LOONA’s management company BlockBerry Creative informed several media outlets on December 16, 2022, that the group would not host a fan display or press conference for their imminent comeback. LOONA will return on January 3, 2023, with “The Origin Album ‘O’,” which will have 11 members. This will be LOONA’s first comeback after Chuu departed the group. According to reports, LOONA wants to hold a live broadcast the day the album is published rather than hosting a comeback showcase. This action, according to accounts, was taken to forestall any journalistic inquiries on Chuu’s expulsion from the group in November.
Many LOONA fans have decided not to purchase the group’s upcoming album. Because Chuu was fired by BlockBerry Creative for abusing his authority in relation to a staff album, the fans are protesting the release. The boycott is being implemented as response for the abuse LOONA members have experienced. It has been said that the fans won’t finish their demonstrations until the claims against Chuu are refuted, the agency apologises for prior wrongdoing, and LOONA members are given the option to terminate their contracts if they so choose.
The boycott’s goals include avoiding buying everything manufactured by BlockBerry Creative, including clothing, CDs, tickets, events, apps like FAB or Superstar LOONA, streaming material such as music videos and songs, and other products. As opposed to 5,098 preorders for their most recent album, Flip That on December 14, there were only 93 preorders for the album in the first 20 hours on “Ktown4u.” Pre-orders from just the stores have decreased by more than 98% in this period.
In the midst of all of this, the ORBITs, LOONA’s fanbase, decided to boycott the group’s forthcoming album. Their success has already been demonstrated by the sales figures on the well-known South Korean distributor website Ktown4U. ORBITs started urging a boycott as soon as Blockberry Creative unveiled a teaser poster for LOONA’s next album release. According to the Fanbase Union Twitter account, “The response team will continue boycotting until the accusatory comments against Chuu are retracted, an apology is made with regards to past mistreatment, and LOONA members are given the option to terminate their contract, if they wish to do so.”
