As controversy grows over CJ ENM’s [the parent company of Mnet] decision to rehire An Joon-young PD, the mastermind behind the manipulation of Mnet’s idol audition series “Produce,” the company has finally issued an apology.
On the 5th of April, CJ ENM stated, “The decision to hire An Joon-young PD was an unequivocally wrong judgment with no excuse. The decision to give him a chance to make up for his past wrongdoings did not meet the standards of fairness in society.”
When this news was announced, controversy arose in the broadcasting and music industries. There were concerns about fairness, and it was compared to the recent decision by the Korean Football Association to pardon 100 football players who were disciplined for match-fixing but then revoked the decision after three days.
CJ ENM, which operates Mnet, said it would hold an internal committee for the two individuals after their convictions were finalized by the Supreme Court. However, the specific results were not disclosed, and the two individuals avoided being fired. Some interpret this as considering their contributions to the company during the broadcasting process of the “Produce” series, which caused harm to Mnet’s reputation.
Regarding this, CJ ENM said, “We apologize to all employees who have devoted themselves to their work with love for Mnet and pride in being the best content company. We ask for your loving encouragement and criticism for our efforts towards fairness and trust recovery. We deeply reflect and apologize for disappointing many people with this incident “ promising to humbly accept the shortcomings in their recruitment standards and to promptly address the problems that have arisen to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
However, there was no mention of the future of the producer, Ahn. Some are speculating that he may resign, as there is negative sentiment not only from outsiders but also within the company. Earlier, Mnet explained that they gave Ahn another chance due to his sincere remorse and strong desire to regain trust.
Previously, in March 2021, the Supreme Court upheld the original ruling that sentenced An PD to two years in prison on charges of obstruction of business and fraud, among others, rejecting his appeal. As a result, An PD served his prison term and was released in November 2021. He resigned from Mnet last year but returned to the company on March 3, 2023, after 1 year and 5 months of release.
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Source: (A)
