HYBE has issued a statement addressing the recent buzz around HYBE Chairman Bang Si Hyuk’s meeting with YouTuber Se Yeon, appearing on Netflix’s The Influencer, and her sister in Los Angeles.
On August 9th, HYBE stated, “Chairman Bang Si Hyuk met the older sister by chance at a gathering of acquaintances and offered advice on how to deal with impersonators in the entertainment industry. When the two sisters later visited LA, they asked for recommendations on tourist spots and restaurants, so he helped with reservations and guided them.”
The clarification comes after a video titled “Best Moments of July 2024” was posted on the popular YouTube channel “I am WalKing,” which has 160,000 subscribers. In the video, Bang Si Hyuk is seen crossing a street in Beverly Hills, LA, with two women, one of whom was identified as BJ Se Yeon, a popular internet personality born in 2000.
Se Yeon had also posted photos of her time in LA on her Instagram on July 29th, adding to the speculation. Additionally, rumors surfaced about Bang Si Hyuk being spotted taking photos for her, sparking further curiosity.
Following the sightings, Se Yeon disabled the comments on her AfreecaTV, Instagram, and other social media platforms. This led to a flood of comments on the YouTube show “Noback_Tak,” where she had previously appeared, with viewers noting, “Bang Si Hyuk was born in 1972, and Se Yeon in 2000—that’s an age gap between a father and daughter,” and “It’s incredible that a Korean YouTuber got spotted with the head of HYBE by an American YouTuber in such a huge country like the U.S.”
There were also suspicions that HYBE had requested the removal of related posts from various online communities, as some posts were taken down, fueling further controversy.
In related news, Bang Si Hyuk reportedly purchased a luxury mansion on Stradella Road in Bel Air, Los Angeles, last year for 26.4 million USD.
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