JTBC Issues Apology Over False BTS News Story

by Kayla Dodge / Dec 16, 2019 12:07 PM EST

BTS's upcoming junior K-pop boy group will take different style and concept. Photo by Big Hit Entertainment/Facebook

CEO of JTBC, Song Suk Hee, issued an apology on the Dec. 16 episode of "News Room" to formally apologize for running a false news story regarding BTS and a lawsuit filed against Big Hit Entertainment.

Hee said on the show: "After follow-up coverage of the report made last week, it was discovered that there is little chance that it would actually escalate into a legal dispute."

The CEO added: "The agency said it wrote up the most outstanding contract last year for the group, and the BTS members also said they did not have any issue requiring them to request a lawsuit."

BTS fans had called for a boycott against JTBC for getting ahead of the real situation and making false claims. Big Hit Entertainment had themselves posted a lenghtly statement that emphasized "this is not true," referring to JTBC's news claims.

"We also take seriously and humbly the criticism that we were jumping the gun running the story when a lawsuit had not even been filed yet," Hee added.