Internal HYBE Document Revealed During Audit, Allegedly Aiming to Sabotage SM and JYP Artists and Mocking Idols from Other Agencies

Kapanlagi.com - On October 24, 2024, representatives from HYBE participated in an audit with the National Assembly. During the audit, internal documents were revealed, which not only pertained to HYBE's own groups but also included statements about groups from other agencies.

A document titled 'Music Industry Report' was released during the audit. This document sparked a strong reaction on social media.

What has been revealed? Here are some of the details reported by Koreaboo!

1. Planning to Sabotage SM Artists?

According to Sports Kyunghyang, one of the documents mentioned a plan to create negative news about SM artists. "You can counter any attacks directed at (HYBE group's name hidden) by using (SM group's name hidden) as a shield. When someone says a member of (group name) is ugly, it can be countered by releasing pre-debut photos of (hidden SM member's name) or saying (hidden member's name) cannot dance and is stiff, while showing the video."

Netizens are suspicious that the old photo of Seunghan that caused him problems was the work of HYBE. Not only that, old pre-debut photos of Sohee have also circulated widely, leading to criticism about her visuals. Fans suspect this is all part of HYBE's plan to destroy RIIZE's career.

2. Why is aespa being hated after Coachella?

An internal document dated June 1, 2022, states, "Regarding singing ability (name hidden), fans use this as a shield and say that they are good but are not allowed by the agency, but everything fell apart because of (name hidden). Now their lip-sync has become an issue again, and fans are redirecting their hatred elsewhere, not towards the group. In our opinion, the fandom of SM quickly shifts attention from this issue. The agency has to be the villain to protect the members." Netizens believe that the member referred to here is the aespa member who was talked about due to their performance at Coachella in April 2022. Although the document only discusses fan reactions, netizens suspect that the hatred received by aespa after Coachella is due to HYBE's actions.

3. Mentioning Changbin from Stray Kids and NCT DREAM

Another document mentions Yeonjun from TXT and discusses other idols from JYP and SM. "I regret seeing the physical differences. I feel more regret seeing Changbin from Stray Kids when doing a challenge with NMIXX, their heights are very similar. I have always thought this since Changbin stood next to Yeonjun on camera, because coincidentally they are friends."

Still from the previous document quote, but this time it also mentions NCT DREAM. "Indeed, Yeonjun looks good and is a great MC. Just by standing there, he can convey a lot of meaning. He has also interviewed NCT DREAM and Stray Kids, and feels guilty seeing Yeonjun overshadow those two groups. Soobin is known for his height, and also his pure and naive image, so it’s not too strange for him to stand among them. But the difference between Yeonjun and Changbin when standing together is extremely outrageous."

4. Want to Get Rid of NewJeans?

Another internal document discusses the HYBE girl group NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, and ILLIT, which was referred to by the media as New-ILL-Le. The document suggests getting rid of 'New' and focusing solely on 'ILL-Le'.

"The community is now using HYBE's New-ILL-Le term a lot, and many people are starting to talk about ILLIT. Now, it’s important to equate LE SSERAFIM with BLACKPINK, aespa, and IVE in the girl group million seller category in the first week and differentiate them from generation 4. We have been bothered by the term New-ILL-LE for several days, but we can drop the word 'New' and start something truly new."

5. Discussing Underage Girl Group Visuals

The document referred to as the Weekly Music Industry Report was created and submitted to HYBE executives and affiliated labels. In one of the documents read, there were mentions of idol visuals with inappropriate words, even for those underage. The words included: 'Because they debuted at an age when they were all ugly, none of them have idol faces', 'There is a tendency to focus on their appearance or sexual appeal', 'Strangely, none of them are beautiful', and others.

6. LE SSERAFIM is Expected to Be Like BLACKPINK and TWICE, Even More

Another excerpt from the document discusses LE SSERAFIM while mentioning two third-generation girlgroups, BLACKPINK and TWICE. "Most importantly, because LE SSERAFIM has gained trust thanks to their performance as a team, we can now scale up their tour to compete with boygroups. BLACKPINK conquered Coachella and interacted with many foreign celebrities, but there is a problem with their team not working effectively. TWICE has strengthened their teamwork and held concerts in stadiums, but in terms of attracting attention, they are lacking. If LE SSERAFIM combines the strengths of both, they might be able to fill the void left by the big girl groups."

7. Discuss Yuna ITZY

In addition to briefly mocking the members of boygroups, the internal HYBE document also discusses members of girlgroups from other agencies. The first is Yuna ITZY, while mentioning Hyuna and Sunmi.

"Like former JYP female idols such as Sunmi and Hyuna, she seems to show similar signs due to being exposed for a long time in an environment where maintaining a healthy mentality is difficult, leading to a real emphasis on her appearance and sex appeal."

8. Want to Use Claims If Haewon NMIXX Reads Books About Feminism?

Another member of the JYP girl group discussed in the internal HYBE document is NMIXX's Haewon and Kyujin. For Haewon, they made the assumption that she reads books about feminism as a 'weakness'.

"Claims have emerged that Haewon is reading feminist books. This could potentially be used as provocative content against her, with accusations of 'killing the team' by trying to exploit feminist issues."

FYI, feminist-related topics in South Korea are very sensitive for many men.

9. Compare Kyujin NMIXX and Eunchae LE SSERAFIM

For Kyujin, once again they discussed her physical differences with HYBE artist, this time Eunchae LE SSERAFIM. "Kyujin appeared on Eunchae's ‘Styler’ show and helped her get positive responses for her content, but during the challenge, the physical differences between her and Eunchae were quite noticeable and could be considered concerning."

10. HYBE Staff Discussing SMNGG?

An Instagram account suspected to be owned by an SM staff member uploaded a snippet of an internal HYBE document discussing the agency's new girl group. The content of the screenshot includes: "Suddenly, information about SM's new girl group started circulating. About 8 candidates were selected, but surprisingly, none are beautiful. Considering how everyone was shocked by the visuals (name redacted) when they debuted, I wonder if SM's aesthetic standards have changed,u2019 and also criticized their vocal abilities with the comment, u2018The fandom's defense logic for a certain SM girl group is that u2018the company doesn’t let talented members shine,u2019 but this really fell apart at Coachella."

11. HYBE Subscribe to Sojang?

In one of the internal document snippets, HYBE wrote about the information spread by Sojang regarding the JYP group. Sojang is a YouTuber known for spreading fake news. HYBE is also suspected to be one of Sojang's membership subscribers.

12. TXT Song Inspired by Fanfiction?

Fans have long suspected that one of TXT's songs, 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You), is based on the Yeonjun x Beomgyu fanfiction uploaded on PostType by an author using the pen name Kyrie. This suspicion has grown stronger thanks to an internal HYBE document.

"Mad Summer: a fanfiction released around the time of their debut. Not sure if the author just wanted to keep it quiet, but they only made their fanfiction available to be seen occasionally as if they wanted to manage it themselves if any issues arose. Perhaps that's why this fanfiction became very popular among the 4th generation fandom. Last week, this fanfiction started trending on X, so they published it again for the first time in a long time. Thanks to the fanfiction, the fantasy about the OTP Yeonjun X Beomgyu grew large at the beginning of their debut. However, they often argue in real life, and the members also have a cousin-like aura spending the entire summer vacation together, so it's not a good thing for active OTP fans. Currently, the 4th generation fandom is not active on PostType, but this fanfiction is strangely popular. We think it’s because this fanfiction reminds us of the fangirl aura from the previous generation."

13. Discussing Fanfiction Again

Fans speculate that HYBE is studying shipping patterns in K-Pop. They also discuss fans involved with fanfiction that also touches on NCT and SM.

"Recently, I found information searching for popular fanfics on Postype, the top rankings are mostly NC (for adults) fanfics. NCT consistently occupies the number one position. This kind of excessive involvement, where fandom is based on pseudo-romantic engagement, feels like a form of fangirling that is outdated. It seems to be the core of the SM fandom, trapped in that mindset."

14. tripleS Producer Discusses HYBE Internal Document

Producer tripleS, BADD, uploaded a screenshot of an internal HYBE document discussing the girl group and added the caption, 'Are you scared?'. The content of the document is, "A group from a small to medium-sized company, [tripleS], released a choreography video for their side B, New Look, involving 16 members. At one point, they abandoned the adventurous concept similar to HYBE's group, and used Japanese idol vibes towards the end of the Showa era. This was especially for their choreography video. It is a song they created as media play since starting their overseas tour, for performances with many members. The choreography is so awkward that we wonder if it can be called a 'large-scale performance' as long as it has members, and it's hard to see them as anything more than just a club on campus when looking at the skills and style of the members."

15. Know About the Dating Rumors of SEVENTEEN Members

HYBE is suspected of knowing everything about their artists. They also discussed the dating rumors of Joshua SEVENTEEN some time ago in internal documents, mentioning Mingyu, who was rumored to be in a relationship with Jeon Somi.

"When the community was disappointed with the Joshua incident, Mingyu's Weverse live broadcast made fans actively discuss SEVENTEEN again. It is unclear whether he intended to address the situation or if it was a natural action. One of the most disappointing things for fans regarding Joshua is the rumor about him living with a girlfriend after allegedly 'moving out of the dorm'. However, during the live broadcast, Mingyu revealed that Wonwoo was with him, which reassured fans that the members still live together. While this may seem like the 'Mingyu-Wonwoo couple' trending, the moment actually reassured fans about the fantasy of the members' living arrangements. Recently, there were rumors on DC Inside that Mingyu was dating Jeon Somi, possibly arising from the news about Joshua. However, this Weverse live quickly overshadowed those rumors."

16. Want to Utilize the Ship SEVENTEEN to Cover Up Joshua's Rumor?

Still regarding the old rumor about Joshua, through its internal documents, HYBE is suspected of using the ship of other SEVENTEEN members to cover up the gossip. They are also said to want to utilize Seungkwan.

"In the midst of these events, it is clear that most fans still want to continue supporting SEVENTEEN. Collaboration is an important part of team values, so the majority opinion is not extreme enough to call for Joshua's departure from the group. However, because this incident has clearly hurt the fandom, there needs to be something to motivate and encourage fans to move forward. The Japan tour will soon begin, and fans have shown their reactions by not selling out all of Joshua's individual merchandise. For East Asian fans, this issue is a common source of emotional turmoil, but the intensity of their reactions varies greatly. In Japan, where Joshua is closely associated with Jeonghan, action is needed to address this gap. This is why it is very important for Seungkwan to hold on right now. With the popularity of the Yoon & Boo couple (Jeonghan and Seungkwan) lately, if they can be promoted more strategically in Japan, it would be beneficial. Even fans who have forgiven Joshua from the start remember the scene in In the SOOP where Joshua takes care of Seungkwan, so Seungkwan's role becomes more important in highlighting Joshua's position in the team. Recently, even a single post from Seungkwan on Weverse significantly boosts the fans' mood."

(kpl/pit)