Distrust and unease loom as South Koreans grow wary of China’s clout

Here in the slick corporate headquarters of Hybe, the South Korean entertainment company that manages the K-pop superstars BTS, chief communications officer Jinhyeong “AJ” Lee knows that even the tiniest speck of news about the musicians or their millions of passionately loyal fans can send shock waves around the world.

That may be why two topics in this meeting seem to be far more sensitive than the others.