How Bang Si-Hyuk Is Leading (And Will Lead) K-Pop

Bang Si-Hyuk

Given his established record and auspicious new company, Bang Si-Hyuk is best positioned to take Korean pop (K-Pop) to the next level.

Bang Si-Hyuk and Big Hit Entertainment

Bang Si-Hyuk, 48, born in Seoul, South Korea, is the mastermind behind the world’s most popular boy band, and naturally the world’s biggest K-Pop group. Founding Big Hit Entertainment in 2005, former JYP producer Bang Si-Hyuk’s greatest success yet has been the debut and management of BTS. Debuting on June 13^th, 2013, BTS has become the world’s premier K-Pop act. From being the first K-Pop act to win a Billboard Music Award in 2017, to being the first K-Pop act to earn a No. 1 Album on the Billboard 200 Chart in 2018, to being the first K-Pop Act to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020 (besting Psy’s Gangnam Style which peaked at No. 2), BTS is indisputably the most internationally successful K-Pop group in history. Bang Si-Hyuk is unarguably behind that success.

Nearly bankrupt in 2007, Big Hit Entertainment, under the leadership of Bang Si-Hyuk, is today worth around $4 billion USD after its initial public offering (IPO) in South Korea, the largest in 3 years at the time of its IPO. In fact, as a result of the impressive success of Big Hit Entertainment’s IPO, Bang Si-Hyuk officially became a billionaire. The tremendous amount of capital raised by Big Hit Entertainment, around $800 million USD, has allowed it to pay off debts, acquire other music labels, and invest in other artists. Within 20 years, Big Hit Entertainment has transitioned from sharing a building with other businesses, to occupying a new building in 2017, to constructing and moving into a new 19 floor building with 7 basements. Similarly, BTS has transitioned from sharing a one bedroom apartment to living in THE HILL Suites in Hannam, an affluent area of Seoul. This physical representation of Big Hit Entertainment’s growth demonstrates Bang Si-Hyuk’s achievements. As a result, Big Hit Entertainment underwent a re-organization after its 16^th anniversary.

HYBE Corporation

HYBE Brand Presentation

Building on his established accomplishments, Bang Si-Hyuk rebranded Big Hit Entertainment as HYBE Corporation in March of 2021. HYBE Corporation is the umbrella organization for all of former Big Hit Entertainment’s subsidiaries. HYBE Corporation is made up of HYBE Headquarters, based in South Korea, and HYBE America, based in the United States. HYBE Corporation is composed of HYBE Labels, HYBE Solutions and HYBE Platforms. The Big Hit Entertainment name continues to exist as BigHit Music under HYBE Labels, along with Belift Lab, Source Music, Pledis Entertainment, KOZ Entertainment, and HYBE Labels Japan. HYBE Solutions is made up of HYBE 360, HYBE IP, HYBE Edu, Superb Corp., HYBE Solutions Japan, and HYBE T&D Japan. HYBE Solutions creates secondary content based on each of  HYBE Labels’ creative output. HYBE Platforms, tasked with connecting HYBE Corporation’s content, is made up of WeVerse Company.

As Bang Si-Hyuk said, “HYBE symbolizes connection, expansion, and relationships.” HYBE Corporation is intended to be more of a lifestyle platform instead of just a company dedicated to music production. The restructuring of former Big Hit Entertainment by Bang Si-Hyuk allows for a more streamlined approach to music creation and management, to the development of secondary content, and to the ability to enter into new ventures and industries. HYBE Corporation is better positioned than any of the other “big 3” companies that have historically led the K-Pop industry, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment, to revolutionize K-Pop in the international area and sustain success in the Western market.

New HYBE Office Building

Bang Si-Hyuk, HYBE Corporation, and K-Pop

 HYBE Corporation is now poised to revolutionize the world of K-Pop. No other Korean entertainment company is better suited to break into the Western market and expand K-Pop’s fanbase around the world than HYBE Corporation. HYBE America is a testament to HYBE Corporation’s intentions to make significant inroads into the Western market, containing the world’s most lucrative music industry, the United States. In fact, HYBE Corporation announced on April 2, 2021 that HYBE America was acquiring Ithaca Holdings for more than $1 billion USD. As a result, HYBE America would oversee some of the most popular Western acts such as Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, J Balvin, and Demi Lovato helping HYBE Corporation establish a strong presence in the Western market. The acquisition of Ithaca Holdings by HYBE Corporation represents a paradigm shift in which a company outside of the Western sphere of power is now the driving force behind the pinnacle of Western music stardom.

BTS welcomes stars like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and J Balvin to HYBE

HYBE Corporation has already announced some of its new plans. BigHit Music is expected to debut a new Japanese group and boy group within the next year. Source Music is expected to debut a new girl group later this year. Pledis Entertainment is expected to debut a new boy group next year. However, HYBE Corporation is expected to launch several other projects too such as a new global K-Pop boy group in the U.S. with Universal Music Group.

            With Chariman and CEO Bang Si-Hyuk behind HYBE Corporation, and his successful track record with Big Hit Entertainment and BTS, HYBE Corporation is poised to lead the K-Pop industry into the future both within South Korea and abroad. HYBE Corporation is uniquely positioned to transcend boarders and utilize its array of subsidiaries to ensure success across the globe. I, for one, cannot wait to see what happens.