HYBE Suspected Of Sabotaging RIIZE’s Seunghan By Using Rumored Past Connections

HYBE has been accused of planning to sabotage idol groups under SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment, including RIIZE. This comes after an audit with the National Assembly that took place on October 24, 2024.

| HYBE

One of the internal documents disclosed during the audit revealed HYBE’s alleged plans to sabotage their competition’s groups, including RIIZE, aespa, and NMIXX, via the media. These plans allegedly included circulating old photos of a RIIZE member.

Document in an email from internal staff. | Channel A News

Earlier this month, former RIIZE member Seunghan returned to the group following a hiatus. His return was met with immense backlash due to Seunghan’s past controversies, which include a hotel rendevous, smoking, and smoking in public. Just days after his return was announced, Seunghan withdrew from RIIZE. Many fans, however, have rallied behind the idol and are against his removal.

Seunghan | SM Entertainment

Now, in light of HYBE’s audit, some netizens believe that the company used past connections to Seunghan to sabotage his career. Seunghan was introduced as a member of SM Entertainment’s trainee team SMROOKIES in 2022, but persistent rumors claim that he is also a former Source Music trainee.

| SM Entertainment

Although it’s unclear exactly when or how these rumors began, they might be connected, at least in part, to a post written by someone who claimed to be a former classmate of Seunghan. This person stated that the idol had been a trainee for seven years.

afterwards, seunghan attended jungsan high school, an all-boys school. according to an old classmate, he’s been a trainee for 7 years, meaning that he started training at 12 years old

former schoolmates wrote on pann describing seunghan as a popular & nice kid, december 13 2023: pic.twitter.com/b7I0g3egmE

— rͬeͤs͛aͣ (@risehsh) October 13, 2024

according to his classmate, apparently seunghan has been a trainee for 7 years 🥲 https://t.co/TLxT02dMqL pic.twitter.com/cPC25Ctlrd

— kat (@031002s) December 13, 2023

Seunghan was only a trainee under SM Entertainment for two and a half years before debuting with RIIZE. As such, he would have had to have been a trainee under a different company before joining SMROOKIES if he trained for seven years in total.

in his third year of middle school, seunghan (~14-15 years old) was cast after leaving an arts school entrance exam

he received business cards from several agencies but chose SM without hesitation as it was the company he knew best, though it's unclear when he officially started pic.twitter.com/g4FFEnZcPH

— rͬeͤs͛aͣ (@risehsh) October 13, 2024

The rumor that Seunghan was once a Source Music trainee has now led some netizens to believe that HYBE could have had access to information about Seunghan’s past and used this information to sabotage him. HYBE acquired Source Music as a subsidiary in 2019.

seunghan, newjeans, youngseo, and garam all being former source trainees who had harmful video/images of themselves being leaked

like hybe outright threatened newjeans to not take action against source it’s doesn’t take rocket science to understand what’s going on here 😭 https://t.co/vfCR4r1iws

— bee 𖼐꒱ (@j3anies) October 24, 2024

like does no one remember that when the seunghan leak happened they threatened to leak taesan and haerin next if he wasn't removed? BOTH were soumu trainees too? Idk how it didn't click for uall

— Don't say a word… (@missingmedics) October 24, 2024

My theory on HYBE sabotaging Riize through seunghan is coming true I fear.
Hybe has connections to his past through SoMu where he trained, soobin and him in the live is another Hybe connection plus that girl who was supposed to be in illit thing. TWS’s pop is RIIZE. https://t.co/ypylV3IOtz

— Læla (@desiaeri) October 24, 2024

little tmi: seunghan was a trainee from soumu……… means they have datas of him……… so……… its actually possible https://t.co/Tpi3eUOepR

— 🍎 (@mewttons) October 24, 2024

Wait the whole information about the Seunghan “scandal” Hybe must have got because he was a Source music trainee. And when he went to SM, Hybe released it to destroy his career. ITS ALWAYS BEEN HYBE. EVERY EVIL IN KPOP IN THE LAST FEW YEARS IS HYBE RELATED!

— Timur (@TheRealT1999) October 24, 2024

someone pointed out that three soumu trainees (SH, Garam and someone from illit(?)) failed to have a successful career due to scandals or hybe's decisions
this does not sounds like a conspiracy now huh

— lumi || JUSTICE FOR SEUNGHAN (@beanie_wonbinni) October 24, 2024

HYBE released a statement in response to the alleged sabotage plans, which has now been deleted.

HYBE Posts Then Deletes Statement Addressing Accusations Of Sabotaging Other Companies’ Artists