Korean media outlet Joy News 24 marked its 20th anniversary by conducting a survey from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8 about dramas, variety shows, movies, actors and singers that shined in 2024.
The survey was conducted among 200 people in the Korean entertainment industry, including entertainment and broadcasting company employees, movie and broadcasting content producers, and entertainment reporters.
It reported that aside from the golden age of Korean content such as K-pop, K-drama, K-beauty, and K-food, the Korean entertainment industry in 2024 was noisier than ever.
The top three worst persons in the Korean entertainment industry in 2024 are (from left) trot singer Kim Ho-joong, HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin (Instagram, HYBE)
There were endless incidents and accidents such as drunk driving, hit-and-runs, conflicts and legal battles within entertainment agencies, drugs, extramarital affairs, and sexual crimes, it added.
Those in the entertainment industry were the ones who witnessed the chaos most closely. Who did they pick as the worst person in the Korean entertainment industry in 2024?
Ranking first as the worst person in the Korean entertainment industry in 2024 is trot singer Kim Ho-joong who got 100 votes out of 200 respondents.
Last May, Kim Ho-joong was driving and hit a taxi and fled. The person who turned himself in for drunk driving at the time was Kim Ho-joong's manager, who had switched clothes with him. Kim Ho-joong ignored police calls until he sobered up, then showed up 17 hours later and denied drunk driving, Joy News 24 reported.
He eventually admitted to drunk driving but the prosecution indicted him only for dangerous driving, hit-and-run, failure to act after an accident, and aiding and abetting the escape of a criminal.
Warring executives Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of Korean entertainment company HYBE, and Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of ADOR, which manages K-pop group NewJeans, were voted the second and third worst persons in the Korean entertainment industry this year.
Bang Si-hyuk received 37 votes while Min Hee-jin got 26 votes.
Joy News 24 reported that Bang Si-hyuk has remained silent amid the recent issues involving HYBE.
Min Hee-jin was voted the third worst person in the Korean entertainment industry in 2024. Many people are feeling tired from the fight with HYBE, but it can also be understood that she has caught the public eye by boldly confronting these issues head-on.
Also voted the worst persons in the Korean entertainment industry in 2024 are actor Kang Kyung-joon, who was accused of adultery, who received eight votes and ranked fourth; and singer Jung Joon-young, who was convicted for gang rape, received seven votes.
Actor Yoo Ah-in, who is currently on trial for drug charges, also received seven votes.
Influencer Juicy Seyeon, who was photographed together with Bang Si-hyuk, and former Big Bang member Seungri, who was involved in the Burning Sun club controversy, received two votes each.
Receiving one vote each are the “cyber wrecker” YouTubers who extorted money from YouTuber Tzuyang, Korean TV network KBS, former HYBE CEO Park Ji-won, the adult entertainment establishment director who threatened the late actor Lee Sun-kyun, actress Han So-hee, BTS’ Suga, Steve Yoo, actress Hwang Jung-eum, actor Ryu Jun-yeol, former NCT member Taeil and the late actor Lee Sun-kyun.
A total of 15 people did not answer the survey.