Major Agencies SM, JYP, and YG Successively Launch New Groups; K-POP Rookie War Ignites in 2025

A large number of new groups have entered the K-POP market this year, intensifying competition among newcomers. Major entertainment companies are racing to announce the debuts of new groups, drawing significant attention from the industry. On the 12th, SM Entertainment revealed during “SM Town Live 2025” held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul that the new female idol group Hearts2Hearts will make its debut on February 24th. Composed of eight members, Hearts2Hearts is the first female group SM has released in five years since aespa. SM explained that “as a group debuting on SM’s 30th anniversary, Hearts2Hearts will deliver a distinctive style across music, performance, and visuals, built on SM’s long-standing expertise in group production.” The group name Hearts2Hearts signifies the intention to connect with global fans through mysterious and beautiful music, creating a larger “us.” JYP Entertainment will launch its new boy group KickFlip globally with a debut showcase following the release of their first mini-album, Flip It, Kick It!, on the 20th of next month. Consisting of seven members, KickFlip includes five Koreans and two Japanese members. The group name KickFlip reflects a desire to break free from conventional boundaries and achieve new success, just as skateboarding allows one to move forward in a circle. On the 14th, KickFlip released ahead of time some tracks from their mini-album, including the Title Track Mama Said (What Do You Want to Be?), along with songs such as “Ugh Yeah,” “WARRIORS,” “Knock Knock,” “Like A Monster,” and “Meet Tomorrow.” Some of the members gained prior recognition through SBS’s audition program Round, which aired in 2021. YG Entertainment is also preparing the debut of a new group codenamed Next Monster. Yang Hyun-suk, YG’s chief producer, mentioned in last year’s “2025 YG Plan” video that “the codenamed Next Monster is ready, and we want to introduce these members to our fans.” HYBE has a Latin-themed artist set to debut in the second half of this year. Lee Jae-sang, HYBE’s CEO, stated in a recent New Year’s speech that “the debut of a Latin-themed artist through an audition program is scheduled for the second half of the year.” Meanwhile, experts in the K-POP market believe the successive debuts of new groups by major agencies reflect these companies’ strategy to expand globally. They analyze that agencies are aiming to attract international fanbases by forming groups with members from various countries and striving to gain competitiveness through unique music and performances.