K-pop's most powerful man Bang Si-hyuk may be its biggest risk

The possible indictment of Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk for violating capital markets law could send ripples far beyond the company, dealing a significant blow to the broader K-pop industry, according to industry insiders. Bang is alleged to have misled Hybe's existing investors in 2019 — a year before the company's initial public offering — by falsely claiming there were no IPO plans, while arranging for the company executives to offload their shares through a special-purpose company established