Pledis Entertainment Faces Backlash for Alleged Downplaying At BLACKPINK, TWICE, And NCT

Pledis Entertainment, home to popular K-pop groups like SEVENTEEN, is under fire for accusations of downplaying the achievements of other prominent artists such as BLACKPINK, NCT, and TWICE.

The controversy ignited after a post titled "Pledis Turning Other Artists’ Concerts Into One-Offs" gained viral attention on January 29. 

The post featured an article from Pledis claiming that SEVENTEEN, apart from BTS, was the sole idol group to have accomplished a stadium tour, terming it a unique distinction.

“SEVENTEEN met with 700,000 fans in 9 cities over 20 concerts in Seoul, Tokyo, Saitama, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, Bangkok, Bulacan, and Macau. The Japanese concerts were held in dome stadiums, and SEVENTEEN proved their ticket power by having performed in stadiums in Macau, Bangkok, and Bulacan. Excluding one-offs, SEVENTEEN is the only K-Pop group, other than BTS, to have done a stadium tour."

The post's author took issue with Pledis downplaying the achievements of other artists and cited examples like NCT's stadium tour in Korea and Japan. Fans expressed bewilderment, particularly highlighting BLACKPINK and TWICE, questioning Pledis for seemingly undermining their accomplishments.

“I’m not comparing the size of the concerts, but NCT had a stadium tour in Korea and Japan. SM has never called it a “One-off” concert, but Pledis just released an article saying that it was. Pledis’s marketing strategy is really weird. I saw that commenters wrote that BLACKPINK and TWICE have also performed (in stadium tours), but Pledis just made their achievements insignificant.”

Commenters on the post voiced frustration and anger, emphasizing that SEVENTEEN's success doesn't necessitate Pledis diminishing the achievements of other artists. Many netizens also pointed out Pledis's apparent eagerness to position SEVENTEEN on the same level as BTS, raising concerns about the company's marketing strategy.

The controversy has sparked discussions within the K-pop community, with fans and observers questioning the need for such comparative tactics and urging for a more positive and supportive approach within the industry. Pledis Entertainment has yet to respond to the backlash, leaving fans curious about the company's stance on the matter.

• What is wrong with them?

• They don’t need to do all that. We already know SEVENTEEN is great… What’s wrong with them?

• Huh? Why are they doing that when we already know SEVENTEEN is popular?

• I think they want to claim SEVENTEEN is on BTS’s level so bad that they are blind to anything else.

• I raised my eyebrows when they mentioned Saitama, but I’m bewildered by the fact that TWICE isn’t mentioned. I understand they want to brag about SEVENTEEN being on the same level as BTS, but, lol. I think Pledis really benefits from its artists’ image.

• Look how they dismiss the records of female idols, lol. WTF.

• Pledis deserves to be criticized.

• They seem desperate.