HYBE Corporation, the renowned K-pop agency behind global sensations like BTS (방탄소년단) and ENHYPEN (엔하이픈), has been in a negative spotlight due to its recent dispute with ADOR’s former CEO, Min Hee Jin (민희진). Now, a new issue has emerged as the agency’s ‘Music Industry Weekly Trend Report’, containing employee critiques of rival idol groups, has been leaked to the public.
Since the internal reports surfaced, several groups that were discussed in these weekly meetings have been listed, quickly going viral among fans. Here are a few non-HYBE K-pop groups that made it onto the list:
1. BLACKPINK (블랙핑크)
In a recent leak circulating on Twitter, a comment from a HYBE employee, dating back to a March 2023 meeting, was revealed to analyse BLACKPINK’s concert tour sales. The remark compared the group’s ticket sales across Asia and Europe with those in Japan and North America, stating, “BLACKPINK is pretty much the classic case of a ‘famous-for-being-famous’ group,” downplaying the girls’ talent and achievements. Fans were shocked by this revelation, criticising HYBE for monitoring BLACKPINK’s every move so closely, even tracking their tour dates and sales figures.
2. aespa (에스파)
Aespa member Giselle’s (지젤) 10 million won donation to an animal rescue organisation was also scrutinised in HYBE’s internal reports, with some employees suggesting that the timing was “oddly suspicious,” given that it coincided with her being under negative attention. “It seems like a pathway has been created where they’re quickly reacting to Twitter issues in an exaggerated manner, which might even indicate a shift in their overall strategy,” implying the donation was merely a cover-up.
Another portion of the report also speculated about Winter’s (윈터) personal life, hinting at a relationship with a member from another SMTown boy group simply because she was frequently seen texting on her phone.
3. RIIZE (라이즈)
SMTown’s popular boy group RIIZE was also targeted in the internal reports, with specific remarks about certain members’ physical appearance. Wonbin’s (원빈) facial features were criticised, with claims that the idol frequently wears a beanie to hide his ‘unattractive’ features. Meanwhile, the youngest member, Anton (앤톤), faced harsh comments about his dancing skills. Other members didn’t escape criticism either, with one remark stating, “Wonbin and Anton have the most-viewed fancams, drawing all the attention, while the rest of the members feel more like ‘backup’ types or appeal to fans with specific tastes.”
4. Stray Kids (스트레이 키즈)
Another unfortunate boy group subjected to physical criticism in HYBE’s internal reports is Stray Kids, particularly member Changbin (창빈). The comment targeted the group’s height, with the employees expressing sympathy over the perceived height disparity between the JYP boy group and other idols. One remark went further by praising TXT’s (투모로우바이투게더) Yeonjun (연준) for his tall figure while diminishing Changbin’s appearance, stating, “Keep feeling that way thinking about how it was when Changbin stood next to Yeonjun on camera, simply because he happens to be friends with Yeonjun.”
5. IVE (아이브)
Starship Entertainment’s popular girl group IVE was mentioned in nearly disparaging terms, with HYBE employees suggesting that the group’s rapid rise in popularity around the release of their second comeback song, “After Like”, seemed questionable. One comment read, “The differences in reaction between the early 20s and 30s suggest that the song’s ‘viral’ status could be a deliberate marketing push rather than genuine trendiness.” Additionally, there was an accusation that Starship may have intentionally created a negative image around member Jang Wonyoung (장원영) to boost the group’s overall recognition.
6. tripleS (트리플에스)
Groups from smaller companies were also scrutinised, with Modhaus’s girl group tripleS facing criticism in HYBE’s internal reports. Their choreography video for “New Look” was slammed, with some employees accusing them of attempting to imitate NewJeans’ (뉴진스) signature style. One section of the report commented, “At some point, they completely abandoned the exploratory approach of ‘the original NewJeans’ and instead adopted a vague mix of early Showa era and Japanese idol vibes.”
In addition, HYBE reportedly disparaged tripleS’ dance performance, calling it awkward despite the group’s unique 24-member lineup. “It’s hard to see the members’ styling or practice level as anything above a university club level,” the report stated, further belittling the group’s overall talent and skills.
Sources: Pannchoa, KoreaBoo(1)(2)
Alia contributed to this article.
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