Secret Weapon 'T&D' Behind BTS's Success by HYBE Revealed

The Cradle of the K-pop Production System Behind BTS, LE SSERAFIM, and More
Personalized Curriculums and Emphasis on Character Education
LE SSERAFIM's Hong Eunchae: "The Person Who Supported Me Most During Trainee Days, T&D"

HYBE T&D (Training & Development), which has nurtured global K-pop artists including BTS, finally unveils its curtain. HYBE announced on the 19th that it will showcase the ‘HYBE T&D’ video through the LABELS official YouTube channel. Five episodes will be aired simultaneously at 5 PM that day. HYBE LABELS artists who debuted through HYBE T&D’s unique training process, such as BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ENHYPEN, LE SSERAFIM, and ANTHEM, along with the T&D education staff who trained them, will appear in large numbers. They share their experiences with trainees in sincere interview formats.

BTS RM and Shin Seonjeong, General Manager, discussing the T&D system
[Photo by HYBE]

Selecting and Refining Trainee Rough Stones into Diamonds... Providing Various Customized Education Programs

Trainees are like uncut rough stones. HYBE T&D is a space that selects and polishes these rough stones to transform them into jewel-like artists. In the training program called ‘Showdown,’ trainees experience the stage through songwriting and dance battles. They also go through processes to enhance their musical understanding, including lessons on melody lines and beat composition, as well as genre-specific lectures covering rock, hip-hop, R&B, and conversations with producers.

Another notable aspect is the operation of customized curriculums tailored to each trainee. A T&D official said, “BTS’s Jimin majored in dance and had a habit of performing choreography softly, so we gave him a mission to add strength to his dance, and he improved in the evaluation the following month. ENHYPEN’s Sunghoon was originally a figure skater with an athletic body, but through the same mission, he developed a body suitable for dance.”

Instilling Autonomy and Responsibility in Character Education... Raising Artists Who Can Make Their Own Judgments

Introducing Shin Seon-jeong, General Manager of HYBE T&D
[Photo by HYBE]

Ultimately, the core of HYBE’s education system is to support growth into artists who internalize ‘autonomy and responsibility’ and possess sincerity toward music and a professional mindset. Shin Sun-jung, head of T&D, explained, “The previous training system had many limitations, and we worked hard to find a new answer. The answer we found was autonomy, responsibility, and a healthy trust relationship.” Artists who have internalized this are said to have the power to think and judge music on their own.

The rule that ‘trainees design their own practice plans’ is in the same context. Trainees diagnose their own lacking skills and directly decide on educational programs or practice frequency to supplement them. TOMORROW X TOGETHER leader Soobin recalled, “It was good to be given time to practice the parts each of us felt were lacking, so we could do it autonomously without being forced.”

Starting with Forming a Partnership... Communicating Carefully and Monitoring Psychological States

Le Sserafim's Hong Eunchae reminiscing memories with T&D training managers
[Photo by HYBE]

HYBE T&D makes trainees understand from the first interview that they are partners sharing the same goal. This aims to build trust between trainees and T&D to lead to successful development. They frequently observe psychological changes and provide necessary support, and through regular psychological checkups with professional counselors, they also take care of trainees’ mental health. LE SSERAFIM member Hong Eun-chae expressed deep trust, saying, “If asked who was the biggest support during my trainee days, I would answer it was the T&D staff.”

A HYBE official said, “We were able to establish a system capable of broad education through a workforce composed of various experts such as vocal trainers, psychological specialists, educators, and marketers,” adding, “We will continue to advance the education system to encompass diverse cultures and emotions in line with the globalization trend of K-pop.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.