Kim Tae-ho, CEO of Belift Lab and COO of HYBE, has been selected as a witness for the national audit.
The Committee of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the National Assembly passed a motion on the 10th during the audit at the main building in Yeouido, Seoul, to call CEO Kim Tae-ho as a witness for the comprehensive national audit.
CEO Kim Tae-ho is expected to appear as a witness at the comprehensive national audit scheduled for the 24th. However, the committee can revoke the attendance of witnesses and references through resolution.
Hanni of 'NewJeans' and Kim Joo-young, CEO of 'ADOR', attended the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee audit on the 15th. Hanni attended as a reference, and CEO Kim Joo-young was present as a witness.
On this day, Hanni requested CEO Kim Joo-young to resolve the 'Ignore' incident. She claimed that a manager from another label under HYBE told the girl group, "Pretend you didn't see (Hanni), ignore her."
It was also emphasized that senior executives at HYBE did not respond to greetings. Hanni raised her voice, saying, "Not responding to a greeting, regardless of profession, is disrespectful as a human being."
CEO Kim Joo-young responded, "As far as we have internally identified, the claims between them are conflicting," and added, "I also believe Hanni's claim. We are trying to find verification materials, but unfortunately, we have not been able to secure them."
The girl group mentioned by Hanni is I-LIT, and the female manager is from Belift Lab. As a result, CEO Kim Tae-ho is also expected to be questioned about the 'Ignore' incident.
Questions regarding plagiarism controversy are also anticipated. Former CEO Min Hee-jin has pointed to I-LIT as the cause of the dispute with HYBE, claiming that I-LIT plagiarized NewJeans' production formula.
In response, Belift Lab refuted these claims as false. In a production video in June, they expressed frustration, saying, "Min Hee-jin sacrificed an innocent rookie group for her private interests."
<Photo Source=Belift Lab Video Capture>
