Backlash over a K-pop lineup change has spilled into an unlikely target: South Korea’s national pension fund.
After ENHYPEN member Heeseung’s reported departure, overseas fans flooded the National Pension Service (NPS) with calls and emails — temporarily paralyzing operations and highlighting how far fan activism can reach.
Kim Sung-joo, chairman of the NPS, said on social media on March 18 that the agency’s International Pension Service Center was hit with a sudden surge of overseas inquiries. “International calls came in all at once, temporarily paralyzing operations, and about 1,500 emails were received within two hours,” he said.
The unexpected disruption was tied to fan campaigns circulating online that urged supporters to protest to the NPS, a major shareholder of HYBE — the parent company of BELIFT LAB, ENHYPEN’s agency. Fans dissatisfied with Heeseung’s exit reportedly targeted the pension fund in hopes of pressuring the company.
Kim clarified that the affected center handles pension services for foreign workers in Korea and Koreans working abroad, meaning regular users experienced significant inconvenience during the surge.
“The National Pension Service invests in numerous companies across more than 80 countries, but it does not intervene in individual companies’ management or personnel matters,” Kim said. “Naturally, it does not get involved in the formation of K-pop groups or their member lineups.”
BELIFT LAB announced Heeseung’s departure on March 10. The sudden change has sparked strong backlash among some fans, with calls to reverse the decision spreading across social media. The incident has since evolved into a broader controversy, underscoring the global scale — and unpredictability — of K-pop fandom reactions.
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.