The management conflict between HYBE and its subsidiary ADOR has repercussions that are now spilling over to the meditation company ‘Dahnworld‘. Amidst these tensions, there has been a widespread suspicion that HYBE is closely linked to ‘Dahnworld’, triggering a viral trend among teenagers referred to as the ‘Dahnworld Challenge‘.
The ‘Dahnworld Challenge’ involves youths visiting Dahnworld centers to engage in actions such as making prank calls, ringing the doorbell and running away, and dancing in front of the centers. They then post videos of these acts on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
This challenge has escalated in maliciousness, causing significant harm not only to Dahnworld centers but also to nearby businesses, burdening schools with the challenge of disciplining students. According to a report from a Dahnworld center in Cheongju, prank calls and random visits by teenagers have been rampant over the past two weeks.
The center’s director reported, “We receive dozens, sometimes hundreds, of prank calls every day, along with bell-ringing and visits that have caused both mental and material damages. In severe cases, there are students who curse or even come with bats.”
Initially, the challenge involved harmless activities like dancing in front of the center, but it has since escalated to more harmful levels. This has also caused problems for other tenants in the building, such as clinics and billiard halls, due to the noise from the stairs.
A dental clinic representative lamented, “When students press the bell on the fourth floor at Dahnworld and run down the stairs, the clinic on the second floor suffers from the noise, affecting our operations. Despite reprimanding the students, it has been ineffective.”
This troubling trend has led to continuous complaints to nearby schools about the students’ actions. The clinic has sent official requests to local schools and the education office to curb these behaviors, and warnings have been posted in the building.
A representative from a nearby middle school mentioned, “There have been cases where a student cursed so badly that their parents had to apologize to the center. We are guiding the students while also coordinating with their families.”
Recently, W Middle School in Seowon-gu, Cheongju, even sent a mass text message to parents asking them to discourage their children from participating in the challenge.
Dahnworld’s headquarters have expressed their concerns, stating, “It is difficult to take legal action against the students, and with the pranks becoming more severe, we have requested police assistance. We hope the government and educational authorities will actively lead the students away from such misguided acts.”
Meanwhile, amidst the HYBE conflict, rumors have spread that most BTS members graduated from Dahnworld’s global cyber university, fueling speculation that HYBE is associated with Dahnworld, considered by some to be a cult. Furthermore, rumors are circulating that the popular girl group NewJeans’ music video for ‘OMG‘ contains content expressing a distaste for Dahnworld.
