SEOUL -- Hybe, the entertainment company behind global phenomenon BTS, is diversifying its talent pool by debuting three groups this year, using a fan-community platform that has enabled even rookie artists to quickly gain followings.
When a member of LE SSERAFIM, dubbed the "sister group" of BTS, posted on social media this month in Korean and Japanese to celebrate its debut, she got nearly 8,000 congratulatory replies in a variety of languages. The new girl group, whose mixed Korean-Japanese roster features a former member of a Japanese idol group, racked up 380,000 preorders for its debut album.
