Tip Says ‘Malicious Rumors Are Spreading’ After Jang Hyung-woo’s Recording Disclosure
Hello, this is Team Bunnies. Today, on CBS Radio’s “Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show,” reporter Jang Hyung-woo exposed ‘HYBE’s media control.’
After the broadcast, we received tips from other reporters that unbelievable rumors about reporter Jang Hyung-woo are spreading.
Reporter Jang Hyung-woo is one of the individuals who reported HYBE’s misconduct to us, and beyond that, he has no other acquaintance with us whatsoever.
Furthermore, he has no connection to former CEO Min Hee-jin and says he has never met her. He is also not a fan of any specific artist. He reported HYBE’s misconduct solely to uphold his professional ethics as a journalist.
Reporter Jang Hyung-woo is a highly competent journalist who was well-regarded within The Seoul Shinmun’s industry desk, to the point where management including the desk tried to dissuade him from leaving. He had already been in the process of transitioning to a new position before this exposé. He reportedly decided to come forward publicly after watching NewJeans’ live broadcast.
Also, while he and HYBE’s PR Director Cho Sung-hoon were once on the same beat (in the past, when he covered the Ministry of Strategy and Finance during his economics department days, which over 100 companies covered), they reportedly never even had a single meal together.
HYBE and some communities that follow HYBE are attacking reporter Jang Hyung-woo both internally and externally through various channels. There are suspicions of organized activity. They are creating groundless rumors and spreading false information about the reporter to obscure the essence of the report. However, there is no way that such lowly media tactics will cover up HYBE’s misconduct.
Lies cannot cover up the truth. It makes us laugh how similar this is to the way they attacked Director Shin Woo-seok. Please stop wasting energy on such childish and absurd opinion warfare, and prepare a proper explanation for the ‘cultivation’ activities that HYBE is committing. Will you attack the messenger instead of countering the message by deploying cyber wreckers again this time?
Please show responsibility as management in running the company.
Team Bunnies will do our best to protect reporter Jang Hyung-woo, who made this public interest report while enduring all attacks. We also thank once again the reporters who tipped us off out of concern for reporter Jang Hyung-woo’s safety.
Below is the content of the “jirashi” (unverified gossip document) that Team Bunnies obtained and disclosed as evidence of the malicious rumors circulating about Reporter Jang Hyung-woo:
Reporter Jang Hyung-woo of Seoul Shinmun exposed the content of a recorded call with the PR Office.
Reporter Jang Hyung-woo of Seoul Shinmun appeared on “Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show” on the 25th and exposed that HYBE PR disparaged NewJeans and claimed Ms. Min gaslighted NewJeans.
The reporter recorded the content of the call with the Head of the PR Office and provided it to the broadcast station.
The content of the recording was actually the PR Office requesting a correction regarding the erroneous report that “1.02 million copies were sold in Japan.” The mention of “gaslighting” was merely an explanation given in response to a question about how a management takeover is possible with a small amount of shares.
It is widely known inside and outside Seoul Shinmun that Reporter Jang boasted about being an acquaintance of Min Hee-jin in private settings. Rumor has it that NewJeans’ visit to the “Munch Exhibition” organized by Seoul Shinmun was also Reporter Jang’s doing.
Reporter Jang not only recorded the call with the Head of PR but even delivered it to Min Hee-jin’s side. This is a serious violation of journalistic ethics that must be upheld by a reporter.
Reporter Jang and the PR Head in question were close friends who covered the same beat (assigned area). He recorded a casual conversation between acquaintances and stepped forward to take one side in the dispute phase.
It is said that Reporter Jang was “marked” (stigmatized) internally for leading the opposition when Hoban Construction acquired Seoul Shinmun.
Reporter Jang has resigned from Seoul Shinmun. He is moving to Kakao Mobility and is awaiting his start date. During the job transition, he appeared on radio to expose content recorded during his time as a reporter. The reaction in the media and PR industry is one of bewilderment, questioning how he plans to change jobs after engaging in such behavior.
@NewJeansSTRM Team Bunnies