SEVENTEEN fans send protest trucks to HYBE for delayed album shipment and lack of action against defamers
SEVENTEEN's devoted fanbase, Carat, has voiced their discontent with the group's management agency, due to recent incidents. The HYBE-owned Pledis Entertainment faced allegations of neglecting its artists.
In a show of support for SEVENTEEN, their fans organized a protest by sending trucks to the HYBE headquarters. The protest began on June 24 at 10 AM KST (6:30 AM IST), with Carat members demonstrating their solidarity with the group.
SEVENTEEN's fandom Carats send protest trucks to HYBE headquarters
South Korea-based Carats are holding a truck protest near the front of the main gate of HYBE's Yongsan building to demand protection of SEVENTEEN 's rights.
The protest is a formal, organized effort by fans to demand specific actions, including transparent reports on artist protection and a timely, accountable response from the agency. They also asked for "continued interest and support" from other Carats worldwide.
The trucks feature LED banners with text displays, such as "We're even fighting for the right to rest. We'll challenge this to the very end," and "Fans have protected the group, while the company turned its back."
What is SEVENTEEN's fandom protesting against?
The reason for the protest was the long period of waiting for fans to get their hands on the hard copy of SEVENTEEN's latest album, HAPPY BURSTDAY.
The issue occurred due to HYBE LABELS abruptly delaying the shipping of the physical album and closing off pre-orders earlier than expected during key promotion periods. They believe it had impacted the group's promotional activities and engagement.
It led to frustration among fans, who accused the agency of trying to sabotage the group's success. Additionally, the fans also claimed that HYBE did not take sufficient steps against the defamers of the group. According to them, the label made fake promises of taking steps against individuals who post malicious comments about SEVENTEEN online. As per them, HYBE failed to protect their artists and ignored their well-being.
So, the fans took it upon themselves to fight for their beloved artists by raising questions like, "SEVENTEEN's 6-month tour revenue ranks 3rd globally at 167 billion won. How much of that was used to protect the artists' rights?"
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