On September 14 (KST), BTS‘s Jungkook shared two Instagram posts through his dog Bam’s account, @bowwow_bam, which many believe were subtle messages of support for the members of NewJeans.

The girl group is currently caught in a dispute involving HYBE and Min Hee Jin (the former CEO of their label ADOR). While Jungkook didn’t directly mention NewJeans, his captions, “Artists are not guilty” and “Don’t use them,” were widely interpreted by fans as addressing the tricky situation.

The posts quickly gained attention, with many praising Jungkook for standing up for the group. Fans and netizens alike saw the messages as a call to protect young artists from being drawn into corporate disputes.

• “Jungkook is so likable, lol. True tough guy.”
• “Right? Min and Bang are fighting, ugh.”
• “Jungkook is such a manly guy, sigh.”
• “At Jungkook’s level, he doesn’t need to care about minor things.”
• “Wow, amazing.”
• “So cool, seriously.”
• “As expected from Jungkook. That’s how you should use your strength.”
• “Wow, I see Jungkook in a new light. He’s awesome.”

In response to the viral posts, BIGHIT MUSIC issued a statement clarifying Jungkook’s intent, explaining that the posts were made based on the belief that no young artist should be involved in conflicts or used as a shield.

While Jungkook received overwhelming support for his actions, HYBE has encountered increasing criticism. Fans were quick to express frustration with the company’s handling of the situation, interpreting the clarification statement as an attempt to deflect attention. Many felt that HYBE’s actions only reinforced their belief that the company was mishandling its artists, leading to a wave of backlash across social media and online communities.

• “He’s talking to you guys, so listen up.”
• “They contacted him again, lol. Seriously, releasing an article as if it’s some kind of shield. Stop contacting him.”
• “Yeah, HYBE, you.”
• “HYBE is so funny. He’s talking about you guys, but you’re pretending not to understand, lolololololol.”
• “So stop harassing your artists, lololol.”
• “Confirmed that he’s siding with NewJeans, lolololol.”
• “Stop using Jungkook as a shield, for f***’s sake.”
• “Pretending not to understand and then saying random things out of desperation, leading to cognitive dissonance. It’s so ridiculous, lololololol. Seriously, I hope that trash company goes down.”
• “HYBE, this is all directed at you, lololololol.”