Sung Si Kyung And Cube Entertainment Founder Weigh In On Chart Manipulation Issue

Nov 27, 2019

Two more music industry veterans have shared their thoughts on the recent chart manipulation controversy.

On November 24, Park Kyung posted a tweet accusing Vibe, Song Ha Ye, Lim Jae Hyun, Jeon Sang Keun, Jang Deok Cheol, and Hwang In Wook of sajaegi (the manipulation of album sales numbers through bulk orders by an artist’s own agency). The artists mentioned above have filed a legal complaint or announced their intention to do so. Park Kyung’s agency, meanwhile, has announced they will be appointing a lawyer to deal with the issue on behalf of their artist.

Since then, the issue has been brought up by other members of the music industry, including a music critic, the drummer Kim Gan Ji, and rapper Mommy Son.

On November 27, Sung Si Kyung made a guest appearance on a KBS radio show and shared his thoughts on the topic. He said, “There is a lot of talk about sajaegi recently, but there’s something that I myself heard directly as well. I heard that musicians are being told to get rid of the instrumental opening and any instrumental interludes. Those companies [implied to be the companies that offer chart manipulation services to agencies] participate in the production process by saying, ‘Get rid of the instrumental parts and make the title like this.'”

Sung Si Kyung continued, “A producer I know gave an unfinished song to someone and he was told, ‘Can you change the lyrics like this?’ He refused right away. I heard that and thought, there must be something going on.”

Also on November 27, Cube Entertainment’s founder, Hong Seung Sung, shared a tweet that read, “Online music sajaegi must be eradicated. I will cheer you on. Stay strong.”

Hong Seung Sung, who formerly worked at JYP Entertainment, founded Cube Entertainment in 2006 and debuted groups like 4Minute and BEAST. Throughout the 2010s, he has been involved in Cube to varying degrees due to his long-term illness and other internal issues at the company.