KOCCA to Investigate After Receiving Petition from MCST
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) has received a petition calling for an investigation into allegations of chart manipulation surrounding K-pop group BTS. The petition was transferred on May 2nd to the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), a subsidiary of the MCST that operates a reporting center for chart manipulation.
KOCCA to Request Response from Big Hit Music and Seek Cooperation from Investigative Agencies
KOCCA plans to confirm the facts surrounding the allegations before requesting a response from Big Hit Music (HYBE), the agency behind BTS. They will also work with the MCST to request cooperation from investigative agencies as necessary for a thorough examination of the matter.
Petition Stems from Ruling in Blackmail Case
The allegations of chart manipulation surrounding BTS came to light after the ruling of a blackmail case that occurred in January 2017 was made public. Mr. A, the person who filed the petition, stated, “Looking at the contents of the ruling, it cannot be ruled out that illegal marketing was conducted even during the period from September 23, 2016, when the amendment to the ‘Act on the Promotion of the Music Industry’ regulating ‘chart manipulation’ was implemented, to January 11, 2017, when the first email was received from the defendant, and that as a result of the blackmail, Big Hit Music was eventually forced to remit a large sum of money.”
Separate Petition Calls for Cancellation of BTS’s 2016 MCST Commendation
In addition to the petition for investigation, another petition was filed with the MCST on May 3rd calling for the cancellation of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s commendation awarded to BTS in 2016 for their contribution to the development of Hallyu.
The petition argues that the MCST “should strictly select award-winning projects and contributors based on business performance, thoroughly conduct a pre-audit to review the eligibility for awards, and compose an objective and fair screening committee by involving private experts in the relevant fields if necessary to conduct a strict screening.” It further states, “However, as the ‘allegations of chart manipulation by BTS’ is a serious matter that has undermined the order of democracy and rule of law, which are the values of fair competition, the MCST should swiftly review the cancellation of the award in accordance with Article 8(1) of the Award Act (Cancellation of Awards, etc.) and Article 18(1) of the Government Award Regulations (Procedures for Cancellation of Awards).”
The MCST is reportedly looking into the matter after receiving the petition.
Big Hit Music Denies Allegations
Big Hit Music, a subsidiary of HYBE, has strongly denied the allegations of chart manipulation surrounding BTS, as they did in 2017. Big Hit Music said, “We clearly state that the allegations of chart manipulation, concept plagiarism, single world association, and false rumors that are intended to damage and defame the reputation of BTS are not true.” The company also said, “We have compiled a number of posts that fall under defamation and defamation and filed a first complaint with the investigative agency.”
What are your thoughts on the separate petition calling for the cancellation of BTS’s 2016 MCST commendation? Do you think Big Hit Music is handling the situation appropriately?
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