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On March 31, 2025, an alleged former employee of YG Entertainment leaked unreleased content from multiple K-pop agencies. This person claimed to have been fired recently from YG Entertainment and decided to go on Discord to release the data.
The individual claims to possess terabytes of data from seven different companies, including major players like the "Big Three" (SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment) and HYBE Corporation. The leaked material reportedly encompasses trainee videos, unreleased songs, and other sensitive content.
The Discord channel contained folders named after each agency. SM Entertainment showed 34 TB worth of data, YG Entertainment had 95 TB of data, JYP Entertainment had 223 TB of data, HYBE had 23 TB, CUBE Entertainment had 12 TB, Blockberry had 108 TB of data, and RBW & all subsidiaries included 28 TB of information.
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The issue became public when various online websites started sharing video footage and audio tapes leaked by this former YG employee. There were trainee videos of BLACKPINK members singing English songs without beeping/cutting the N-word (a racial slur).
Additionally, there was a song by BTS that was allegedly recorded in 2012. However, the song was allegedly rejected, and the group debuted in 2013 with different songs.
Some fans expressed anger and disappointment over the unauthorized release of personal and professional content. However, the majority of them joined the Discord channel to access the data themselves. The screenshots from the channel went viral again on X. One user wrote:
"It's over for K-pop"
Netizens suspected the timing of the leak as actor Kim Soo-hyun held a live press conference on March 31 to address his allegations about dating the late Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor.
"I'm sorry, but you people believing the yg leaker on discord need to use your brain because why would someone leak on discord and why would a former yg employee have tea on stuff from other companies. Also, this is the way they talk. It sounds like K-pop stan Twitter," a fan wrote.
"Just when the highest-paid actor in sk finally decides to “come clean” about the disgusting things he’s done, out of nowhere, some anonymous hacker leaks unseen kpop material. damage control at its worst, and you’re all falling for it. every. damn. time," another fan noted.
"Wait isn’t that weird to yall how they will leak these the same moment as Kim Soohyun’s press conference day..????" another fan emphasized.
Others advised online users to take the leaks and their alleged information with a "grain of salt" as it includes several K-pop groups and could "start fanwars."
"108TB for Blockberry is CRAZY when the only active group they had was LOONA," a fan remarked.
"Hey friends, I highly recommend taking whatever kpop leaks get posted with a grain of salt, as I highly doubt everything moving forward is valid information; but everyones gonna eat it up anyway and use it to start fanwars," another fan added.
"Never have I thought that sm and hybe would be one of the companies with the least leaks," another fan wrote.
Previous instances of K-pop agencies facing leaks, including YG Entertainment and HYBE
While specific responses from the agencies are still forthcoming, the K-pop industry has previously demonstrated a commitment to addressing unauthorized content dissemination.
For instance, in October 2022, YG Entertainment requested a police investigation into the unauthorized distribution of private photos of BLACKPINK's Jennie, highlighting the company's dedication to protecting its artists' privacy.
In October 2024, things went downhill for HYBE Corporation when an internal document titled the "Industry Trends Report" was leaked online.
The report, which was meant just for HYBE executives, contained derogatory comments about some K-pop artists from many other agencies and even some minors.
The controversy erupted during a National Assembly audit on October 24, 2024, when Representative Min Hyung-bae of the Democratic Party unveiled excerpts from HYBE's 18,000-page document.
The document included unflattering assessments of K-pop artists' appearances and performances against BLACKPINK, IVE, NCT, Stray Kids, Nmixx, and more.
In the wake of mounting criticism, HYBE's Chief Operating Officer, Kim Tae-ho, addressed the issue during the audit. He clarified that the report was a compilation of public opinions sourced from online communities and did not reflect HYBE's official stance.
On October 29, HYBE's CEO, Lee Jae-sang, issued a formal apology, acknowledging the inappropriateness of the document's content and expressing regret for the harm caused to artists, industry stakeholders, and fans.
Currently, YG Entertainment hasn't addressed the ongoing controversy about its alleged former employee and leaks.
