K-Pop Company Subject To Backlash After Losing Multiple Artists In A Mere Few Months

K-Pop company IST Entertainment had a huge catalogue of amazing idols when Kakao Entertainment announced Play M would merge Cre.ker Entertainment.

Apink’s Play M Entertainment And THE BOYZ’s Cre.Ker Entertainment Announce Merger

Yet, despite IST having some huge groups, the past few years have seen a massive loss of artists, whether all together as a group or individually, depending on contracts. The losses were huge, including members of Apink, except for Eunji. Also, while three members of VICTON left IST in 2023, by the end of 2024, all the members left the company after their contracts ended later due to military service.

At the end of 2024, it was announced that THE BOYZ were leaving IST.

THE BOYZ Will Officially Leave IST Entertainment And Transfer To One Hundred

It was made even worse when it was revealed that Weeekly had all left the company.

Girl Group Weeekly Have All Officially Left IST Entertainment

Following the news, a fan listed all of the artists that had left the company.

Pls let eunji & apink name go!!!

Apr 2021 — Naeun left
Oct 2021 — Huhgak left
Jan 2023 — Bandage left
Apr 2023 — Victon Hanse, Byungchan, Subin left
Apr 2023 — Apink Chorong, Bomi, Namjoo, Hayoung left
Nov 2024 — Han Seungwoo left
Dec 2024 — The Boyz left
Feb 2025 — Weeekly left https://t.co/OMFHXAQB4E

— aivz🐼🐥🐝 (@apinkxcho) February 26, 2025

Netizens couldn’t hide their anger for IST and the constant mistreatment of its artists, which inevitably led to the decision of many to leave and venture to new companies, many times apart from the rest of their group.

IST is literally falling apart at this point. Playm family deserved so much better.

What happend to Victon when they could have had everything will always pain me.
How they wasted the hype Weeekly had.
How Apink was ignored.

At least The Boyz run away before IST could ruin it.

— Hanse's cat beanie loves u (@HanseCatBeanie) February 26, 2025

Please never ever go into business again you suck so bad at it. Literally just pick any other career path please.

— Juri 🐧🍓 (@Juri_Yabuki) February 26, 2025

apink and weeekly both had simultaneous hits for dumhdurum and after school… but this mf company choose to put everything to waste..

quality group + trash management = mess up careers

really felt sorry for all artists under ist…

— aivz🐼🐥🐝 (@apinkxcho) February 26, 2025

Nov 2024 — Seungwoo left
Dec 2024 — The Boyz and Seungsik & Sejun left
Jan 2025 — Beyond Music acquired IST from Kakao
Jan 2025 — Weeekly left

OH GOD. Losing their major artists every month? They deserved better, proper promotion, real support and a company that actually listens https://t.co/CLGTUJeANp

— kimi (@kirrawk) February 26, 2025

JUST CLOSE YOUR COMPANY ALREADY

— lyn ๋࣭ ⭑⚝ #ThankYouWeeekly (@sojudrafts) February 26, 2025

IST is a company that is constantly under criticism from fans for the treatment of its idols.