Hybe’s global fandom platform says reforms are under consideration, but has yet to outline concrete steps

Weverse Co. CEO Joon Choi speaks at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, March 11, 2025. (Hybe)
Weverse Co. CEO Joon Choi speaks at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, March 11, 2025. (Hybe)

Weverse Co. said Monday it has formed an internal task force to comprehensively inspect the entire process of its fan event lottery, following revelations that a staffer attempted to manipulate the results of a fan signing event with users’ personal data in November.

"An internal investigation into the staff member involved is currently underway. In addition to identifying shortcomings related to this case, we will swiftly review and revise the overall system and institutional framework,” Weverse Co. CEO Joon Choi said in a statement.

Weverse is Hybe’s global fandom platform that serves as the official fan community not only for Hybe-affiliated artists, but also acts from other major agencies such as SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. Artists on the platform include BTS, Seventeen, Blackpink and Aespa.

According to Choi, the task force has already begun discussions related to the incident and is reviewing the entire process, from advance notice of events to the selection and announcement of winners. The company also plans to tighten internal access controls, including limiting staff permissions to fan event systems and restricting access to individual user data on an event-by-event basis.

Weverse further said it will strengthen oversight by senior executives in the selection of event winners and the management of related materials. However, the company acknowledged that, in practice, the changes amount to adding a layer to the existing approval process rather than introducing a fundamentally new system.

As such, the measures outlined so far largely stop at conducting an investigation and responding based on its findings, with little indication of a structural overhaul compared to previous practices.

Questions also remain over the feasibility of Weverse centrally managing fan event lotteries, particularly in light of the personal data leak that exposed vulnerabilities in the fan signing draw process.

Fan events — including fan signings, video calls with artists, comeback showcases and other promotional gatherings — attract a wide range of participants, and selection criteria often vary by label.

Weverse works with over 100 domestic and overseas labels on its fandom platform in total. As a result, any standardized overhaul would require extensive coordination across companies with differing operational standards and priorities.

Reflecting this complexity, Weverse said in its statement that any comprehensive improvement plan would be provided “after sufficient consultation with partner labels, within a scope that does not disrupt actual operations, including artist safety.”


jaaykim@heraldcorp.com