Recently, YouTube reporter Lee Jin Ho claimed that SM Entertainment had approached the controversial Cyber Wrecker YouTuber Gu Je Yeok for its viral marketing plans.
Last week, SM Entertainment was accused of using viral marketing schemes against HYBE and manipulating netizens' opinions. SM Entertainment clarified the marketing was used to defend management rights and reveal the company's stance to shareholders.
SM Entertainment also stated that they had been approached with a proposal to use YouTube cyber "wreckers" for this purpose but had declined. However, it was revealed by YouTuber Lee Jin Ho that specific YouTubers had already been chosen for the reverse viral marketing campaign, including one known as Gu Je Yeok, the one known to have threatened Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang. Gu Je Yeok confirmed that he had indeed received such a proposal.
Additionally, after the proposal was made, Gu Je Yeok released a video containing sensitive content about a person not on good terms with SM. The video was taken down within a day due to strong backlash from the video's subject. Gu Je Yeok explained that since both parties involved were large companies, he decided to stop covering the issue, suggesting that the potential risk outweighed the proposed compensation.
Korean netizens gave mixed reactions to this matter and commented:
"Lee Jin Ho is at it again, haha. He tries to make HYBE look good, but I remember him beating down GFriend. From then on, his credibility has been zero. It's so obvious whose side he's on."
"The fact is that SM got caught doing viral marketing, right? But looking at the comments, it seems like people might misunderstand and think that HYBE got caught doing it. That's just baseless speculation without any evidence, isn't it?"
"Isn't Lee Jin Ho a well-known HYBE supporter? He even criticized GFRIEND when they disbanded."
"It's possible that Gu Je Yeok is connected to SM, but Lee Jin Ho definitely has ties with HYBE. He even mentioned being friends with some executives there. He was the first to reveal Min Hee Jin's KakaoTalk messages, which only someone who had access to the forensic data could see, even before the media did. It's obvious HYBE asked him to do it, haha. That's why NewJeans' parents speculated that HYBE was behind the 'NewPT' thing (Lee Jin Ho mentioned 'NewPT' in his video). Anyway, these agencies do a lot of shady stuff behind the scenes."
"Is there anyone who believes him?"
"Lee Jin Ho and Gu Je Yeok are 0% trustworthy."