{
  "id": 2602141,
  "title": "How Hanroro beat K-pop powerhouse HYBE, SM, JYP and YG",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/how-hanroro-beat-k-pop-powerhouse-hybe-sm-jyp-and-yg-2602141",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-22T16:02:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/k-pop/20260823/how-hanroro-beat-k-pop-powerhouse-hybe-sm-jyp-and-yg"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent incident, a mother sought the help of a vocal instructor from a private music studio in Seoul to guide her daughter, who was struggling with stress from the college admissions process. The student, who had already experienced a year of college but found her major unsuitable, was socially isolated and had dropped out, now preparing to apply again.\n\nThe instructor, who typically does not recommend Hanroro's songs to students preparing for auditions due to their unsuitability for showcasing vocal range or building instrumental skill, was surprised when the student requested to sing \"0+0\" by Hanroro. This particular song, with its lyrics \"I won't abandon you. You think the same, don't you?\", stood out to the instructor as a unique choice.\n\nThe instructor explained that at music academies, Hanroro's music is not typically recommended for students preparing for auditions, as it doesn't align with the goals of showcasing vocal range or building instrumental skill.",
  "summary": "Last spring a vocal instructor at a private music studio that trains students for college auditions in the greater Seoul area took a call from a mother. The woman was not asking about admissions to a college music program. She asked the instructor, surnamed Lee, to look out for her child, who was under heavy stress from the college admissions grind. The student Lee met at the studio had started…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "How Hanroro beat K-pop powerhouse HYBE, SM, JYP and YG",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/how-hanroro-beat-k-pop-powerhouse-hybe-sm-jyp-and-yg",
        "published": "2026-08-22T15:12:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}