Under the umbrella of HYBE, Big Hit Music stated, “We clearly state that allegations such as market manipulation marketing, concept plagiarism, single world association, and pseudo-suspicion aimed at damaging the honor of BTS are not true,” and “We have compiled numerous posts containing false information and defamation, and submitted the first complaint to the investigative agency on May 2nd.”

Source: Daum