Papa YG Yang Hyun Suk has dropped a major surprise for 'YG Treasure Box' fans. 

On February 7, Yang Hyun Suk posted a lengthy notice via YG Life's official website, under "From YG". The producer unveiled that the top 7, winning members of 'YG Treasure Box' - known as a 7-member group Treasure up until now - and the newly selected, 6-member second group, will debut together as Treasure 13. 

Yang Hyun Suk explained,

"As I participated in YG Entertainment's biggest trainee survival program in history since the creation of Big Bang, WINNER, and iKON, consisting of a total of 28 trainees, my biggest regret was being unable to bring aboard so many talented individuals with potential onto such a small boat. As a result, I chose to bring along another boat, and selected a total of 13 members. 

The reason that a survival program is traditional within YG is that the producer, myself, can otherwise only have one chance per month to encounter the trainees through the monthly evaluation; however, this monthly evaluation is inadequate in grasping each trainee's potential, charm, and strengths. Thus, I felt that I needed to be able to see these trainees through the eyes of fans, possible through a broadcast format. These are friends who will be here at YG for the next 10+ years after all. 

I believe that to serve the perfect meal, you must get rid of overlapping dishes and create the best possible array of flavors which match well with one another. Even in soccer, teams do not play 11 strikers, and as such, the selection criteria of 'YG Treasure Box' was to choose members who would fit in each position and form a harmonized, balanced team. 

This may come as a surprise to fans, but the final formation that I want in the end is a 13-member group. 

To be more precise, they will first debut as a 13-member team called Treasure 13. The reason that I did not select 13 members from the get-go, instead dividing them up into two teams, is that I realized through iKON that more than 7 members means there are not enough parts for each of the members in one song, and members will only be able to sing a few short verses before they have to come off stage.

As a result, I plan to endorse Treasure 13's full group promotions, as well as the two separate teams and their separate promotions, enhancing each individual's capabilities and roles. 

The biggest perk of being in the winning 7 of 'YG Treasure Box' is that the 7 have claimed the rights to the name Treasure; however, the two ships will sail toward a common goal in the end."

You can find more details on Treasure 13 including the second subunit's group name, Treasure 13's fanclub name, pre-debut reality show, plus more, here.