On August 14, 2025, Maeil Business Newspaper reported that HYBE Corporation’s chairman, Bang Si-hyuk, has been included among the prominent business leaders invited to President Lee Jae-myung’s national appointment ceremony on August 15. The event is to be held at the Blue House.It is expected to host the heads of the country’s largest conglomerates. This includes Samsung Electronics’ Lee Jae-yong, SK Group’s Choi Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group’s Chung Eui-sun, and LG Group’s Koo Kwang-mo. Leaders from Lotte, Hanwha, GS, Shinsegae, Hanjin, Doosan, and other major corporations have also received invitations.Moreover, top executives from SM Entertainment, Coupang, and Shinhan Financial Group will also be in attendance.The ceremony will be held along with a dinner meeting which includes the diplomatic corps and leading economic organizations. According to official briefings, President Lee would like to leverage this opportunity for international cooperation ahead of the upcoming Gyeongju APEC summit.There will be approximately 170 guests in attendance, which includes ambassadors, International Organizations officials, and senior officials from the government. The president will also likely continue to take a pro-business approach.His pro-business approach would follow earlier meetings this month with the heads of major corporations in anticipation of the upcoming Korea-US and Korea-Japan summits.Background on Bang Si-hyuk and current activitiesBang Si-hyuk’s invitation comes while he remains under investigation for alleged securities fraud linked to HYBE’s 2020 initial public offering. Earlier this week, Bang Si-hyuk returned from the United States to address the legal probe.There, he had been reportedly overseeing BTS’s upcoming album production. Police are examining claims that investors were misled about the IPO’s timing. This led to a private share sale that allegedly generated significant profits for a company connected to HYBE executives.Authorities have conducted raids on HYBE’s headquarters, the Korea Exchange, and other sites as part of the inquiry.webelieveingwarosa @webelieveinbotsLINK(Correction of my previous post) BANG SIHYUK RETURNS TO KOREA TO BE INVESTIGATED due to a translation error, it appeared that the article said he had returned to the United States, however he returned to Korea FROM the United States, thankfully a user forwarded me with theThe investigation includes a special tax audit, which could have major legal consequences. HYBE has stated it will fully cooperate with authorities and has appointed a top law firm to manage its defense. Despite the ongoing case, the company reported a revenue and profit increase in its latest quarterly results.Bang Si-hyuk is also known as "Hitman" Bang. He is the founder of Big Hit Music and the current chairman of HYBE Corporation. Bang Si-hyuk has grown HYBE into a massive entertainment company in the country. HYBE manages some of the largest acts from there, including BTS, SEVENTEEN, and LE SSERAFIM.Before going back to Seoul to be in on the investigation, Bang Si-hyuk was in Los Angeles with BTS. He was reportedly there for an extensive songwriting and production camp for their 2026 comeback album.KpopHerald @Kpop_HeraldLINK.@HYBEOFFICIALtwt is under investigation by Korea’s National Tax Service over alleged unfair market practices involving chairman Bang Si-hyuk. Officials conducted an unannounced raid on #HYBE’s Seoul HQ on July 29 as part of a wider probe into stock manipulation and tax evasion.Footage shared by members also showed behind-the-scenes work and training activities. There had been speculations about potential collaborations with various artists. There might be possible work with American artist Charlie Puth, who was recently seen in the same area as the group.For now, BTS’ album production is reportedly paused until further notice, with no official update on when work will resume.