K-Pop Fan Fury Over Enhypen Departure Floods National Pension Service with Complaints
South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) found itself at the center of a K-pop storm after fans, angered by Heeseung’s departure from the popular group Enhypen earlier this month, overwhelmed its call centers with complaints.
The NPS, a major shareholder in Hybe, the parent company of Enhypen’s agency Belift Lab, manages one of the world’s largest pension funds, boasting assets exceeding 1,600 trillion won. This significant stake led fans to believe the NPS could influence the situation.
Kim Sung-joo, the NPS chief executive, addressed the situation in a Facebook post on Wednesday, revealing that the agency’s international support center was temporarily paralyzed last week due to a flood of calls and emails from international fans. This disruption, he stated, negatively impacted services for foreign residents in South Korea and Koreans living abroad who were unable to access necessary assistance.
“The NPS is a long-term investor managing retirement funds and holds stakes in companies in more than 80 countries,” Kim wrote. “However, it does not intervene in the management or personnel matters of individual firms.”
“That also applies to the formation of K-pop groups and decisions regarding their members,” he clarified, directly addressing the influx of complaints.
The backlash against the National Pension Service appears to have been orchestrated through posts circulating on social media platform X, urging fans to direct their protests at the fund following Heeseung’s exit. Some fans questioned whether the NPS had been informed of the decision or had considered its potential ramifications on Hybe’s market value.
Online posts included users sharing contact details for the NPS international support center and actively encouraging others to lodge complaints.
Heeseung, Enhypen’s main vocalist, announced his departure on March 10, citing his desire to pursue a solo career. Despite the escalating fan protests, Belift Lab confirmed to The Korea Herald that Heeseung will not be returning to the group. (See our previous report).
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