[User Post]

On May 24, Weverse Magazine, a component of the Weverse platform owned by the Hybe Corporation, released an article featuring Morgan Wallen and his journey to stardom. The piece stirred controversy due to what critics perceive as its whitewashing and ignorance of Wallen's past racist remarks. Wallen, who had previously been in hot water for uttering racial slurs, flouting COVID protocols, and engaging in several contentious scandals, experienced a career rebound due to support from American right-wing circles. Weverse Magazine, however, referred to this period as a "rocky period" and highlighted how Wallen's music found increased listenership amongst those weary of 'cancel culture.'

Further criticism arose when the article appeared to undermine the achievements of Korean artists, who continually face racial prejudices in the U.S. music industry. The magazine wrote, "TWICE, Agust D, SEVENTEEN and LE SSERAFIM have all jockeyed for the first place but no one has been able to topple One Thing at a Time from its pedestal." They also mentioned, "At least Miley Cyrus, SZA and Jimin have had some partial success in breaking up his domination of the Hot 100. Yet, not even they could derail the unstoppable success of the album’s main single, Last Night."

Despite experiencing racism and industry setbacks, Jimin achieved a Billboard Hot 100 top spot with a Korean song, without the support of radio and payola. Yet, the magazine depicted this momentous achievement as a "partial success" in contrast to the charting of Wallen, who enjoyed the backing of white supremacists. Similarly, Agust D, whose pre-order sales were controversially removed by Billboard, was compared with Wallen's chart position. It's noteworthy that Agust D was the first Asian act in history to clinch #1 on Billboard's Top Rap Album Chart.

Weverse Magazine has previously been accused of downplaying Jimin's success on Billboard. When 'Like Crazy' hit #1 on Billboard Hot 100, the magazine, instead of acknowledging Jimin as the first and only Korean soloist to top the chart, commented on the need to "wait and see the drop rate next week."

Hybe and Weverse have also been criticized for their perceived inaction in the face of unfair treatment of Jimin, SUGA, and BTS, including instances of their sales being unfairly removed or their blacklisting on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, or Spotify restricting them to the K-pop category.

It is indeed disheartening that as Asian artists continue to grapple with racial discrimination and professional sabotage from the U.S. industry, their home label, which should ostensibly be championing their cause, appears to contribute to the minimization of their hard-won accomplishments.