YG Entertainment (Korean: YG 엔터테인먼트) is a South Koreanmultinational entertainment agency established in 1996 byYang Hyun-suk.[6] The company operates as arecord label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. In addition, the company operates a number of subsidiary ventures under a separate public traded company,YG Plus, which includes a clothing line, a golf management agency, and a cosmetics brand.[7] However, despite various business expansions, most of the ventures were discontinued due to a lack of profitability.[8]
In March 1996,Yang Hyun-suk, a former member of the first-generation K-pop groupSeo Taiji and Boys, founded YG Entertainment under the name Hyun Planning (Korean: 현기획).[9] The company's first act was the hip-hop trio Keep Six. The group did not attract much popularity, and their failure sent Yang into debts of 400 millionwon.[10] After Keep Six, the company changed its named to MF Planning, and launched the groupsJinusean and1TYM.[11][12] Yang credits the success of both acts for bringing YG and the hip hop genre into mainstream Korean music.[6] In 1998, YG changed its name once again to Yang Goon Planning, after Yang Hyun-suk's nickname Yang Goon (양군).[12]
In 1999, YG's artists released a collaborative album under the name YG Family. The label followed with releases from artists such as Perry,Masta Wu, Swi.T,Big Mama,Lexy,Gummy andWheesung. It also established the "YG Underground" label, which housed 45RPM andStony Skunk. In 2001, YG changed to its current name, YG Entertainment, which was named from the initials of Yang Goon,[13] and a second YG Family album was released. Among others, the album featured a 13-year-oldG-Dragon, who was then a trainee.[14]
Logo used from 2004 to 2013
The agency found success in both Korea and Japan with its first "idol" singerSeven in 2003,[15] who became the company's first artist to attempt to cross over into the US music scene, though his US debut failed to gain momentum.[16]
Big Bang debuted in 2006 and was responsible for more than half of YG's albums sold in Korea from 2014 to 2017.[17]
Following Se7en's success, YG formed its firstidol groupBig Bang in 2006. Despite an initial lukewarm reception, the group's breakthrough the following year and their consistent popularity have made them one of the biggest and most bankable boy bands in the world.[18] This was followed by YG's first successful girl group2NE1 in 2009,[19] who, prior to their split in 2016, were considered one of the most successful and popular girl groups in South Korea.[20][21] Similarly to Seven, both groups conducted successful careers in Japan.[22][23][24]
2NE1 debuted in 2009 as the first major girl group under YG and became the first group to achieve nine number-one songs on the Gaon Digital Chart.
In 2010, YG made a highly publicized move into a new building, while the old headquarters became a training facility.[25][26] In the same year, the company unsuccessfully applied for listing on the stock exchange; it was suspected that this was because the company had too few active music groups and an unstable cash flow, despite an increase in earnings in 2009.[27] Later that year, the label signed established artistPsy.[28][unreliable source?]
2012–2016: International recognition and business expansion
Winner successfully debuted in 2014 and became the fastest K-Pop group to win #1 at music shows. They grabbed their first music show win just six days into their debut.iKon debuted in 2015. Their 2018 single, "Love Scenario", broke several records at the time; including the longest run as the top-charting song, the most hours of 'perfect all-kills,' and the first song to be certified Platinum by theKCMA.
2012 brought YG international recognition when Psy's "Gangnam Style" gained worldwide popularity as aviral video. On August 21, it charted at number one on the iTunes Music Video Charts. This feat was a first for a South Korean artist.[29] By November 24, "Gangnam Style" had become the most viewed video inYouTube history, and the first video to surpass a billion views.[30][31] The song was credited as the main reason for YG's share prices increasing by more than 60 per cent,[32] with the record label subsequently filing its first annual report in 2012 with profits of over 50%[33] after going public on theKOSDAQ the year before.[7]
Yang's increased involvement on competitive reality television series led to several record deals with contestants, starting withK-pop Star's first season runner-upLee Hi.[36] Other participants on the show were signed as potential members of the label's future boy groups. On the second season of the show, both the winners, sibling duoAkdong Musician as well as runner-upBang Ye-dam, signed under the agency.[37][unreliable source?][38] The reality programWin: Who is Next was later launched by YG, in which two teams of male trainees competed against each other for the chance to sign a contract with the label to debut as the company's next boy band. The conclusion of the reality series saw the formation ofWinner.[39]
Alternative logo since 2013
In 2014, YG acquired T Entertainment's staff and actors includingCha Seung-won,Im Ye-jin, andJang Hyun-sung.[40] Through the acquisition of modelling agencyKPlus, it expanded its acting division through the acting debuts of modelsLee Sung-kyung andNam Joo-hyuk.[41][unreliable source?] YG also signed a contract with actressChoi Ji-woo.[42][43][44][45] French luxury giantLVMH's private equity arm, L Capital Asia, later announced that it would be investing up to US$80 million in YG. Headquartered inSingapore, L Capital Asia would become the second-largest investor in YG with an 11.5% stake, second only to Yang Hyun-suk's 28%.[46] In 2014 YG expanded into the beauty industry with the creation of its cosmetics brand Moonshot.[47][unreliable source?][48]
In 2015, YG invested nearly US$100 million in a newGyeonggi Province-based industrial complex which was slated to be complete by December 2018.[49][unreliable source?] Real estate in Seoul worth₩16 billion (US$14 million) was also purchased for the purpose of expanding their headquarters.[50] In that year, the company also saw the creation of two sub-labels, the first led by Tablo[51] and the second headed by YG producersTeddy Park of 1TYM and Kush of Stony Skunk.[52] The members of the losing team from the reality seriesWIN: Who is Next regrouped and debuted asiKon, along with a new member.[53][unreliable source?]
When Gong Minji, the youngest member of 2NE1 announced that she had left the group in April 2016, YG Entertainment stated that the group would continue as a trio.[54][55] In November 2016, YG announced that CL and Dara had renewed their contracts as solo artists, indicating Park Bom's departure from the agency and the disbandment of 2NE1.[56][57] On January 21, 2017, 2NE1 appeared as a trio and released "Goodbye" as a farewell song that CL wrote when she heard the news of Minji's departure.[58]
Sixteen years after the group's disbandment, first-generation K-pop boy bandSechs Kies signed a contract with YG in May 2016 to relaunch their career.[59][60][61] In the same month, Chinese technology enterprisesTencent and Weiying Technology announced an investment ofUS$85 million in YG. Weiying took an 8.2% stake in the company and Tencent a 4.5% stake.[62] YG later addedLee Jong-suk,[63]Kang Dong-won,[64] andKim Hee-jung[65] to their list of actors. YG debuted their second girl groupBlackpink in 2016, their first since2NE1,[66] followed by the solo rapperOne the following year.[67]
2017–2019: Scandals, controversies, and artists' departure
At the end of 2017, YG with JTBC launched a talent survival show entitledMix Nine, a contest between trainees from different agencies.[68][69] Although the winning team was scheduled to debut as idols,[70] YG revealed that the debut for the male winning group had been cancelled.[71][72] The failure of the show led to incurred losses of ₩7 billion won in the first quarter and ₩4 billion won in the last three months of 2017,[17][73] causingJYP Entertainment to surpass YG as the second-highest valued K-pop company.[74]
Blackpink debuted in 2016 and became the first female K-pop group to have four number-one singles onBillboard's World Digital Song Sales chart.[75][76]
In May 2018, Psy left the company after eight years.[77] Epik High member Tablo announced that his hip-hop group had terminated its contract with YG after six years of working together in October 2018.[78] At the same time, HIGHGRND and it artist have been released from YG and Epik High. In November 2018, YG announced YG Treasure Box, a talent survival show to determine the line-up for their next boy group scheduled to debut in 2019.[79] YG later announced that this event would produce two groups, Treasure and Magnum, both of whom would be active as Treasure 13.[80]
In 2019, theBurning Sun scandal involvingBig BangSeungri heated up, which resulted in Seungri's decision to retire from the entertainment industry on March 11, 2019.[81] Seungri was then sentenced to 3 years in prison in August 2021, which was reduced to 18 months in January 2022.[82] Comedian Yoo Byung-jae decided to leave YG before his contract ended, after this scandal further dragged the name of the agency.[83] In early June 2019, B.I, the leader of iKon, was reported to have attempted to purchase LSD and marijuana illegally in 2016; he announced his apology to fans and declared his departure from iKon and YG Entertainment. Yang was also reported to have colluded with the police to cover up the B.I case.[84]
Yang is also accused of money laundering, illegal gambling, and preparing sexual services for potential investors.[85][86] Due to this series of scandals and controversies, Yang Hyun Suk resigned from all his positions at the agency. Likewise, his younger brother, Yang Min Suk, relinquished his position as CEO of YG Entertainment as a form of accountability. This resignation was officially announced on June 14, 2019.[87][88][89] CFO Hwang Bo-kyung was appointed as the new CEO of YG on June 20, 2019.[90]
In July 2019, rapperOne announced that he had parted ways with YG and founded his own sole agency.[91] Following 2NE1's disbandment in 2016,CL announced that she would not be renewing her contract with YG Entertainment in November 2019.[92] At the end of December 2019, solo singerLee Hi announced that YG was no longer her agency, not long after that she released a new album withAOMG.[93][94]
In 2020, YG announced plans forTreasure's debut which had been delayed since 2019,Blackpink'sfirst full album andBig Bang's comeback which was eventually delayed until 2022. They were expected to appear at the 2020Coachella festival, until it was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[95] During the first half of 2020, YG's financial growth slowly rebounded after the slump. This was assisted by the direction of its business strategy which was primarily international fan oriented.[96] Domestic public sentiment still had not shown a positive influence, but 70% of YG Entertainment's revenue came from overseas fans, most of which came fromiKon's first activities after B.I's departure andG-Dragon's activities in China at the time.[97]
During the second half of 2020, YG displayed a positive financial trend due to Treasure's debut album series, Blackpink's full album,Winner'sMino,Yoon's solo activities andAKMU'sSuhyun's solo activities. Although not in line with the expected target, this value is thought to be due to COVID-19, which caused some concerts to be cancelled.[98] The construction of the new YG Entertainment building was declared complete in September 2020, this building was chosen as the most luxurious and most expensive entertainment agency building in South Korea.[99][100]
In January 2021, it was reported thatBig Hit Entertainment and its tech division beNX had invested a total of 70 billion won (US$63 million) in YG Entertainment's subsidiary YG Plus, or 17.9% of the company's total shares. This investment was made as a form of strategic collaboration between Big Hit Entertainment, beNX, YG Entertainment, andYG Plus, which will work together in various business areas such as platform, distribution, content, and merchandise. YG Plus is the main distributor ofHybe Corporation's products and beNX (now known asWeverse Company) provides content and a platform for YG artists.[101][102]
On May 4, 2021, TheKorea Exchange announced that YG was demoted in status fromblue-chip companies to regular mid-sized businesses. The blue-chip status had been acquired in April 2013. The company recorded a net loss of 1.8 billion won and a return on equity of -0.5%. Its main business, music production and management, has experienced operational losses over the past two years.[103]
In 2022, YG Entertainment announced thatTreasure will be coming back with their new album,[104] the album will be released in February 2022.[105] AfterJinwoo andSeunghoon finished their mandatory military service in January 2022, Winner gathered with a full lineup and announced that they would soon return with a new album and a full lineup afterSeungyoon andMino actively released solo albums during the group's break,[106] YG Entertainment announced that Seungyoon will be releasing a single album in March 2022.[107] Treasure and Winner will be holding concerts in April 2022, separately.[108][109]
In February 2022, YG Entertainment announced thatBig Bang would be releasing their first comeback after a hiatus which lasted for five years. In addition, they also announced thatT.O.P terminated his contract with YG.[110] On July 1, 2022, Yang Min-suk, brother of YG Entertainment founder,Yang Hyun-suk, returned to the agency after 3 years as co-CEO, joining with the current CEO, Hwang Bo-kyung.[111]
On December 26, 2022, it was announced that both Taeyang and Daesung would be leaving YG Entertainment after 16 years. Taeyang joined The Black Label whereas Daesung is looking for a new start under a new agency, and both reassured that they will remain BigBang members. On December 30, 2022, YG announced that all remaining members ofiKon had decided not to renew their contracts after 7 years in the industry. The debut of YG's new girl group in seven years,Babymonster, was also teased,[112] before their debut date was announced to be on November 27, 2023.[113]
On July 22, 2024,2NE1 re-signed with YG and would celebrate their 15th anniversary world tour starting in October 2024.[114] In October 2024, 2NE1 officially kicked off their much-anticipated 15th anniversary reunion tour, titled "Welcome Back", starting with a concert in Seoul at the Olympic Hall.[115]
In January 2025, YG announced that it would no longer manage actors, which is calledYG Stage, in order to focus on their artists.[116]
In March 2010, seven record labels in Korea (including the three biggest agencies: YG,SM Entertainment,JYP Entertainment,Star Empire Entertainment, Medialine, CAN Entertainment, and Music Factory) jointly establishedKMP Holdings, a service platform aiming to provide digital music distribution and television program productions.[117] It was speculated that this was in challenge to theduopoly on music distribution in Korea byMnet Media andLOEN Entertainment.[citation needed] In November 2012, KMP Holdings was acquired byKT Music.[118] In January 2014, the seven agencies behind KMP Holdings formed a collective bond partnership and purchased 13.48% ofKT Music's stocks, leaving parent companyKT Corporation with 49.99%.[119]
YGEX was established on April 12, 2011, as a partnership betweenAvex and YG for the promotion and release of all YG's material in Japan.[120] Prior to this, YG's Japanese releases had been in partnership with Nexstar Records, aNippon Columbia label that managed Japanese releases forSeven,[121] andUniversal Music Japan (which signed a three-year exclusive contract in 2008 forBig Bang's Japanese releases).[122]
YGMM was established in May 2021 as a form of collaboration withGMM Grammy, Thailand's largest entertainment company with a capital of 200 billion baht (US$5 billion), the company will focus on entertainment and consulting businesses for concerts, theater and acting. GMM Grammy is one of the longest-serving mainstream entertainment companies in Thailand having a number of music labels along with TV and film productions. GMM Grammy is set to hold a 51% stake in the company, while the other 49% belongs to YG Entertainment.[123][124]
YG"MM is a fully integrated artist development company with the goal of making Thailand one of the most comprehensive development bases for artists. From the audition, training, creation, and promotion to becoming a world-class professional artist, as well as organizing concerts, stage plays, and various performances in the future.[125]
On September 27, 2021, YG"MM opened the audition for idol artists for the first time.[126] In 2022, the company has unveiled their first big project,YG"MM Boy Audition 2022.
In April 2011, United Asia Management was formed as a joint talent management agency between YG, SM, JYP, KeyEast, AMENT, and Star J Entertainment.[127]
YG first collaborated with Californian concert promotion companyLive Nation to produce BigBang'sAlive Galaxy Tour (2012). Live Nation subsequently directed 2NE1'sNew Evolution World Tour (2012) and G-Dragon'sOne of a Kind World Tour (2013). General Manager of Live Nation Asia, Mats Brandt, said in an interview that the company considered BigBang to have the most potential to become a "global artist".[128][unreliable source?]
Asiana Airlines signed a deal with YG in January 2013, providing transportation for its personnel to and from domestic and international destinations in return for advertising.[129][unreliable source?]
YG Plus Inc., previously named Phoenix Holdings Inc., is a publicly traded media and advertising company acquired by YG Entertainment in November 2014. In 2019, the company entered the music distribution industry and also engages in production, distribution, and licensing of merchandise related to music artists. In January 2021,Hybe Corporation and its technology subsidiary, Weverse Company, acquired 17.9% of the company in a merchandising and distribution deal that would see YG Entertainment's artists joinWeverse in return.[130][131]
Following the successful formation of HIGHGRND, on September 22, 2015, YG Entertainment announced the creation of another independent sub-label, to be headed by YG producersTeddy and Kush.[132] On November 16, 2020, as per the quarterly stock report of YG Entertainment, the label was converted to anassociate company status.[133] In April 2023,The Black Label formed a joint venture with Thailand's largest conglomerateCharoen Pokphand Group called The Black Sea to expand its label into theSoutheast Asian region.[134] The label currently houses artists:Meovv,AllDay Project,Jeon Somi,Taeyang,Rosé and Vince.
Highgrnd (read as "high ground") was an independent sub-label headed byEpik High'sTablo.[135] Announced in March 2015, the label was set up by Yang Hyun-suk under the YG Entertainment umbrella as part of a long-term goal to reach out to the Korean indie and alternative scene. On June 21, 2015, Tablo introduced the bandHyukoh via Instagram as the label's first official artist.[136]
The company had fostered artists Millic, offonoff,Punchnello,Code Kunst, Way Ched,The Black Skirts, Idiotape, and Incredivle.However, on April 11, 2018, an article was released that Highgrnd was no longer active due to Tablo's resignation as CEO the previous year.[137] As of the release of this article, the artists in the label soon revealed that they had signed in with other labels and had other companies to distribute their new releases that year. Epik High eventually left YG Entertainment in October as all three members declined to renew their contracts.[138]
In June 2019,YG Plus took over the social media accounts of Highgrnd and relaunched them under the nameSEOUL MUSIC.
On September 1, 2016, representatives of YG announced thatPsy would be leading an independent sub-label titled PsyG, a portmanteau of "Psy" and "YG".[139] The label was registered as a corporate subsidiary in June and marked another chapter in the collaboration between Psy and long-time friendYang Hyun-suk, as it was revealed that the YG CEO had implicitly promised the creation of a sub-label when Psy had signed on to the company in 2010 amidst personal difficulties, having been encouraged by his wife to work with the YG founder.[140] As Psy left the company in mid-2018, PsyG has ended its operations and closed its doors.
Yang Hyun-suk announced, in May 2018, that a subsidiary company called YGX Entertainment would merge with Seungri's DJ label NHR. On June 4, on his official Instagram account, he posted a picture of a business card showing Seungri as the CEO of YGX. In 2018, the label launched a dance and vocal academy, called X ACADEMY, where students could potentially be scouted by YG as trainees.[141]
In 2020, the label was converted to a full-fledged dance group and academy with all of its actors, recording artists, and producers transferred to YG Entertainment.
The YGX academy announced its end of operations on 30 April 2024.
KPlus(formerly YG K+) is a partnership between YG andChorokbaem Media as a Korean model management company. As of 2014, KPlus model agency housed over 170 models, includingKang Seung-hyun, Park Hyeong-seop,Lee Sung-kyung,Nam Joo-hyuk,Jang Ki-yong,Sandara Park, and Choi Sora.[142] Since the partnership, KPlus models have appeared in YG recording artists' music videos, as well as YG-owned brands' advertisement campaigns. YG has also reportedly provided YG K+ models with roles in TV dramas, notably Nam Joo-hyuk inWho Are You: School 2015 and Lee Sung-kyung inIt's Okay, That's Love, and have formally transitioned models to their acting division.[143]
In May 2022, Chorokbaem Media acquired 50% of the company's shares.[144][145][146] On August 22, 2022, it was announced that the company would change its name from YGKPLUS to KPLUS after the acquisition, while still collaborating with YG in the future.[147]
YG pledged to donate 100 won for every album sold, 1% of all merchandise sales, and 1,000 won for every concert ticket, to charities. In 2009, they raised US$141,000, and in 2010 $160,000.[148][unreliable source?] The company has also directly delivered US$4,400 worth of charcoal to families in need during the winter season.[149] It announced that it would be donating around US$500,000 for disaster relief to Japan after the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[150]
In 2013,Yang Hyun-suk made headlines when he donated all of the dividends he received as a shareholder of YG to help young children needing surgery. His dividends totalled around US$922,000.[151][unreliable source?]
In 2015, YG donated a total of ₩100 million (US$92,450) to the Korean Committee for UNICEF in disaster relief following theearthquake in Nepal.[152]
In March 2022, YG donated ₩500 million to Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help residents affected bywildfires in Uljin, Gyeongbuk, Samcheok, and Gangwon.[153]
^While no official disbandment was announced, Jinusean's artist profile was removed in 2020, signifying the group is no longer active under the label.
^While no official disbandment was announced, 1TYM's artist profile was removed in 2014, signifying the group is no longer active under the label.
^While no official disbandment was announced, Bigbang's artist profile was removed in 2024, signifying the group is no longer active under the label.
^While no official disbandment was announced, GD & TOP's artist profile was removed in 2022, signifying the group is no longer active under the label.
^While no official disbandment was announced, GD X Taeyang's artist profile was removed in 2023, signifying the group is no longer active under the label.
^While no official disbandment was announced, Hi Suhyun's artist profile was removed in 2019, signifying the group is no longer active under the label.
^Artists: Hyukoh, Punchnello, OffonOff, Incredivle, The Black Skirts, Idiotape Producers: Way Ched, Code Kunst & Millic
^While no official disbandment was announced, MOBB's artist profile was removed in 2019, signifying the group is no longer active under the label.
^While no official disbandment was announced, Sechskies artist profile was removed in 2024, signifying the group is no longer active under the label.
^Despite all 4 members no longer being under YG, they still promote as Blackpink under the label.
^[와이지엔터테인먼트] 연결재무제표 기준 영업(잠정)실적(공정공시) [[YG Entertainment] Sales (provisional) performance based on consolidated financial statements (fair disclosure)] (in Korean). November 11, 2021. RetrievedNovember 17, 2021.
^전수미 (January 20, 2014).차승원, YG패밀리 됐다…싸이·빅뱅과 한솥밥 [Cha Seung Won becomes YG family... labelmates with Psy and Big Bang].enews24 (in Korean).Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2014.
^"YGEX オフィシャルレーベルサイト" [YGEX Official Website].YGEX (in Japanese). YG Entertainment andAvex Group. Archived fromthe original on September 23, 2011. RetrievedSeptember 4, 2011.
^Pyo, Jae-min (February 18, 2014)."YG, 모델 업계 진출..K플러스와 손잡았다" [YG enters the modeling industry... partners with 'K-Plus' model company].OSEN (in Korean). RetrievedFebruary 18, 2014.
^"YG, 2년 연속 1억원+@ 금액 기부" (in Korean). Newsen. December 28, 2010.Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. RetrievedMarch 5, 2011.
^Lee, Hye-rin (March 15, 2011)."YG, 日대지진 피해에 5억원 기부 결정" [YG Entertainment decided to donate 500 million won to earthquake victims].Naver News (in Korean). NHN Corp.Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. RetrievedMarch 17, 2011.
^Woo Bin (March 10, 2022)."YG, 경북·강원 산불 피해 복구 위해 5억 기부" [YG donated 500 million won to recover from forest fires in Gyeongbuk and Gangwon].Ten Asia (in Korean). RetrievedMarch 10, 2022 – viaNaver.
₩266.65 billion (US$233.09 million) (2021)
₩7.62 billion (US$6.66 million) (2021)
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