🔗 2024-10-03 Team Bunnies Notice

Hello, this is Team Bunnies.

Yesterday, October 2nd, was the deadline for a response to the protest letter delivered to ADOR CEO Kim Ju-young. The protest letter, containing our sincere opinions, was delivered by mail, and we demanded that they provide truthful answers regarding all matters even now, and simply respond faithfully to the artists’ demands.

Team Bunnies has already completed various legal reviews. As we have waited for a response until the very end, we will now proceed with filing criminal complaints simultaneously against ADOR CEO Kim Ju-young, as well as HYBE’s top executives who have maintained silence without any apology or promise of correction to the artists and fans: Vice CEO Lee Do-kyung, CCO Park Tae-hee, and PR Team Director Cho Sung-hoon. We believe that not only we, but also the artists and former CEO Min Hee-jin, have provided HYBE with opportunities multiple times. There were moments when all situations could have been resolved amicably, but it is HYBE that ignored them and caused the current situation. It is regrettable, but hoping that they will take full responsibility for this evasion and deception, we are filing these complaints.

We will provide information regarding the content of the complaints via the Team Bunnies account after they are filed. We have focused our legal review on the most serious matters among various violations, and we are proceeding with the complaints as we have judged that sufficient explanation of the charges is possible.

We would also like to speak about the progress of the National Assembly audit. As a fandom supporting artists, proceeding with this matter has been a huge burden at every moment, and we agonized greatly over whether we really had to go this far. With national issues piling up, we needed the conviction that this was not merely our problem but a problem of the entire culture. After listening to the advice of various experts, we decided to proceed with this matter with a heavy heart, as we could not overlook HYBE’s misconduct. We declare that this is not “whining” to have our demands met, but a desperate appeal that surveillance and sanctions by state agencies are necessary.

With the desperate mindset that this is the last chance, we made requests to every possible place. We earnestly pleaded for them to stop HYBE, which is becoming an unchecked monster wielding absolute power, and to look into this issue properly just once. The process was not easy. Despite sending reports to numerous places, submitting materials, and receiving empathy and support, the summons of Chairman Bang Si-hyuk became unclear at the last moment due to unnecessary interference. We accepted the result that the audit was reduced to issues of ‘Weverse’ unfair trade and ‘workplace bullying,’ and in this process, we also confirmed the fact that HYBE not only used their Government Relations (GR) team but also personally visited assembly members’ offices to plead that the audit was unnecessary.

Yesterday afternoon, Executive Secretary Im O-kyeong of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee contacted us. Through a long conversation, we emphasized and conveyed why this audit is necessary, and that this is not a simple outcry of a fandom, but an outcry to prevent the infringement of the cultural realm we must love and protect. We also heard explanations about why the issues were downsized and how much HYBE intervened in that process. We sincerely thank Executive Secretary Im for engaging in an honest conversation for a long time. We trust that she will help with the promised re-examination of the matters, corrective measures, re-discussion on the necessity of the audit, and the process leading to a HYBE-exclusive hearing if necessary.

We are aware that many Bunnies have conveyed their opinions to assembly members’ offices via fax and text messages. Many assembly members are sufficiently aware of this problem, and the hearts of Bunnies have caused a great resonance even within state agencies. With the mindset that this is the first and last time, we conveyed our opinions somewhat forcefully, and we also explained these circumstances to the assembly members to ask for their understanding. We thank the Bunnies who gathered their strength, and Team Bunnies will faithfully fulfill our role for a better tomorrow.

Finally, we warn HYBE. No one would have expected that the acts of making improper solicitations to reporters and threatening news desks by mobilizing media outlets would extend even to state agencies. We warn you once again. If there was wrongdoing, come forward and promise an audit and correction; if you think there is no wrongdoing, come out confidently and explain yourself in person. How long will you continue to engage in all sorts of disturbance and obstruction schemes behind the scenes without being able to properly put forward even your own name? We are appalled by the fact that you are committing such acts without shame even before the assembly members who represent the people. There were acts such as obstructing the audit by citing irrelevant legal disputes, intentionally conveying incorrect information to assembly members to distort the case—just as the HYBE PR Team Director, the main culprit of the recording incident, did—and even attempting to investigate the personal information of Team Bunnies.

Do not act in a way that is shameful as an adult. If you do not know why what you have done so far is shameful, isn’t it time to stop the cowardly behavior of insisting on being unreasonable until the end just to protect your own safety? Evil deeds are bound to pay the price. No matter how long it takes, it will eventually happen. We hope HYBE takes this warning deeply to heart.

Thank you for reading this long post. We will inform you again on the day the written complaints are filed.