HYBE under fire for alleged 18K-page internal report demeaning K-pop groups: Complete list of artists named so far

On October 25, The Korea Times reported that HYBE got embroiled in another controversy of allegedly demeaning Stray Kids, NCT, BLACKPINK, and other groups. According to internal documents from HYBE Co., Ltd., which was the subject of a recent National Assembly Audit on October 24, 2024, the company drafted an alleged 18,000-page document containing negative comments for other K-pop groups.

Reportedly, the label's employees made fun of both internal and competing K-pop groups while plotting to discredit their own group such as NewJeans under the subsidiary label, ADOR. Bits and pieces from the document went viral on the Korean online forum, TheQoo, where netizens noted that the label created an alleged 18,000-page long document weighing 9 kg.

Although some names of the K-pop groups were redacted from the documents when it was displayed during the National Assembly Audit livestream, one of the comments called a certain K-pop group "average." The document allegedly revealed:

"This is a team that markets its members' young average age as a selling point, but upon seeing the stage, you might think, "Is youth all they have?" They debuted the members at an age when they’re not fully developed, so none of them have the sharp looks of an idol, and the stage genuinely resembles a middle school talent show."

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K-pop groups mentioned in HYBE's reported 18,000-page internal report & NewJeans' alleged removal demand

Leading K-pop company HYBE Corporation recently faced scrutiny after a National Assembly Audit revealed that internal reports contained abusive and inappropriate language toward its own artists and other groups. The discovery ignited public backlash, raising ethical questions about the company’s treatment of its talent.

During the National Assembly Audit session, Democratic Party of Korea representative, Min Hyun-bae, and several assembly members scrutinized the company’s document containing negative remarks against Stary Kids' Changbin, NCT's Haechan, NCT DREAM, TWICE, and more.

The reports included comments that criticized the personal traits, appearance, and performances of certain artists. Criticism from the assembly centered around how some of the harsh comments were made against underage K-pop idols and trainees.

Another comment from the HYBE internal report mentioned that they should "drop" NewJeans and create a new band instead. The comment allegedly stated:

"In this era of girl groups selling over a million copies, I think it's necessary to categorize BLACKPINK, LE SSERAFIM, aespa, and IVE differently from the 4th generation movement. I've been struggling with the NewJeans wording for days, but it would be easier to just drop "New" and create something new."

Here's the list of K-pop groups revealed in the documents:

1. BTS
2. SEVENTEEN
3. BLACKPINK
4. TWICE
5. Stray Kids
6. NCT
7. aespa
8. RIIZE
9. NMIXX
10. NewJeans
11. BABYMONSTER
12. IVE
13. LE SSERAFIM
14. NCT DREAM
15. TXT
16. NMIXX
17. G(I)-DLE
18. ITZY
19. Wonder Girls
20. Hyuna
21. DKZ
22. ZEROBASEONE
23. MissA
24. Monsta X
25. R U NEXT
26. TWS

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In other news, HYBE faced criticism for allegedly failing to promote BTS' Taehyung's Layover vinyl. Fans claimed that the company ignored their demands for the vinyl to be restocked globally and blamed HYBE for treating Taehyung unfairly.