DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ K-pop agencies mostly struggled in third quarter — but 2025 may bring financial recovery
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

JYP Entertainment's boy group Stray Kids attends the 2024 SBS Music Awards Summer in Seoul. The K-pop industry has been seeing a slowdown due to declining album sales and the inactivity of record-breaking groups such as Blackpink and BTS. Members of BTS have been serving their mandatory military service, while Blackpink only announced to reunite as a group in 2025. Streaming revenue, at least during the first half of this year, has been unable to cover the loss from album sales. For the third quarter, just Babymonster — a rookie group — and solo artist Lee Seunghoon released material.

Persons: Blackpink, Hwan, wook Lee, Jang Jeong Min, Minha Choi, Yeonghoon Kang, —, Lee Seunghoon Organizations: JYP, Imazins, BTS, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, Yuanta Securities, Samsung Securities, YG, NH Securities Locations: Seoul, U.S

☆ In a rare act of defiance, a top K-pop group is going rogue
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

K-pop group NewJeans called out record label Hybe in a rogue YouTube livestream. It marked a surprising act of rebellion in the tightly-managed K-pop industry. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! AdvertisementAn escalating feud with one of its top K-pop groups, NewJeans, could have financial implications for South Korean music giant Hybe. Shares dropped as much as 6% after NewJeans called out Hybe in a rogue YouTube livestream Wednesday.

Persons: —, NewJeans Organizations: YouTube, Service, South, Bloomberg, Business Locations: South Korean

☆ K-pop is more popular than ever, but that isn't helping agency stock prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Hybe Corporation is the largest and listed on the blue-chip Kospi, while SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment are on the small-cap Kosdaq. Physical sales have historically accounted for the lion's share of a label's revenue, Kim said, and has also been the most profitable segment. High physical sales, she explained, represent the number of fans, which, by extension, quantifies the addressable market for a company. watch nowDeclining physical album sales not only hits earnings, but also raises questions about whether the investment thesis of "continual high growth" has collapsed. "A physical album is useless and even a burden because it occupies space.

Persons: Jimmy Fallon, Hybe, Yoon Suk Yeol, Danielle, Hyein, NewJeans, Gary Miller, Blackpink, Kim Gyuyeon, Lisa, Jennie, Emma McIntyre, Emma Mcintyre, Kim, Simply, Mirae's Kim Organizations: NBC, NBCUniversal, Getty, Hybe, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, SM, YG, YouTube, Spotify, CNBC, Park, Filmmagic, Coachella, London's, Big, Mirae Asset Securities, BTS, Valley Music, Arts Festival, JYP, Seoul Economic, South Locations: United States, Southeast Asia, Korean, CHICAGO , ILLINOIS, Chicago , Illinois, South, U.K, INDIO , CALIFORNIA, Indio , California, Seoul

☆ Japan stocks plunge 5% with Asia markets broadly lower after Wall Street sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An electronic stock board displayed inside the Kabuto One building in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday, June 27, 2024. Japan's Nikkei 225 nosedived almost 5% on Friday, with most Asia-Pacific markets lower after a sell-off on Wall Street overnight. The Nikkei extended its 2.62% slide on Thursday to lead losses in the region and reach its lowest level since February. Japanese government bond yields fell, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year JGB falling below the 1% mark and hitting it lowest level since June 20. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures were at 17,047, lower than the HSI's last close of 17,304.96.

Persons: Marubeni, Hybe, Australia's, Hong Organizations: Japan's Nikkei, Wall, Nikkei, Softbank, Mitsui, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, Pacific

☆ Founder of South Korea’s Kakao arrested for suspected stock manipulation
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul, South Korea —The billionaire founder of South Korean tech giant Kakao Corp, Kim Beom-su was arrested on Tuesday on accusations of manipulating stocks during the acquisition of a K-Pop agency last year. The case is the latest legal twist for Kakao, which runs South Korea’s largest chat app, after the company and another executive went on trial last year for alleged wrongdoing during the same acquisition. Any case against him could jeopardize Kakao’s investments into artificial intelligence as well as its overseas expansion plans, industry experts said. The high-profile tech entrepreneur is the largest shareholder of Kakao Corp, with a 24% stake that he and affiliated entities control. Kakao Corp shares dropped 3.4% during morning trade to the lowest since November, after falling 24% year-to-date.

Persons: Kim Beom, su, Kim, Brian Kim, Jakub Porzycki Organizations: South, Kakao Corp, Prosecutors, SM Entertainment, Seoul Southern, Court, Detention, KakaoBank Corp Locations: Seoul, South Korea, South Korean, Korean, Kakao

☆ South Korean court approves arrest warrant for Kakao founder
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A South Korean court approved early on Tuesday a prosecution request for a warrant to arrest Brian Kim, the billionaire founder of tech giant Kakao Corp, on accusations of stock manipulation during a 2023 acquisition. It is the latest legal twist for Kakao after the company and an executive went on trial last year for alleged wrongdoing during the same acquisition. Prosecutors say Kim was involved in manipulation of the stock price of SM Entertainment in February last year to hinder a competitor, Hybe, from acquiring the K-Pop agency. Not yet formally charged, Kim has denied the accusations, saying he has never ordered or tolerated any illegal activity, the company said in a statement. The high-profile tech entrepreneur is the largest shareholder of Kakao Corp, with a stake of 24% controlled by him or affiliated entities.

Persons: Brian Kim, Kim Organizations: Kakao Corp, Prosecutors, SM Entertainment

The billionaire founder of South Korean technology giant Kakao, Kim Beom-Su, was arrested on Tuesday on allegations of stock manipulation related to the company’s investment in one of the country’s largest K-pop agencies. A high-profile bidding war broke out over the agency, SM Entertainment, early last year. Prosecutors allege, Kakao manipulated SM Entertainment’s stock price to hinder Hybe, the company behind BTS, from acquiring the agency, whose roster of artists includes Girls’ Generation. Last year, prosecutors indicted Kakao’s chief investment officer and the company itself on stock manipulation charges. The Seoul Southern District Court confirmed that Mr. Kim had been arrested on Tuesday morning.

Persons: Kim Beom, Kakao, Mr, Kim Organizations: SM Entertainment, Prosecutors, Seoul Southern, Court Locations: Korean, Hybe, Seoul

☆ BTS member Jin to participate as South Korea torchbearer in Paris 2024 Olympic torch relay
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —K-pop star Jin, a member of the supergroup BTS, will participate as a torchbearer for South Korea at the Olympic torch relay for this year’s Games, according to a statement from his talent agency on Wednesday. “Jin will take part in the Olympic Torch Relay to spread the message of ‘harmony’ and ‘peace,’” HYBE said. The singer-songwriter is the eldest member of BTS and was discharged from the military after completing his mandatory service in June. The flame for the Paris Games was lit in Olympia, Greece – the birthplace of the ancient Olympics – back in April. The flame, which has been traveling in a relay ever since, will light the cauldron to mark the opening for the Summer Games.

Persons: CNN —, Jin, “ Jin, ’ ” HYBE, Raphaël Varane Organizations: CNN, Paris Games, Summer, France, Paralympic Games Locations: South Korea, Olympia, Greece, Paris

After 23 years, Braun announced the end of his management career. He described himself as "a father first, a CEO second, and a manager no more." Scooter Braun at Crypto.com Arena on December 6, 2023. Allen Berezovsky/Getty ImagesNearly one year after Bieber, Lovato, Grande, and more severed ties with Braun, the mogul said his time as a manager had come to an end. So for my entire adult life I played the role of an artist manager on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Persons: Braun, Scooter Braun, Allen Berezovsky, Bieber, Lovato, Yael Cohen, he'd Organizations: Crypto.com Arena Locations: America

☆ BTS’ Jin discharged from army service in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Reuters | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Wearing a uniform and black beret, Jin, the oldest member of K-pop phenomenon BTS, was discharged from South Korea’s army on Wednesday after 18 months of duty. He is the first member of the group to wrap up the mandatory national service that put their music careers on hold. The 31-year-old appeared emotional as he hugged his colleagues at a military base in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi province, television footage showed. “I cried during the ceremony,” Jin said later during a livestream which racked up over 3 million views on the Weverse fandom platform. Beyond music, BTS members are bankable fashion icons.

Persons: CNN —, Jin, “, ” Jin, Louis Vuitton, Angela Weiss, Suga, Jimin, Valentino, Dior, Kim Jones Organizations: CNN, BTS, Getty, White Locations: South, Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi, Seoul, South Korea

☆ Top K-pop stocks fall after reports that Hybe may sell $50 million stake in SM Entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Shares of two of South Korea's largest K-pop companies fell on Tuesday after industry giant Hybe is said to be pushing for a $50 million sale of its stake in SM Entertainment. Kospi-listed Hybe's stock slid as much as 2.4%, while SM Entertainment — which is listed on the Kosdaq —saw its shares plunge as much as 5.74%. That puts the sale price per share at between 91,968 to 90,531 won. This means the total transaction value would come up to about 68 billion won, or about $50 million. Before the transaction, Hybe held a 12.45% stake in SM.

Persons: Hybe Organizations: SM Entertainment, Chosun Ilbo, South Korean, SM, CNBC Locations: Korean

☆ These are Goldman Sachs' favorite stocks with 50% or more upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

'Conviction list' stocks with big upside Investors still looking for quality names with more upside may want to consider names in Goldman's conviction lists — directors' cut. CNBC Pro scoured Goldman's May conviction lists for stocks with further upside of 50% or more, based on the bank's price targets. Goldman gave it a price target of $35, implying 107% upside. Goldman gave it a price target of 37 euros ($40), implying 64% upside. The bank gave the stock a price target of 380,000 Korean won ($277), or potential upside of 94%.

Persons: Stocks, Goldman Sachs, Peter Oppenheimer, Goldman, Neste, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Dow Jones, U.S . Federal, Fed, CNBC, Europe's, Energy, Korean Locations: 1Q24, United States, Europe, Asia, Korean

☆ At the Home of BTS, Turmoil Over a Rising K-Pop Star
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Jin Yu Young | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The video had none of the hallmarks of K-pop. But it included screenshots of chats between two power players in the industry and instantly became the talk of the K-pop world. It was the live broadcast of a two-hour emotional tell-all delivered last month by Min Hee-Jin, the producer of NewJeans, arguably today’s hottest K-pop act. She had called a news conference to dispute accusations of corporate malfeasance by her employer, Hybe, the K-pop colossus behind BTS. And it has cast a cloud over Hybe’s relationship with a rising star, NewJeans, while its biggest act, BTS, is on hiatus.

Persons: Min Hee, Jin, NewJeans, —

☆ South Korea's largest K-pop agency Hybe accuses sublabel executives of breach of trust
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

South Korea's largest entertainment agency Hybe is set to file an official police complaint against executives of its sublabel ADOR on charges of breach of trust and other offenses. The move comes after Hybe, which manages K-pop sensation BTS, opened an audit into ADOR on April 22 over allegations that CEO Min Hee-jin was aiming to take the sublabel independent. Min denied the allegations and accused Hybe of copying the concept of ADOR's girl group, NewJeans, for another girl group under a different Hybe subsidiary. Reports from South Korean media show a screenshot provided by Hybe of a message between Min and ADOR's vice CEO. In the message, the vice CEO outlined various methods to take the label independent, including approaching other investors and convincing Hybe to sell its stake in the sublabel.

Persons: Min Hee, Min, Hybe, auditee Organizations: CNBC, South Locations: ADOR

☆ K-pop stocks have sold off this year, but Goldman sees a turnaround
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Goldman Sachs, however, expressed optimism for the industry in a March 14 report, saying the K-pop sector is "misunderstood." Nonetheless, Goldman Sachs said it sees a "high potential for valuation re-rating," as companies still continue to deliver multi-year earnings growth. Goldman pointed out that Japan's top talent agency Johnny & Associates has been mired in a major scandal, leading to the industry turning more favorable to K-pop artists. In 2023, Kouhaku Uta Gassen, the largest music show in Japan, invited five K-pop artists and two localized groups produced by K-pop companies. It was the first time the show has featured male K-pop artists since 2011 and the largest number of K-pop groups ever featured in its line up.

Persons: Danielle, Hyein, NewJeans, Gary Miller, Goldman Sachs, Karina, Goldman, Kouhaku Uta Gassen Organizations: Park, Filmmagic, JYP, YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment, Hybe, SM, Johnny, Associates Locations: CHICAGO , ILLINOIS, Chicago , Illinois, Japan, U.S

☆ K-Pop's Hybe, behind BTS, acquires Latin music label
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

K-pop boy band BTS' goods are seen on display at a cafe in Seoul, South Korea, June 15, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - South Korea's largest music label Hybe Co, behind K-Pop supergroup BTS, said on Monday it acquired the music label of Spanish-language media company Exile Content in its first major foray into the Latin music market. Hybe is looking to tap into the rapid growth of the estimated $1.3 billion Latin music market, as it reported a year-on-year growth of 26.4% in 2022 compared to a 9% growth in the global music market according to its statement. K-Pop's biggest global success, BTS, is on temporary break as a group while its members serve out mandatory military service in South Korea. Despite BTS' absence, analysts said K-Pop artists' overall sales volume increased in 2023 compared to the previous year as more bands gained a broader international following.

Persons: Kim Hong, Hybe, Joyce Lee, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, America, BTS, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL

☆ Scooter Braun's right-hand man wanted to make Camila Sterling a star. After she died in his hotel room, he wanted the world to forget.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Anna Silman | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +33 min

He also created an LLC under his initials in 2021, seemingly for the sole purpose of releasing Sterling's music. But since Sterling's death, Bolno has worked to distance himself from the tragedy and buff his reputation online. On June 29, 2023, three months after Sterling's death, Ozuna and Andino signed to SB Projects, Scooter Braun's management company. Since Sterling's death, Bolno has appeared to try to distance himself from the tragedy. However, in September, a message from Centeno's email address sent on behalf of Sterling's mother asked Insider to stop reporting on Sterling's death.

Persons: Camila Sterling, David Bolno, Scooter Braun's, Drake, Post, Bolno, Sterling, — who's, Daily Mail —, —, Laura Camila Lozano Sterling, Selena Gomez, Enmanuel Hernández Rodriguez, Rodriguez, it's, Scooter Braun, Taylor Swift, Camila Sterling's, Shaun White, schmoozing, sunning, David Geffen's, he's, Will.i.am, Justin Bieber, hadn't, bigwig, He's, Mariah Carey, Braun, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Scooter, who's, Scooter hasn't, Peter Comisar, Comisar, Michael Tran, Bieber, he'd, David Grutman, LIV, Grutman, she'd, I'm, David, Usher, Sterling's, John Parra, I'd, Nordhia Centeno, Laura Castellanos Torres, Edgar Andino, Andino, Sterling wasn't, Gabby, there's, Sterling texted, Escalade, Cartier Juste, Bruce Lehr, tusi, Fabio Cabrera, Ernesto Rodriguez, Evan Siegfried, Mickey Segal, NKSFB, Nubia Esperanza Sterling Artunduaga, Camila, Rocio Cruz Maldonado, Centeno, Marcie Stefan Organizations: Miami Beach, Daily Mail, Miami Beach Police Department, Puerto, Sterling, Trump, Intracoastal Yacht, Space, Miami Dade College, Puerto Rican, Pump, Miami, DTB Records, Spotify, Records, Temple Law School, Ithaca Holdings, luxe Paramount Miami, Studios, Bay Eight Recording Studios, YouTube, Zero, SB Projects, Paramount Miami Worldcenter, Representatives, Police, Unreal Mobile, Red Pocket, European Business, University of Locations: Post Malone, Miami, Sterling, Latin America, Colombia, Bogotá, American, Puerto Rican, Sunny, Moscow, Sunny Isles, Givenchy, Cuba, Los Angeles, Delaware, Puerto Rico, New York City, Medellín, Ithaca, Korean, Brentwood, North Miami, French Montana, Bolno's, Miami Beach, Jerusalem, Nubia

Built using AI technology, Eternity is one of the latest South Korean acts pushing the boundary between real and virtual entertainment. And she’s a natural-born actress.”Video Ad Feedback Are AI-powered virtual bands the future of K-pop? Using deepfake and motion capture technology, Pulse9 then produced the band’s first music video (to accompany the ironically titled track “I’m Real”) in 2021. Metaverse EntertainmentMetaverse Entertainment used AI technology to generate faces, merging the features and hairstyles deemed most desirable into four final characters. The music video for MAVE’s first single, “Pandora,” has already racked up 25 million views on YouTube since its release in January.

Persons: “, ”, Ji, Zae, Pulse9, Lil Miquela, “ I’m, Lee Soo, Netmarble, Metaverse, Kang Sung, MAVE’s, Pandora, Kang, Siri, ” Kang, ” Eternity's, — they’re Organizations: CNN, Pulse9, YouTube, South, SM Entertainment, Metaverse Entertainment, SM, Kakao Entertainment, Entertainment, Wall Street, Park Locations: “, South Korean, ”, Indonesian

☆ 'I believe in the sector': Investing in K-pop? Bernstein analyst is a fan of this stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

His pick is K-pop agency Hybe, which he's given an outperform rating and a target price of 350,000 South Korean won ($258) — or around 44% upside from Tuesday's close. Hybe's roster of artists includes BTS — one of the biggest South Korean boy bands. "I believe in the sector for the long-term growth and the macro trend," Suh told CNBC's " Street Signs " on Monday. Suh highlighted that Netflix announced in April that it would invest $2.5 billion in South Korean media over the next four years. So this is the reason why the global leading enterprise entertainment players companies try to diversify their IP portfolio to run their business more sustainably."

Persons: Bokyung Suh, Bernstein, Suh, CNBC's, Ted Sarandos, Sarandos, Hybe Organizations: South Korean, Kosdaq, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, Disney, Netflix, Spotify, Hybe, BTS, Pledis Entertainment Locations: South Korea, Korean

☆ Troubled World Scout Jamboree bows out with K-pop in Seoul
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A couple takes a selfie with the camping site for the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Buan, South Korea, August 4, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File PhotoSEOUL, Aug 11 (Reuters) - South Korea hosted a K-pop concert on Friday for thousands of teenage scouts, seeking to salvage national prestige as an ill-fated World Scout Jamboree hit by extreme weather and criticised for poor organisation draws to an end. Around 40,000 people gathered for the concert headlined by NewJeans and IVE at Seoul's World Cup stadium. K-pop agency HYBE and tech group Kakao said they were providing free merchandise for scouts attending Friday's concert. "It is the first time in over 100 years history of World Scout Jamborees to face such compounded challenges," Ahmad Alhendawi, Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Persons: Kim Hong, NewJeans, Han Duck, Han, Kakao, Ahmad Alhendawi, 1,325.0700, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Democratic Party of, World Organization of, Scout Movement, Thomson Locations: Buan, South Korea, SEOUL, Saemangeum, South Korea's, Singapore, Seoul, North Jeolla Province, Democratic Party of Korea

☆ K-pop's biggest music label HYBE looks to lift language barrier with AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The technology enabled HYBE (352820.KS), South Korea's largest music label, to release a track by singer MIDNATT in six languages – Korean, English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese in May. Native speakers read out the lyrics, and later the two were seamlessly combined with the help of HYBE's in-house AI music technology, Chung said. 'IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE'MIDNATT said using AI had allowed him a "wider spectrum of artistic expressions." While the technology is not new, it is an innovative way to use AI in music, said Valerio Velardo, director of The Sound of AI, a Spain-based consulting service for AI music and audio. Not only professional musicians but also a wider population will benefit from AI music technology in the long term, Velardo said.

Persons: MIDNATT, Chung Wooyong, Lee Hyun, Chung, Kim Hong, Supertone, Choi Hee, HYBE, Valerio Velardo, Velardo, Choi Jin, Hyunsu Yim, Daewoung Kim, Hyun Young Yi, Josh Smith, Jamie Freed Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Neural, Supertone, The, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Seoul, Korean, HYBE, South, South Korea, Spain

☆ Podcast: Trump’s target letter, US soldier in North Korea and an AI BTS?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Listen on the Read the episodeFormer President Donald Trump says he received a letter saying that he is a target of a grand jury investigation into efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat. As a US soldier flees to North Korea, our reporters describe what it’s like in the demilitarized zone (DMZ). Plus, South Korea’s largest music label HYBE, which manages hit boy band BTS, releases a new multilingual song generated by AI. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. Further ReadingUS soldier flees into North Korea in new crisis over the nuclear-armed stateTrump says he is a target in US 2020 election probeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: Thomson, Reading Locations: US, North Korea

☆ Starbucks teams up with Blackpink, betting on the power of K-pop
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Starbucks is teaming up with Blackpink, one of the world’s hottest musical acts. The centerpiece of the lineup is the Blackpink Strawberry Choco Cream Frappuccino, a drink that is an aptly hued blend of black and pink. Like other major global brands, Starbucks is leaning into the frenzy around K-pop, hoping that it will translate to a boost in sales. The company has partnered with Blackpink before, launching a collection of merchandise in Thailand two years ago. In 2022, the group was named Time magazine’s Entertainer of the Year, becoming just the second K-pop group to receive the title.

Persons: ”, Blackpink, Emma McIntyre, Kan, they’ve, —, Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, Rosé —, Dior, Bang, Hyuk, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Starbucks, Coachella, Blackpink, South, Netflix, BTS, Disney, CNN, HYBE Locations: Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, Indio , California, Asia, Thailand, South Korean

☆ K-Pop supergroup BTS' Jung Kook releases solo single
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 14 (Reuters) - Jung Kook, a member of K-Pop supergroup BTS, officially launched on Friday his solo career with the release of single "Seven", a track also featuring American rapper Latto. BTS is on temporary break as a group with two of its seven members currently doing mandatory military service in South Korea, but other members are continuing to carry out solo projects and concerts. The video for "Seven" - described by his music label as an invigorating summer song - was also revealed on Friday and includes an appearance by South Korean actress Han So-hee. His label BigHit is part of South Korean entertainment company HYBE and also manages BTS. Ahead of his official solo debut, Jung Kook previously released two free singles.

Persons: Jung Kook, Han, Joyce Lee, Ed Davies, Michael Perry Organizations: BTS, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, U.S, Korean, South Korean, New

☆ Shares in K-Pop agencies fall after report of antitrust probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 5 (Reuters) - Shares in K-Pop management agencies fell on Wednesday, after South Korea's antitrust watchdog began investigations into any potential infractions of subcontracting rules when outsourcing production of albums and merchandise, Yonhap reported. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) sent investigators to the offices of HYBE (352820.KS), SM Entertainment (041510.KQ) and YG Entertainment (122870.KQ) on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency reported citing unnamed industry sources. HYBE, SM and YG did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Shares in HYBE, the management agency of K-Pop sensation BTS, fell 2.1% in early morning trade, versus a flat wider market (.KS11). SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment shares also fell 1.5% and 0.4%, respectively, as of 0015 GMT, although YG later reversed losses.

Persons: Yonhap, 1,300.0000, Joyce Lee, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Korea Fair Trade Commission, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, SM, YG, Investment, Securities, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, HYBE

Search resuls for: "HYBE"

25 mentions found