Thursday, 11 June 2026
Thursday, 11 June 2026
One day your favourite K-pop artistes are breaking (and making) records. The next day, they’re being dragged into a legal war, kicked out from their band, or making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Coincidence? Some K-pop fans don’t think so.
It is no secret that HYBE Co. Ltd. (earlier called BigHit Entertainment) has emerged as one of South Korea’s leading multinational entertainment and tech-lifestyle conglomerates. The company, home to major record labels such as BigHit Music, Pledis Entertainment, ADOR, and BELIFT LAB, has launched and managed some of the world’s most successful and finest artistes.
However, some K-pop fans have increasingly linked HYBE to a series of controversies, member departures and corporate disputes, giving rise to a fan-coined term known as the ‘HYBE Curse’.
What is the ‘HYBE Curse’?
The ‘HYBE Curse’ is a fandom-coined phrase that everyone seems to be talking about, dissecting, and desperately hoping does not apply to their ‘next favourite artiste’.
The term does not refer to a single incident. Rather, it is used by fans to describe what they perceive as a pattern in which HYBE artistes and groups become embroiled in controversies, legal disputes, member exits or sudden career disruptions shortly after achieving major success.
From Reddit to X, fans have debated the theory, pointing to a string of incidents involving HYBE artistes and labels as evidence of what they call the 'HYBE Curse'.
Events that led to the coining of the term
Before changing its name to HYBE, BigHit Entertainment, in collaboration with another label, Source Music, introduced their first girl band GLAM in 2012 — with members Dahee, Miso, Park Ji-yeon, Zinni and Trinity.
However, their success came to a sudden halt after Dahee was arrested and later sentenced to prison in 2014 for allegedly blackmailing high-profile actor Lee Byung-hun.
Following GLAM’s 2015 disbandment, BigHit Entertainment (now HYBE) reportedly avoided female idols for nearly a decade, focusing on boy groups like BTS, which drew a massive flak from the fans.
The controversies did not end there. Following HYBE’s acquisition of Source Music, GFRIEND’s sudden 2021 disbandment fuelled fan theories about corporate restructuring and shifting priorities.
In the years that followed, departures from HYBE’s female groups further intensified online discussions, with LE SSERAFIM’s Kim Ga-ram leaving shortly after debut in 2022 and ILLIT’s Youngseo exiting just weeks before the group’s debut in 2024.
NewJeans vs ADOR
Fans also frequently point to the legal battle between NewJeans and ADOR as one of the most prominent examples cited in discussions surrounding the HYBE Curse.
The rift between the group and the agency first came to light in 2024 after the members said they were discontinuing their contract with ADOR, citing mistreatment.
The feud began after former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin was accused by HYBE of attempting to take over ADOR. In response, Hee-jin alleged that HYBE had mistreated her and disrespected NewJeans, triggering a prolonged legal dispute.
The members of NewJeans sided with Min Hee-jin, claiming breach of trust by ADOR. They later announced plans to work independently as NJZ.
However, ADOR challenged the move and sued the members over contract validity.
Heeseung’s dramatic exit from Enhypen
Fans often cite Heeseung’s departure from Enhypen as one of the incidents that fuelled discussions around the ‘HYBE Curse’.
When Heeseung (now Evan) left popular Gen-Z band Enhypen, the internet erupted in massive protests, slamming the HYBE and its agency BELIFT LAB (a label under HYBE) for dragging their ‘Bambi’ down.
Fans from over 200 countries signed petitions, protested on the streets and ran social media campaigns, with the hashtag #ENHYPENis7.
Are BTS members happy with HYBE?
Even BTS, HYBE’s biggest success story, has frequently found itself at the centre of online discussions about the company’s relationship with its artistes.
Over the years, members have publicly spoken about the ‘pressures’ of their careers and their interactions with management. During a Weverse livestream, band leader RM remarked, “I wish our company would show us a little more affection. I wish they would embrace us more.”
More recently, behind-the-scenes moments from the group’s documentary also sparked conversations among fans about creative differences between the members and management.
While these incidents are not typically cited as examples of the ‘HYBE Curse’, fans believe that they have contributed to broader discussions about the company's management style and treatment of artistes.
Katseye: The latest group linked to the theory
Not to forget HYBE’s global girl pop band Katseye, which some fans have also linked to the theory. Despite its viral success with songs like Gabriela, Gnarly and Touch, the group faced controversy in early 2026 after member Manon went on an indefinite hiatus.
The group and the agency faced backlash online, with some fans arguing that the development further fuelled discussions around the so-called HYBE Curse.
However, several also argued that the incidents often cited by fans involve different labels operating under HYBE and stem from unrelated circumstances. They contend that grouping them together under a single ‘curse’ oversimplifies a complex set of events.
Whether one sees it as an industry pattern or simply a fan-created narrative, the phrase has become a major talking point in K-pop spaces online.
