RIIZE (라이즈) members were last seen devastated by the situation involving Hong Seunghan (홍승한). Global fans, including senior idols, expressed disappointment with SM Entertainment’s handling of the matter, criticising the company for its lack of protection for its artists. Following this incident, fans are not only calling for a boycott of the agency, but K-pop stores worldwide are also joining in the protest.
After being alerted by fans, many online and physical K-pop distribution stores worldwide have issued statements indicating they will halt or discontinue restocking RIIZE merchandise in support of Seunghan. Here are some of the retailers that have joined the boycott so far:
SubK Shop
SubK Shop is one of the biggest K-pop distributors of albums and merch and has even partnered with SM Entertainment for the company’s touring section. Fans thanked the retailer for its bold stance and for supporting them in this cause.
Eve Pink
With 68.8K followers on Instagram, the official Eve Pink store also issued a statement saying that they will cease restocking RIIZE albums and merchandise. “We stand with the artist and believe in a respectful and supportive environment; we do not support or tolerate any bullying and toxic behaviour, which is unacceptable,” the store wrote.
Sarah and Tom
Sarah and Tom, a popular K-pop store from Ottawa Canada announced that they are participating in the SM boycott in support of better protection for the idols under the agency. “We want to support the artist through this difficult time as we do not condone the lack of protection from SM Entertainment to their artists. That being said, please understand that the albums and photocards we currently have in stock have already been purchased. Therefore, all sales from these albums and photocards go directly to Sarah & Tom and not to SM Entertainment,” they wrote.
Seoul Stop
Another popular international K-pop store had something to say about SM’s alleged mistreatment towards its idols. “We stand in solidarity with the artist and do not support the treatment they are enduring right now. We fully support RIIZE as 7 [members],” the retailer stated.
Choice Music LA
Until the issue is resolved, Choice Music LA will temporarily halt imports of RIIZE products and will observe and re-evaluate the situation as it progresses. “Shoutout to the community that reached out with the intention to educate us on these matters with the purpose of informing us of things we may not have been aware of,” the establishment tweeted.
With the support of these Korean and international K-pop distributors, fans hope to make their message clear to SM Entertainment. Guess we’ll see what happens next. Do you think this movement is helpful to the boyband or is it a bit excessive?
