Meet ABD: HYBE's New Girl Group Label Dropping Its First Act in 2026

HYBE has a new label, and they're going after the girl group market with one of the most credentialed producers in K-pop history.

The company announced ABD, short for A Bold Dream, on Friday, May 8. The label is dedicated entirely to girl group production, with its first act slated to debut in the second half of 2026.

Leading the label is Jiwon No, its inaugural president, who previously held senior roles at PLEDIS and MORE VISION. She'll handle overall management and strategic direction. The creative side, though, is where the name-recognition hits: Sung Soo Han, the producer widely credited as the architect behind SEVENTEEN, After School, IZ*ONE, and TWS, will oversee the new girl group's music, concept, and performance end-to-end.

That's not a small hire. Sung Soo Han's fingerprints are on some of the most commercially and critically successful acts in the past decade of K-pop. If ABD's girl group even lands in the same zip code as SEVENTEEN's career trajectory, HYBE has a serious asset on its hands.

HYBE's official statement framed the launch as an extension of its multi-label strategy: "The creation of ABD aligns with HYBE's multi-label strategy, which champions creative independence and autonomy within HYBE's broader support framework. With a distinct focus on girl group development and the introduction of differentiated IP and artistic identity, the launch of ABD marks a strategic step in strengthening HYBE's multi-label ecosystem as K-pop continues to evolve globally."

The label's stated philosophy leans into the unconventional, ABD "embodies the label's creative philosophy of pursuing unconventional, flexible, and playful ideas that push beyond norm," per the statement. Whether that translates into something genuinely different from HYBE's existing girl group output remains the open question.

The announcement lands while HYBE is riding a strong financial wave. The company reported record revenue of 698.3 billion KRW ($470.2 million), fueled largely by BTS's comeback and their fifth studio album ARIRANG, plus an accompanying world tour. ENHYPHEN's seventh mini album THE SIN: VANISH became the group's fourth double-million seller, and rookie act CORTIS crossed 2 million cumulative copies sold with their debut album COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES.

On the global side, KATSEYE, the HYBE America girl group, recently surpassed 32 million monthly listeners on Spotify, with their combined EP sales hitting 1 million copies. HYBE America also relaunched BMLG as Blue Highway Records this quarter, with Jake Basden stepping in as CEO.

With ABD, HYBE is adding a dedicated girl group pipeline to an already crowded in-house roster. The second half of 2026 is the target. Sung Soo Han doesn't miss often, the industry will be watching.