“This is so cruel” — Internet slams HYBE I-LAND after &TEAM's K reveals almost getting deported to Japan for being friends with other contestants

In a recent revelation, K, a member of the Japanese boy group &TEAM, disclosed that he was nearly deported from South Korea during his participation in HYBE's survival show I-LAND due to forming close friendships with fellow contestants. This disclosure has ignited widespread criticism of the show's management and treatment of trainees.

During a recent appearance on M2, K was asked to recount his most embarrassing moment. He reflected on his time on I-LAND, revealing that the show's rules prohibited contestants from forming close relationships. Despite this, K admitted to being friends with fellow trainees EJ, Nicholas, and Taki.

He further revealed that when the staff discovered his close bond with Taki, he was nearly sent back to Japan, implying a potential expulsion from the show.

"Back during I-LAND, we weren’t supposed to get close with other trainees, but I was already friends with Eujoo, Nicholas, and especially Taki. The staff found out I was close with Taki, and I 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 got sent back to Japan," K said.

EJ, present during the interview, humorously added that their friendship was supposed to remain a secret forever. However, the lighthearted tone of the exchange did little to quell the ensuing backlash.

Following K's revelation, fans took to social media platforms to express their outrage against HYBE. Many criticized the show's management for enforcing such stringent rules that hindered natural bonding among contestants. One X user wrote,

"This is so cruel!!! Taki was literally a baby and the fact that K had to pretend to not be close to him breaks my heart for them."

The revelation quickly went viral, with fans expressing their anger and disappointment on social media platforms.

"Taki's mom had trusted her son to K cuz he was a literal baby in a foreign country, why would K act like a stranger around a kid who was literally his responsibility. That show and mnet was so evil," a fan wrote.

"I loved how K was so close to many of them, he treated all the japanese trainees like his children. Even with the one misunderstanding while he was leader he was also the most considerate and attentive in my opinion. And I LOVE HOW HE LOVED TAKI, bc that’s my baby!!" another fan said.

"When you lock people in a freakin egg for 3 months away from the outer world, who else do you expect them to talk to if not each other? man I seriously hate the show and mnet...no wonder k was a victim of evil editing," another fan added.

The consensus among fans was that the show's environment fostered unnecessary stress and isolation among the contestants, many of whom were teenagers far from home.

"Im glad K exposed this so people will realize how mnet manipulate the trainees in that damn show just to make it more intense to the point that they ruined K’s image. And just remember how all the trainees cries because of the system they made to eliminate each one of them. Tf!!" a fan reacted.

"I think everyone who participated in i-land deserved financial compensation and free therapy for having to spend almost 4 months in that cursed torture chamber," another fan remarked.

"This is mind blowing. They almost killed his dreams just because he had friends. No wonder they evil edited K so damn hard bro. I don’t understand this industry," another fan added.

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Exploring I-LAND: Mnet and HYBE’s groundbreaking idol survival series

In mid-2020, Mnet and HYBE (then operating through Belift Lab, their joint venture with CJ ENM) launched I-LAND, a twelve-episode reality survival show designed to find and debut the next global K-pop boy group.

Over 113 days, 23 male trainees competed in a fully equipped complex known as the “I-LAND,” guided by industry heavyweights and subjected to both producer and global viewer evaluations. This innovative format blended in-house scoring with international fan voting, ultimately selecting seven members to form ENHYPEN—ushering in a new era for HYBE’s artist development strategy.

I-LAND revolved around two living spaces: the high-tech I-LAND facility and the more modest “Ground.” Twenty-three male trainees lived together in the I-LAND, which featured bedrooms, dance studios, and individual practice rooms, while those demoted to the Ground commuted daily for rehearsals.

Only 12 contestants could inhabit the I-LAND at any given time, determined by a combination of peer and producer votes.

The competition unfolded in two parts. In Part 1, trainees were evaluated on performance missions and teamwork scores, with the lowest-ranked trainees demoted to the Ground in real time. Part 2 shifted decision-making power to a global audience: fans voted daily through online platforms to influence eliminations and the final debut lineup.

Belift Lab—co-owned by BigHit Entertainment (now HYBE) and CJ ENM—produced I-LAND in collaboration with Mnet, airing weekly from June 26 to September 18, 2020.

Executive producer Bang Si-hyuk oversaw the project, bringing his expertise in artist development. He was joined by mentor-judges Rain and Zico, whose guidance blended vocal, dance, and performance coaching. Renowned actor Namkoong Min served as the show’s host and narrator.

Although domestic TV ratings were modest, the survival show achieved substantial international engagement. Weekly “I-LAND Cam” live feeds—streamed on Weverse and the show’s website—allowed fans to watch trainees’ daily lives in real time.

This Big Brother-style access, combined with the global voting system, generated over 13.6 million cumulative views per episode across digital platforms.

The finale on September 18, 2020, revealed the seven debut members—Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Ni-Ki, Heeseung, Sunghoon, and Sunoo—selected through a mix of producer picks and global rankings.

These trainees, who had persevered through rigorous performance tests and fan voting, officially debuted as ENHYPEN under Belift Lab.

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I-LAND not only launched a successful new act but also set a precedent for immersive, interactive talent shows in K-pop. Its format inspired subsequent series, including the female-focused R U Next? (2023), for which HYBE partnered with JTBC, and I-LAND 2: N/⍺ (2024), produced in collaboration with The Black Label.