Zico denies reading controversial HYBE 'internal reports'

Singer and producer Zico denied having read the controversial HYBE "internal reports" that contained insults targeted at artists from other agencies.

Singer and producer Zico [JOONGANG ILBO]

Singer and producer Zico denied having read the controversial HYBE "internal reports" that contained insults targeted at artists from other agencies on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, local newspaper Hankyoreh reported that HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk ordered that Zico be included in the list of emails receiving the "analysis" of other K-pop artists.

The internal reports came under fire earlier this month during a parliamentary audit when HYBE was revealed to have compiled derogatory content about K-pop artists from other agencies and shared them among executives. Content included phrases such as, "Too much plastic surgery," "Surprisingly ugly" and "Too short that it seems sad."

"Not only had I never seen such documents, I have never read the emails," Zico said on his Instagram account. "I only found out that I was included in the email list through the news article."

Zico is the head of KOZ Entertainment, which he founded in 2018. The label was bought by HYBE in November 2020.

"I requested KOZ Entertainment confirm that I had never opened the files before making this statement," wrote Zico.

HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang made an apology on Tuesday for the documents and removed the writer, another executive within the company, from his position.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]