On August 27, KBS released a statement through its official website in response to controversy surrounding its August 8 KBS 1Radio program “Success Prediction with Lee Dae-ho“. The network admitted that during a segment featuring an external guest discussing the entertainment industry, inaccurate claims were made about NewJeans’ lawsuit and music releases. “We sincerely apologize for the misinformation about NewJeans that caused concern and confusion to the group, their fans, and listeners,” KBS stated.
The controversy began when a securities firm researcher appeared on the show and referenced NewJeans while discussing K-pop’s outlook. Immediately afterward, a viewer petition condemning the broadcast was submitted to the KBS viewers’ board, demanding corrective action and safeguards against recurrence. The petition, titled “Condemnation of KBS 1Radio Panel’s False Information and Request for Measures to Prevent Recurrence,” argued that the program aired false claims without fact-checking, misleading listeners. It quickly garnered 2,769 signatures. Another petition demanding a correction and apology on-air received 2,012 signatures, pressuring KBS to respond.
Petitioners highlighted two major inaccuracies: First, the program suggested that NewJeans had accepted a court ruling siding with ADOR in their contract dispute, when in fact the lawsuit is still ongoing. Second, the panelist claimed that NewJeans had released official music as “NJZ” on YouTube, and that its performance was weak—when in reality no official audio release had been made. Fans and petitioners argued this misrepresented the group’s activities and reputation.
KBS clarified that the guest had mistakenly presented the March 2025 provisional court ruling as if it were the final outcome of the lawsuit, misleading listeners about the status of the ongoing legal battle. The broadcaster also acknowledged that the claim about an official “NJZ” release was inaccurate. “We sincerely apologize for the confusion caused by statements that were not based on fact,” KBS wrote. “Although the nature of live radio makes real-time fact-checking difficult, greater caution should have been exercised.”
KBS responded by posting an apology on the program’s homepage, editing out or deleting misleading content from its YouTube videos and replay archives, and removing related articles. On August 11, during a live broadcast, the program officially corrected the errors and issued a verbal apology, meeting the demands of petitioners.
Furthermore, KBS pledged to strengthen its fact-checking and editorial oversight to prevent similar incidents. “As a public broadcaster, we commit to upholding fairness, accuracy, and respect for human dignity as defined by KBS Broadcasting Standards and Charter. The production team will thoroughly review interview materials at every stage—from planning to live broadcast—to ensure factual accuracy,” KBS said.
Meanwhile, NewJeans remains embroiled in a legal dispute with their agency ADOR over their exclusive contracts. The group has argued that their contracts were terminated last November, while ADOR maintains they remain valid. The Seoul Central District Court has been mediating the case, with upcoming proceedings scheduled for September 11 and a possible ruling by October 30 if mediation fails.
Sources: Nate
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