SM Entertainment is making waves by teasing fans about its highly anticipated K-pop girl group, Hearts2Hearts. However, amid the excitement, HYBE’s controversial internal document has resurfaced to address members’ images.
On January 13, netizens flocked to a community thread, titled “SM Beginners Must Have Been Damn Caught Off guard When They Read HYBE’s Internal Report.”
The author (OP) shared an excerpt from the controversial file, which talked about SMNGG members, who were still trainees at the time.
The trainees, according to the document, were put in the spotlight thanks to HYBE’s rookie team from the survival program “RU NEXT?”
“SM’s new girl group has been in the news, presumably because of the rumors about HYBE’s rookie team ‘RU NEXT?’” he said. “Apparently about eight candidates have been selected. But surprisingly, none of them are particularly attractive.”
The statement continues: “It is worth reflecting on whether the agency is working with a completely inexperienced trainee lineup. However, it may just be that SM’s preferences have changed, given the noise on the images when (group name omitted) debuted .”
Countering the file’s cutting comments, OP accompanied a photo collage of Hearts2Hearts members and wrote, “There’s no ugly guy here.”
On October 29, 2024, HYBE Labels CEO Lee Jae Sang apologized for the tracking file that targeted numerous artists, including those from major entertainment agencies SM, JYP, and YG.
The CEO clarified that the document was drafted to determine trends and reactions. Despite his intention to analyze feedback, public behavior and requests, Lee said the document was still inappropriate in nature.
