BIGHIT MUSIC has set the record straight about BTS's Jungkook's recent Instagram activity, which sparked speculation about his support for NewJeans amid their public dispute with HYBE.
On Friday, September 14, Jungkook, 27, used his pet dog Bam's official Instagram account to share a photo of the furry companion with a caption that read, "Artists are not guilty," accompanied by five heart emojis.
The colours of the hearts matched those of NewJeans members, in addition the bicep emoji alluded the strength gesture, leading fans to believe the post was a gesture of support for the group amidst their ongoing conflict with the industry giant.
A few hours later, Jungkook posted another image of his red and rust Doberman with the caption, "Don’t use them." The posts quickly went viral within the K-pop community.
Shortly after, HYBE subsidiary BIGHT MUSIC which houses BTS, addressed the situation, stating that Jungkook’s posts were not intended to show support for NewJeans but rather for young artists.
"We have confirmed that he made the posts because he thought that under no circumstances should young artists be dragged into conflicts or used as a shield," the label stated per Soompi.
For the unversed, the feud between NewJeans and HYBE revolves around the reinstatement of Min Hee Jin as CEO of ADOR.
Earlier this week, NewJeans members addressed HYBE directly in a YouTube live broadcast, urging action by September 25.