Highlights
- HYBE identified roughly 400,000 illegal product listings online and seized about 20,000 counterfeit items in a single market raid.
- Weverse Spot will centralize offline event logistics, backed by a new customer experience team that feeds fan feedback into the platform.
- The report ties HYBE 2.0's growth strategy to environmental projects and workplace safety certification.
SEOUL-based HYBE identified roughly 400,000 online listings selling illegal products tied to its artists over the past year, according to the company's 2025 Sustainability Report published June 30. The figure, which spans domestic and overseas shopping platforms including Amazon, is the largest IP enforcement disclosure yet from a K-pop company and points to the scale of the counterfeit economy that has grown alongside the industry.
The company's collaboration with Amazon alone addressed more than 92,000 counterfeit merchandise listings. Offline, a joint operation with the Special Judicial Police of the Korean Intellectual Property Office traced a counterfeit supply source to Seoul's Namdaemun Market, where about 20,000 fake items were seized on site. The report also confirms that a deepfake task force formed in 2024 has run continuous monitoring and enforcement systems since the first quarter of 2025, working with Korean police to prosecute the creation of synthetic sexual content targeting its artists.
Weverse upgrades and BTS commendation
Beyond enforcement, the report details the rollout of Weverse Spot, a service that consolidates offline event information such as concerts and fan activities into a single interface. A newly formed customer experience team within Weverse Company will route user feedback directly into the platform's development.
Weverse
The report also records a milestone for the BTS LOVE MYSELF campaign, which has raised about 9.3 billion won (roughly $6.3 million) since its 2017 launch with UNICEF. The campaign earned BTS a Presidential Commendation at the 5th Korea Good Donation Awards in December, the first for a Korean artist.
HYBE 2.0 and environmental commitments
Under its HYBE 2.0 strategy, the company has planted more than 460,000 mangrove trees in Bangladesh's Sundarbans region since 2023 through its Eco Village project with the K-Green Foundation. It has also worked with LETZero, an LG Chem recycled materials brand, to build post-consumer recycled plastic into the fourth version of the BTS official light stick, part of a wider effort to cut the carbon footprint of merchandise and albums.
Workplace safety and governance
HYBE obtained ISO 45001 certification for its occupational health and safety management system. Separately, the company introduced anti-corruption policies, compliance guidelines under Korea's Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and fair subcontracting rules, including about 200 million won in safety equipment support for contractor partners. In a statement accompanying the report, HYBE's Sustainability Management Committee said the company would expand its ESG framework as it accelerates the HYBE 2.0 strategy.
