[Oh!Ssen Focus] YG Entertainment is Big Enough to Build its Own Entertainment Empire with its Musicians, TV Show Producers and Actors
[OSEN=김은애 기자] Now well into its 21st year, YG Entertainment is no longer a music agency. It is exerting great influence across all areas of the entertainment industry and has become enormous in size too.
YG started out as a management company for hiphop artists. Now, it has become the No.1 entertainment agency in Korea and even gained global recognition. All the global top singers, actors/actresses, models, TV celebrities, and star TV show producers are with YG.
YG’s systematic and future-oriented management system and its in-depth knowledge on what artists need and want has made it into an agency that many celebrities want to join. YG head YANG HYUN SUK is a well-trusted figure in the entertainment industry, and people know that there is something different about YG artists. This has made it possible for YG to build its own entertainment empire.
#Big enough to create a TV station
Former Mnet producer HAN DONG CHUL, who is deemed to have the hand of Midas when it comes to creating music variety shows, has big plans at YG. For the past 20 years, he developed and produced countless numbers of hit TV programs such as Produce 101 and Show Me The Money. If it were not for him, Mnet would not have been popular as it is now.
When HAN DONG CHUL signed a contract with YG, this created quite a sensation as it means that the top two players joined hands. PARK JUN SOO of God of Music, YOO SUNG MO of tvN’s SNL Korea Season 4, and LEE SANG YUN and CHOI HYO JIN of Show Me The Money already joined YG, enabling HAN DONG CHUL to work together with his old teammates within YG.
YG also recruited CHO SEO YOON of MBC’s We Married, JAE YOUNG JAE of Infinite Challenge, and KIM MIN JONG of Real Guy and is now equipped with not only music show creators but also producers of many other types of TV shows.
People say that YG has enough TV show producers to create its own TV station. Expectations are running high for the new TV shows that YG producers will be making.
# Only hit TV show producers? No. Also TV stars and models.
Top TV celebrities have also decided to join YG. AHN YOUNG MI and YOO BYUNG JAE joined YG a while ago, and most recently, OH SANG JIN became a member of YG family.
YG has added wings to these all-round TV celebrities who can do emceeing, acting, and screenwriting. It will be interesting to watch how far they could go with YG backing them up.
NAM JU HYUK, BAE JUNG NAM, and KWON HYUN BIN, who is currently on Produce 101 Season 2, are with YGKPLUS. YGKPLUS is YG’s branch agency for top models such as HYE PARK and FHIFAN.
YGKPLUS models show strong presence in the modeling industry and are models for renowned global brands and world-class shows. Just like NAM JU HYUK, BAE JUNG NAM, and KWON HYUN BIN, YGKPLUS models are doing well in other areas of the entertainment business such as acting and music. LEE SUNG KYUNG was once an YGKPLUS model before she joined YG Entertainment.
#It’s impossible to imagine YG without music
YG Entertainment got to where it is now thank to its musicians. YANG HYUN SUK established YG Entertainment right after Seotaiji and Boyz retired from the stage. His first work was JINUSEAN, and YG Entertainment took baby steps from there.
JINUSEAN debuted in 1997 and produced a number of hit songs such as “TELL ME” and “PHONE NUMBER”. JINUSEAN members are still active as singers and executives working hard to nurture junior singers. TEDDY, who used to be a member of 1TYM, has now become the most representative producer of YG Entertainment.
BIGBANG is the symbol of YG Entertainment. The group had a host of hit songs including “LIES” and “BAE BAE”. Although ten years have passed since BIGBANG’s debut, the group is still very much loved in and out of the country.
2NE1 gained global recognition as a unique girl group. However, it was disbanded last year. In the meanwhile, its leader CL has grown into a musician much sought after in the overseas market.
WINNER and iKON are also becoming very popular in the global market. LEE HI and AKMU, both of whom were recruited by YANG HYUN SUK from SBS’s K Pop Star, are also growing into big stars. BLACKPINK is the youngest YG group, but it has become one of the top girl groups of Korea.
World star PSY, SECHSKIES and EPIK HIGH are also serving as a firm buttress of YG Entertainment.PSY signed onto YG Entertainment in 2010, and afterwards, his “GANGNAM STYLE” became a world-wide hit and made him into a global superstar.
SECHSKIES released a new album after reuniting and joining YG last year, and now, the group is experiencing its second golden days. EPIK HIGH performs at various world festivals, proving that it is still the best hiphop group.
#Top actors/actresses like YG
It’s been a while since top actors and actresses have been flocking to YG Entertainment. In the beginning, only a few actors/actresses including KOO HYE SUN and SEAN’s wife JUNG HYE YOUNG were signed onto YG Entertainment. Before long, many top stars decided to join YG, making YG a powerhouse in the acting industry.
KOO HYE SUN has been with YG Entertainment for a long time. She not only acts but also directs movies. Recently, she has appeared in tvN’s Honeymoon Diary with her husband Ahn Jae Hyun and gained great popularity. YOO IN NA also became much popular after starring in tvN’s Goblin.
From CHA SEUNG WON to KIM HEE AE, CHOI JI WOO, LEE JONG SUK, GO JUN HEE, JANG HYUN SUNG, and IM YE JIN, all YG actors/actresses chose to join YG Entertainment at the height of their careers. NAM JOO HYUK, LEE SUNG KYUNG, BAE JUNG NAM have also moved from YGKPLUS to YG Entertainment to pursue a career in acting.
KIM HEE AE in particular chose YG Entertainment as her first agency, and CHA SEUNG WON renewed his contract and expressed his deep trust in the company. Major actors/actresses deciding to become a member of YG family shows that YG Entertainment has a great potential to become really big.
2017. 5. 15.
