On September 15, 2024, HYBE faced allegations from netizens regarding purported media manipulation following the revelation of BTS member Jungkook’s real estate investment details. A report from Herald Economy on the same date highlighted that the value of the single-family home Jungkook purchased in Itaewon-dong, Seoul, has surged by nearly 10 billion won (approximately $7.5 million) in under four years. Currently, the property is undergoing construction.
The BTS star secured a building authorization from the district office in 2021 for a residence featuring two underground floors and three above-ground floors, covering a total area of 1,161.04㎡. He acquired the property for 39.59 million won (around $29,783.71) for every 3.3㎡ of land, with the overall land area being 637㎡.
Regarded as the “Korean Beverly Hills,”this prime property is located a mere 10 minutes from Itaewon Station and Noksapyeong Station on Subway Line 6, and is surrounded by embassies and upscale residences. The “Euphoria”singer previously invested 7.63 billion won (about $5.74 million) in December 2020 for another single-family property in Itaewon-dong, as reported by Ahn Bu-dong Real Estate Brokerage.
However, fans expressed their dissatisfaction as news of Jungkook’s real estate investment surfaced amidst ongoing controversies surrounding his alleged support for NewJeans. Netizens accused HYBE of orchestrating this timing as part of their media strategy.
One user commented on the Korean forum Instiz,
“Expected sequence”
On September 14, Jungkook addressed the situation via an Instagram post using his pet dog, Bam’s account, where he made statements that seemingly defended NewJeans from claims of mistreatment by ADOR. In his Instagram captions, he stated, “Artists are not guilty”and “Don’t use them,”allegedly pointing to the treatment of young artists caught in the HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin dispute.
Numerous fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to assert that no “smear campaign”could tarnish the reputation of the BTS singer.
“No smear campaign can touch him now. NONE! They can’t bring a good man down!”one fan wrote.
“I know they’re upset because they thought people wouldn’t support an artist standing in solidarity with others, but it backfired, leading to these underhanded tactics, as is often the case,”another fan remarked.
“First, an article comes out about his real estate investments. Next, company staff is caught criticizing him on a subforum requiring a work email for posting privileges. Now, those comments are being rapidly deleted. All he did was speak out for young artists,”another user lamented.
Some netizens expressed concerns over the complexity of the situation, indicating difficulty in discerning the truth.
“It’s mostly Min Hee-jin orchestrating this, ADOR is still part of HYBE, so those comments could be from that faction trying to create a narrative. He spoke up for those young artists and shattered her illusion,”a netizen speculated.
“This whole situation is bizarre… They don’t care about Jungkook’s stance… Armies think they know more about HYBE than Jungkook himself…”another netizen added.
“All of this presents a really bad image; I’m honestly confused about what’s happening anymore,”someone else commented.
BTS’ Jungkook Emerges as a Key Figure in Alleged Company Media Play
For context, Jungkook’s recent Instagram messages sparked extensive online discussions as fans attempted to decode the intent behind his statements. HYBE informed Edaily on September 14 that Jungkook’s posts were aimed at Min Hee-jin, who they allege is using NewJeans as a “shield.”
Conversely, NewJeans fans interpreted Jungkook’s actions as supportive towards the girl group, suggesting that HYBE has erred significantly for a member of BTS to feel compelled to voice his opinion on the matter.
On September 15, social media was inundated with reports of HYBE employees allegedly disparaging the BTS member. These staff members made disparaging remarks on the HYBE anonymous employee platform, BLIND, referring to him as “stubborn”and accusing him of mistreating staff. This furor led to fan outrage, with calls for the dismissal of those involved.
In other news, Jungkook is currently fulfilling his military service and is expected to return in June 2025 to continue group activities with BTS.
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