Internal documents show that HYBE employees have made derogatory comments against top K-pop groups

During a recent National Assembly audit, internal documents from HYBE Co., Ltd., a major multinational entertainment company, revealed that its employees allegedly disparaged both competing and internal K-pop groups and had strategic plans to promote their own group, NewJeans push away .

Founded in 2005 by Bang Si-hyuk as Big Hit Entertainment, HYBE operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event and concert management company and music publisher. The company, which has great influence through its subsidiaries – Big Hit Music, Belift Lab, Source Music, Pledis Entertainment, KOZ Entertainment and ADOR – has positioned itself at the forefront of the industry.

The leaked documents, briefly released by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, suggest that HYBE intended to differentiate NewJeans from its other high-profile girl groups such as LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT. The media had previously coined the term “New-ILL-LE” to portray the trio as a new generation of HYBE idols, but the documents indicated a tendency to exclude NewJeans from this group. The strategy aimed to make LE SSERAFIM a leading “million-seller” act while pushing NewJeans into the background.

This audit also uncovered derogatory statements made by HYBE employees about popular groups such as BLACKPINK, TWICE and AESPA, which raised concerns about HYBE’s internal culture and competitive tactics. The ministry soon restricted access to the documents, but the uncovered strategies continue to fuel debate over HYBE’s operations and its dealings with rival and internal groups.