Singer Siu-min's inability to appear on 'Music Bank' has sparked interest in the deepening conflict as One Hundred has prevented its artists from appearing on KBS programs. However, One Hundred has taken a step back and passed the responsibility to KBS, making KBS's response noteworthy.
On the 4th, One Hundred expressed its stance on Siu-min's inability to appear on 'Music Bank,' stating that KBS unofficially conveyed that it was impossible for Siu-min to make simultaneous appearances on programs featuring SM Entertainment artists, including 'Music Bank.'
One Hundred said, "It was a position that was difficult to understand, but we have been continuously contacting them until today to convey the message of 'putting the artists and fans first,' yet we have been ignored in this regard." They claimed, "This is an act of a public broadcaster blocking the meeting between the artists and fans through broadcasts due to specific affiliations, rather than for musical or other reasons."
They continued, "We will continue to strive for fairness regarding KBS, which has made it a difficult situation for Siu-min and other artists to appear on 'Music Bank,' and we will do our utmost to ensure that many artists do not suffer due to these unfair practices in the future."
One Hundred's head MC Mong expressed strong discontent, alleging that SM Entertainment exerted external pressure on KBS. He posted on his personal social media account, "You are using power to do something worse than school violence. I have evidence, and I am considering making all recordings public. It's fine if you spread rumors about me, but this has crossed a line. It's truly shameful and beastly," before deleting the post.
In response to the claims, KBS stated, "It is not true," but the conflict deepened when One Hundred's artist Lee Mu-jin did not participate in the filming of KBS YouTube content 'Limousine Service' scheduled for the 6th, and on the 7th, Lee Soo-geun did not appear on KBS Joy's 'Ask Anything' resulting in the cancellation of the recording.
KBS entertainment center head Han Kyung-cheon spoke out about the situation. At an entertainment briefing held on the 7th, he explained, "I have been involved with 'Music Bank' for a long time, and casting and line-up is 99% the producer's responsibility. Ultimately, it is a communication issue between the producers and the agency," adding, "I conveyed this position even last week through a meeting with high-ranking officials." Regarding Lee Mu-jin's absence from the 'Limousine Service' recording, he stated, "Other MCs are not even considering it until Lee Mu-jin arrives. If we wait, they will understand our sincerity," but he noted that regarding Lee Soo-geun's 'Ask Anything,' it appears they need to inquire since KBS N is a different company.
One Hundred has taken a step back. Citing Han Kyung-cheon's comments, they said, "We believe in Han Kyung-cheon's announcement and will prepare for our artists, including Lee Soo-geun and Lee Mu-jin, to participate in filming normally from next week. We hope KBS will actively cooperate with us in this matter."
However, they demanded that the reasons for Siu-min's inability to appear on 'Music Bank' be made official. One Hundred said, "We have received nothing more than an unofficial response stating that 'it is impossible to appear simultaneously with specific agency artists.' We believe this response constitutes unfair treatment of the artist, and we have made several attempts to communicate, but we have not received a specific explanation other than the media reply of 'it's false.' We will wait for KBS's official position, which is necessary for Siu-min, who has meticulously prepared for a comeback stage, and for the schedule for fans who have long trusted and waited for Siu-min."
As One Hundred has taken a step back, Lee Mu-jin and Lee Soo-geun were able to return to their respective programs. Fans and viewers were relieved that the absence from filming did not prolong. With One Hundred's announcement, the ball is now in KBS's court. It remains to be seen what response KBS will give.
[OSEN = Reporter Jang Woo-young]