KEYVITUP, a new boy group under the agency founded by Kim Jae-joong (김재중), recently sparked controversy after a late-night music video shoot caused disturbances for nearby residents. Netizens reported that filming continued until the early hours of the morning, even using loudspeakers to create noise, leading to complaints from those living nearby. In response, INCODE, KEYVITUP's agency, has issued an official apology.
On September 30, INCODE released an apology statement via its official social media channels, stating, "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disturbance caused to residents by noise generated during the recent KEYVITUP music video shoot, which occurred during hours when residents should be enjoying a peaceful night."
The company explained that during the filming process, they had considered various factors to minimize inconvenience to residents. However, as filming continued late into the night, they "failed to consider the surrounding environment and the potential impact on residents' lives more carefully." They reiterated their apologies to the affected residents.
Regarding follow-up actions, INCODE pledged to take full responsibility, stating, "We take this incident very seriously and will personally convey our apologies to the inconvenienced residents and handle subsequent matters responsibly." The company also emphasized that in future filming and production work, they will pay closer attention to the surrounding environment and residents' lives, and thoroughly conduct various checks and verifications with the production team before filming to prevent similar situations from recurring.
In fact, a netizen had already posted on a Korean online community last month, complaining about severe noise caused by an idol group filming an MV in the early morning. The poster, identified as 'A', stated that they had lived in the area for 10 years and had seen many film and TV shoots, but this was the first time they had encountered a situation where filming continued "until past 3 AM, even using loudspeakers." They expressed their dissatisfaction with the noise pollution caused by the late-night shoot.
KEYVITUP is a five-member boy group consisting of Taehwan (태환), Hyunmin (현민), Sena (세나), Jaein (재인), and Rukia (루키아). They are the first boy group launched by INCODE, the agency founded by Kim Jae-joong. The group officially debuted in April this year with their first mini-album, also titled KEYVITUP. On July 25, they also performed at the "2026 Boryeong Mud Festival K-POP SUPER LIVE." Their agency recently announced that KEYVITUP is expected to make a comeback in November.
However, the recent activity schedule for another INCODE group, SAY MY NAME, has also sparked discussion among fans.
As early as August, Honda Hitomi (本田仁美), a member of SAY MY NAME, personally appealed to the company in a video, saying, "Please let us make a comeback!" and "I really want to make a comeback again!" due to the group's approximately eight-month hiatus. The video quickly circulated online, with many fans expressing sympathy and feeling that the group had waited a considerably long time for a comeback.
According to related reports, SAY MY NAME is confirmed to have a comeback activity this year, but the exact date has not yet been announced. Outsiders speculate that it might happen as early as autumn, but if the schedule is delayed again, the comeback could be pushed back to winter. However, the official schedule has not yet been released by the company.
Following Honda Hitomi's public appeal, some netizens have also focused on INCODE CEO Kim Jae-joong, believing that as an idol himself, he should better understand the impact of long periods of inactivity on members and fans. Consequently, they expressed confusion about the company's activity arrangements. Some netizens even questioned, "Why do female idols always have to suffer to give male groups a chance to succeed?" Others suggested that if Honda Hitomi had chosen a different agency, the outcome might have been different.
SAY MY NAME is the first idol group launched by INCODE and a girl group that Kim Jae-joong personally participated in producing and creating. As the company has continued to expand its artist roster in recent years, successively launching boy groups KEYVITUP and VAYONN in 2026, some fans are concerned that SAY MY NAME's comeback and activity schedule might be affected while the company invests in new boy group activities.
However, the company has not publicly confirmed any direct link between SAY MY NAME's delayed comeback and the activities of its new groups. These claims primarily stem from online discussions and external speculation.
