'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAb/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAACDtwSP/8QAIBAAAQMEAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwIEEgABBQcUIQYRMv/aAAgBAQABPwA+xPKuW8MxHjOGsxY3WDuMqxO03BMWzW7IC7hQUXL6Er6j3X//xAAYEQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMhUf/aAAgBAgEBPwBSN1h//8QAGREAAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACEiFB/9oACAEDAQE/AHiNjV//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Recently, several K-pop controversies in 2024 have raised concerns among fans. From the much-publicized X (formerly known as Twitter) Min Hee-jin and HYBE feud to the fallout between FIFTY FIFTY and their label, Korean artists have had their fair share of contention this year.
The ADOR-HYBE discontent is the most recent of these, where the head of the label, Min Hee-jin has made several claims of plaigarism, mistreatment of ADOR artists, and responded to claims of approaching a shaman* to check the fame of the company's other artists.
In addition, fans have also expressed worry after Kpop group Stray Kids were treated less than favorably at their first Met Gala appearance a few days back. These are the K-pop controversies in 2024, ranging from company-employee disputes to allegations of involvement in non-consenual filming of NSFW content.
*according to Merriam-Webster, "a priest or priestess who uses magic for the purpose of curing the sick, divining the hidden, and controlling events"
Min Hee-jin's fierce battle with HYBE LABELS, and other more surprising K-pop controversies in 2024
1) The Min Hee-jin–HYBE fallout
Since NewJeans' debut in 2022 under HYBE LABELS' ADOR, the girl group has released several hit songs, their albums have topped charts, and many idols have attempted the Hype Boy dance challenge on TikTok. However, the group recently made headlines when HYBE Corporation announced their decision to sue ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin for breach of trust, sparking one of the biggest K-pop controversies in 2024 following an alleged internal audit.
In April, Min Hee-jin held a press conference where she addressed many of the allegations against her by the parent company, wherein the lawyer interjected several times to ensure that no contract was accidentally breached. She also mentioned that the shaman she spoke to was just a friend.
In a recent development, it seems as though HYBE Corp. has announced that for them, Hee-jin's decision to take over the company was very serious, and it seemed as though the CEO had been consulting lawyers and accountants privately. They also claimed that she had used NewJeans as a bargaining chip in her attempts to separate from the company and refused to cooperate with the audit despite them informing her about the same.
ADOR also recently released a statement accusing HYBE of calling a legitimate transaction illegal to defame the agency's employees and the work they had been doing.
BIGHIT MUSIC's decision to release BTS' leader RM's music album on May 24, 2025, the same date as NewJeans' comeback, has also been criticized by fans of both groups.
BTS' ARMY believes that it was not right to drag the group into one of the K-pop controversies in 2024 while they are completing military service. Some NewJeans fans claim that this might be an attempt to undermine the girl group by HYBE. Rumors of Min Hee-jin and ADOR leaking private information about artists and speaking to the parents of NewJeans are also floating among netizens.
It is unclear who is the aggrieved party in this one of the K-pop controversies of 2024, but one can only hope that the artists, especially those who are minors, don't face repercussions of the fallout.
2) Paparazzi's racist statements against Stray Kids at the Met Gala 2024
K-pop idols have faced racism and xenophobia in the United States, particularly during carpet events where journalists are inequiped to direct non-English-speaking artists. Recently, Stray Kids' debut at the Met Gala was also marked by insensitive remarks from paparazzi, who assumed that the Back Door group (with multiple English-speaking members) would not understand their stage directions.
They referred to the group as 'idiots', and used other derogatory and racist language to imply that their jackets made them look like a different group all together. To their credit, the LALALA group made no obvious reaction to this and chose to simply walk off after posing.
The fans of the group, STAY, had little patience for these remarks. Some fans supposedly tracked down the individual journalists who made the statements, forcing them to make private their social media.
Of all the K-pop controversies in 2024, this one certainly opened a conversation about how racism permeates the Western entertainment industry.
3) Bang Yedam's studio being visible in alleged NSFW video
Rounding up the K-pop controversies in 2024 is rookie actor Lee Seo-han posting alleged non-consensual footage of two individuals seemingly engaging in s*xual activity in Bang Yedam's studio.
The video was apparently a prank that the actor played, but netizens have cast doubts about whether the individuals involved had given their consent for filming. Bang Yedam's name cropped up when it was discovered that the video was recorded in his studio, although the singer was not present at the scene.
Bang Yedam posted an Instagram story apologizing for "causing concern," which has since been deleted. This caused K-pop fans to raise questions about the singer's complicity, as it was his studio where the alleged explicit act took place.
Lee Seo-han also apologized, and it has largely blown over now. Unlike the other K-pop controversies in 2024, netizens seem to have largely calmed their protestations as Bang Yedam was not directly involved in the issue.
