“NewJeans deserves the biggest apology”: Fans react as TXT’s Soobin alleges HYBE’s mistreatment of trainees, sparks debate on NJZ’s claims

On August 16, 2025, TXT’s Soobin took to Weverse to share a memory from his trainee days. The K-pop idol claimed that during their early dance training, he and fellow member Taehyun faced "physical punishment." Soobin said that it happened when they were asked to perform a complex choreography by SEVENTEEN, without proper guidance.

"This was when me and taehyun had just been dancing for a week or two, we were both extremely young kids, 8th and 10th graders who couldn’t even stretch our arms out properly…the seventeen hyungs do really hard choreographies, right?" he claimed.

After his claims went viral, fans quickly stepped in to support him and praised his courage to speak out. During these debates, comparisons started to emerge involving NewJeans and their ongoing conflict with HYBE. An X user said:

NewJeans members have been embroiled in a dispute with HYBE and ADOR since the removal of former CEO Min Hee-jin. The group has attempted to terminate their contracts, claiming subtle mistreatment and emotional bullying from the subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate.

Now, a renewed debate has emerged between the two fandoms. Some TXT fans have pushed back against connecting the two issues, arguing that Soobin’s experience shouldn’t involve another group.

Others, however, argued that since BIGHIT still operates as a HYBE subsidiary, the story reflects a broader pattern of abuse within the company’s system. Many fans criticized the delayed support, saying people ignored NewJeans’ warnings but now listen because Soobin spoke up.

TXT's Soobin alleges past trainee abuse, says it no longer happens

TXT's Taehyun and Soobin (Image via Instagram/@txt_bighit)

During the Weverse live, TXT's Soobin shared that when they made mistakes during dance practice, they were even physically hit as punishment. He recalled that some kids who struggled even more were punished more harshly.

"Taehyun ended up saying it but we did get hit back then…we got hit while we learnt it… We…me and taehyun got hit a little less…we were really bad but there were a few people who were worse than us so…" the 24-year-old said.

Soobin also said that things are different now. Taehyun agreed, saying that today’s trainees don’t go through the same kind of physical punishment they did.

"Ah those of you who want to become trainees~~ they don’t hit people these days~~they had physical punishments back then but if they physically punish someone now, they’d get in huge trouble~~" the artist added.

In other news, Soobin reached a new milestone with his longest broadcast on Weverse, lasting 5 hours and 30 minutes, attracting 3.1 million live viewers, and earning 25 million likes.

About the author

Shreya Jha specializes in K-Pop and K-Drama content at Sportskeeda. With a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, she brings a refined approach to Entertainment Journalism. Over the course of two years, she has worked with media agencies such as FandomWire and Animated Times, publishing over 2000+ articles.

Some of the highlights of Shreya's career include writing an exclusive piece on the Bvlgari Necklace and reviewing the Jaguar Type 00 for The Luxxe Mag. Entertainment is a space she resonates with the most. Some of the favorite aspects of her work comprise analyzing plot twists, discussing comebacks, and covering other pop-culture news in general.

Putting forward a sensitively-written article, by incorporating a multiplicity of perspectives is important to her. Outside of her professional commitments, she enjoys reading contemporary romance novels and performing Bharatnatyam. She admires Amelia Dimoldenberg for her deadpan humor.

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Edited by Shreya Das