“A Whole Company Acting Immaturely” — Netizens Respond to Allegations of HYBE Badmouthing Stray Kids and NCT in Internal Documents

On October 26, 2024, HYBE came under fire for alleged attempts to undermine competing K-pop groups, notably Stray Kids and NCT. These claims arose from an internal document that Democratic Party of Korea representative Min Hyung-bae disclosed during the National Assembly audit on October 24, which reportedly contained over 2,000 pages of disparaging remarks about these popular boy bands.

A viral post on the Korean social media site TheQoo highlighted an excerpt from HYBE’s internal report, which supposedly included body-shaming comments directed at Stray Kids’ Changbin. The document outlined:

“It’s unfortunate due to physique differences. It’s even more unfortunate when recalling Stray Kids’ Changbin’s interaction with NMIXX, where their heights seemed comparable. Just remember how Changbin appeared alongside Yeonjun on camera, simply because they are friends.”

This negative commentary baffled netizens, who expressed disbelief at the derogatory tone taken towards the JYP Entertainment group, Stray Kids. The document is also said to have made contemptuous remarks regarding NCT Dream, another renowned K-pop act under SM Entertainment, suggesting that members of TXT, also from HYBE, looked physically superior in comparison.

One user on X expressed their frustration with HYBE:

“It’s embarrassing to see an entire company behaving so immaturely.”

Fans of Stray Kids reacted with outrage as details of the internal audit circulated online, particularly concerning derogatory references to their beloved group. It was noted that the document allegedly referenced various other groups like aespa, BABYMONSTER, NMIXX, TWICE, Wonder Girls, and BLACKPINK.

“The internal documents revealed at the National Assembly Audit illustrate HYBE disparaging numerous groups such as AESPA, BABYMONSTER, NMIXX, STRAY KIDS, NCT, WONDER GIRLS, and BLACKPINK… the descriptions provided are appalling, and it’s clear HYBE needs to face consequences,”stated an X user.

“HYBE has always seemed envious of Stray Kids’ achievements. They’ve made disparaging comments about WeZ while exalting their own artists. It’s absurd! They’ve even resorted to body-shaming. Pure malice,”commented another user.

“Allow me to laugh at the idea of them being overshadowed. HYBE witnessed Stray Kids thrive as the top 4th-gen boy group while their own group struggled to achieve similar success and thought, ‘Let’s write some ridiculous articles,’”noted another user.

Furthermore, NCT supporters rallied together online to criticize HYBE for their alleged negative commentary on the physical attributes of K-pop stars.

“The fact that HYBE is targeting both NCT Dream and WeZ, both possessing immense talent and success, solely based on physique is ludicrous. Everyone has different body types; no one looks alike,”stated one fan.

“Only a fraction of the 2000-page report (just 4 pages) has been publicized, making it shocking that even those pages contain a critique of ‘NCT 해찬’ comparing Haechan with their own artists, suggesting their artists face much more hate,”highlighted another user.

“SM’s failure to safeguard their artists, even through simple content reviews before publishing, has allowed HYBE to disparage SM’s artists as shown in Haechan’s case. It’s frustrating that they even made a headline highlighting ‘NCT Haechan,’”added another user.

Recent Activities of Stray Kids and NCT (2023-2024)

Stray Kids, renowned for their powerful self-produced tracks and dynamic choreography, released their full-length album titled 5-Star in June 2023. With the lead single “S-Class,”this album achieved remarkable success, securing the number one spot on both domestic and international charts, including making history as the third K-pop boy group to top the Billboard 200 in the U.S.

Their groundbreaking S-Class fused hip-hop, EDM, and experimental sounds, largely thanks to the contributions from production unit 3RACHA’s Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han in creating the album’s distinctive style.

They maintained their impressive streak into early 2024, releasing a mini-album titled ATE on July 19, which also topped the Billboard 200. Remarkably, they became the first artists to debut all of their initial five albums on this chart at the number one position—these albums included Oddinary, Maxident, 5-Star, Rock-Star, and ATE.

NCT, a dynamic collective of 23 members, also won hearts globally with their comprehensive album Golden Age in August 2023. This project was unique as it combined members from different sub-units—NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV—creating a singular ambitious offering.

Golden Age arrived during a pivotal time in NCT’s evolution, coinciding with their announcement of a restructuring of units at the end of 2023. This album was significant as it represented the first time all NCT members from various sub-units collaborated. In addition, NCT Dream released their mini-album Candy, achieving outstanding sales of over 2 million copies as reported by The Korea Times.

In related news, Stray Kids continued their dominATE world tour with a concert on October 26, 2024, in Sydney, NSW, at the Allianz Stadium. Upcoming performances include a show in Taiwan at the Kaohsiung National Stadium on November 2, followed by concerts at Tokyo Dome, Japan, on November 14, 16, and 17.

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