According to additional documents recovered by HYBE during the national assembly, “RU Next?” winner Youngseo may have left the group due to an internal strategy to make ILLIT stand out in the competitive music market. The report revealed a deliberate plan by HYBE to tarnish Youngseo’s image in an attempt to generate controversy and rumors surrounding the group’s debut.
In the “online materials” analyzed by HYBE staff for viral marketing strategies, it was explicitly suggested that Youngseo could be framed negatively to gain attention. “Youngseo stands out among the members, so if we frame her as a ‘lazy cat’ who acts like a queen while the others are portrayed as humble country dogs, we can definitely outperform groups like NMIXX,” the documents declared.
The plan went further by assigning each ILLIT member a specific dog breed to appeal to female and teenage audiences, with the aim of creating a distinctive image for the group. Before ILLIT’s official launch, Youngseo was the most popular member, thanks to his visuals and outstanding idol skills. HYBE’s strategy proposed using her as the center of the group, portraying her as the “bad girl” who overshadowed the others.
The revelations have sparked outrage among fans and netizens, raising serious concerns about HYBE’s methods and treatment of trainees.
Meanwhile, shortly before ILLIT’s debut earlier this year, BELIFT LAB announced YoungSeo’s departure.
“ILLIT will debut as a five-member group. After in-depth discussions regarding future activities, BELIFT LAB and YOUNGSEO have mutually agreed to terminate the exclusive contract.
This joint decision was made after careful consideration, respecting the artist’s wishes. The company requests that there be no unreasonable speculation or misunderstanding.”
