Key Takeaways
- • Kpop fans overwhelmed the telephone and email support lines of South Korea's National Pension Fund (NPS), a roughly $900 billion fund, after a member of boy band Enhypen departed the group.
- • NPS chairman and CEO Kim Sung-joo said the fund received overseas phone calls and more than 1,500 emails over a two-hour period, disrupting services for pension inquirers in Korea and abroad.
- • The disruption was triggered by an erroneous social media post claiming NPS was the majority shareholder of HYBE, Enhypen's management label; NPS held 7.54% of HYBE as of end-September, making it the third-largest shareholder.
- • NPS stated it does not get involved in the formation of K-pop groups or member matters, and urged fans to stop further disruption.
Summary
South Korea's National Pension Fund (NPS), with roughly $900 billion in assets, was hit by a surge of calls and emails from K-pop fans angered by the departure of a member of boy band Enhypen, according to Reuters. Chairman and CEO Kim Sung-joo disclosed the incident on Facebook on Wednesday, March 19, 2026, and urged fans to stop disrupting the fund's services, saying the actions inconvenienced workers in Korea and abroad seeking pension advice.
Kim said the fund was targeted because of an erroneous social media post claiming NPS was the majority shareholder of HYBE, the management label behind Enhypen. He said the NPS does not take part in forming K-pop groups or in member-related decisions. According to Kim, some users on X posted the fund's support center numbers online and mobilized others to protest the removal of an Enhypen member. The fund was then hit by overseas phone calls and more than 1,500 emails over a two-hour period.
The NPS holds a stake in HYBE: according to a company filing, it held 7.54% as of the end of September, making it the third-largest shareholder behind HYBE founder Bang Si-hyuk and game developer Netmarble. Enhypen member Heeseung announced his sudden departure on Tuesday to pursue a solo career.
Reuters notes that K-pop fan groups routinely use social media to protest or support artists, but the NPS incident is a rare case in which a government public service was disrupted. In a precedent cited by Reuters, fans of girl group NewJeans flooded fax machines at the culture ministry last year to demand an investigation into the group's management agency.
Kim said the fund was targeted because of an erroneous social media post claiming NPS was the majority shareholder of HYBE, the management label behind Enhypen. He said the NPS does not take part in forming K-pop groups or in member-related decisions. According to Kim, some users on X posted the fund's support center numbers online and mobilized others to protest the removal of an Enhypen member. The fund was then hit by overseas phone calls and more than 1,500 emails over a two-hour period.
The NPS holds a stake in HYBE: according to a company filing, it held 7.54% as of the end of September, making it the third-largest shareholder behind HYBE founder Bang Si-hyuk and game developer Netmarble. Enhypen member Heeseung announced his sudden departure on Tuesday to pursue a solo career.
Reuters notes that K-pop fan groups routinely use social media to protest or support artists, but the NPS incident is a rare case in which a government public service was disrupted. In a precedent cited by Reuters, fans of girl group NewJeans flooded fax machines at the culture ministry last year to demand an investigation into the group's management agency.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.