SM Entertainment, one of the pillars of the K-pop industry, is currently facing a whirlwind of internal chaos, as revealed by its own employees on BLIND, an online community for company workers in South Korea. (To join this community, individuals must sign up using their corporate emails.) These employees have raised concerns about the company’s mismanagement, which has reportedly led to a significant wave of resignations.
An employee’s post titled “So (SM) is throwing away their employees and their artists” uncovered a series of issues, accusing the new executives of failing to effectively manage the label. One of the first topics the post tackles is the company’s KWANGYA 119 initiative. KWANGYA 119 allows fans to report issues affecting SM’s artists, such as copyright infringement, defamation, and ticket scalping. This initiative aims to address and fix issues while protecting artists from harmful or false information circulating in public domains. But the post claims it has been largely ineffective, leaving employees and artists feeling unprotected and neglected.
The post on BLIND continued to paint a grim picture of the current atmosphere at SM Entertainment. It alleged that after the departure of the company’s founder, Lee Soo Man, the new management implemented harsh policies, including threats of incentive cuts for late sales reporting. Moreover, the issue of obsessive fans harassing artists has been overlooked by the company. The employee wrote, “All of this has happened over the past few days, and now even ordinary employees are being doxxed on social media and are getting sworn at. Yet, how does this company not deal with any of this?”
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SM Entertainment is staying silent
Another employee wondered whether SM’s management is oblivious or simply ignoring the chaos. Rumors suggest that between 70 to 80 employees resigned just this month, underlining the severity of the situation. Other BLIND users’ comments on this issue ranged from shock at the number of resignations to criticism of the company’s inability to handle the situation.
This turmoil isn’t just an internal matter. It also affects the public perception and operational capability of SM Entertainment. To outsiders, it may appear that the company is running smoothly. But insiders claim that it’s only a matter of time before these internal issues have a more visible impact on its operations.
As of this writing, SM Entertainment hasn’t commented on its employees’ posts on BLIND. No one knows how management reacted to the points that were raised in the posts. What we do know is that the need for strong, transparent leadership is more critical than ever as SM Entertainment navigates through these turbulent times. – K-Pop News Writer
Featured Image: It seems like the once-mighty SM Entertainment is now in dire straits. Source: Billboard.
