YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun Suk reveals new photo of his pretty daughter

YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun Suk has revealed a photo of his daughter, Yoo Jin, for the first time in many months.

Yang Hyun Suk recently changed one of his SNS profile pictures to the photo above of himself and Yoo Jin. From the photo, fans were able to feel the father’s affection towards his daughter and further affirmed Yang Hyun Suk’s reputation of being crazy about his daughter and being a loving father. Fans also took notice that Yoo Jin is now old enough to walk on her own!

Yang Hyun Suk and his wife Lee Eun Joo had their first daughter in August 2010, and the couple are expecting their second child soon.

Meanwhile, Yang Hyun Suk is currently acting as a judge alongside J.Y. Park and BoA on SBS‘s ‘K-POP Star‘.

Source + Photo: Star News via Nate

YG Entertainment hosts lecture for MIT students

YG Entertainment, one of the most recognizable companies in the K-Pop world, has recently hosted a lecture for MIT students on the current K-pop boom.

On March 30th, 50 students from MIT’s Sloan Business School visited the famed YG Entertainment headquarters. This visit was part of their ‘Korea Japan Study Tour‘, and mainly focused on YG Entertainment’s unique role in the development of K-Pop in the world arena.

During the lecture, a YG Entertainment representative introduced a concept called “familism” by saying, “By allowing the artists to combine their deep musical passions with our fully integrated production system, we are able to create high level content.“ The representative also added that through various investments and experiments in music, fashion, and music videos, YG Entertainment was able to become a trend setter in the Korean market.

After the lecture, the MIT students were given a full tour of YG Entertainment’s recording studio and practice facilities. They were also given a Q&A session in which they discussed YG artists’ foreign expansion plans.

A participant of the lecture named Robbie Huang commented, “It is fantastic that YG Entertainment is able to create such a fresh and extensive catalog of songs through its own producers. This visit to YG allowed me to genuinely feel K-pop’s worldwide appeal.”

In related news, YG Entertainment is currently planning on continuing its worldwide expansion by establishing branch offices in Hong Kong and America.

Source & Image: Nate

YG Entertainment stocks down despite Big Bang & 2NE1′s success

 

On March 13th, YG Entertainment’s stock value dropped to 48,000 Won (approximately $42.63) from a stable value of around 50,000 Won.

At the time when YG Entertainment was performing well, analysts claimed that their stock price will soar up to around 80,000 Won. Breaking many people’s expectations, YG Entertainment’s stock was traded at around 109,000 Won (approximately $96.79) in January. However, there weren’t any increases after this time.

Not too long ago, YG Entertainment was the hottest blue chip in the stock market. YG Entertainment, the company of idol groups Big Bang and 2NE1, has been valued as one of the top entertainment companies along with SM Entertainment. As there were rumors about the company’s growth, the entertainment company started to become traded at a high value. However, during the past week, the stock price of YG started to drop continuously.

The main reason asserted by analysts is that Big Bang’s album activities have not been as good as before.

Big Bang has been YG Entertainment’s main pride and source of revenue. However, member Daesung was affiliated with a car accident last May and G-Dragon disappointed many fans with the marijuana incident in October. Although both members have been proven not guilty, it is true that both members brought a lot of disappointment and negative influence to the public. In addition, both members started their promotional activities in only four months without a long-enough time for repentance and self-discipline. Other Korean celebrities like MC Mong, who tried to avoid military service through teeth removal, has paused his celebrity activities for over a year. Also, actor Kim Sung Min, who also was affiliated with smoking marijuana, has paused his activities and has been repenting until now. Compared to these celebrities, G-Dragon and Daesung’s time for repentance seems to be too short.

After a severe damage to their image, Big Bang’s popularity seems to be declining as well. Even after a month has passed since their album release, Big Bang hasn’t been able to sell over 100,000 albums (currently around 60,000). However in 2011, Big Bang sold over 100,000 albums in only nine days.

Another reason for the drop in stock price seems to be YG Entertainment’s increased expenses used on the promotional activities of Big Bang. YG decided to utilize Naver’s website and TV advertisements to promote Big Bang’s album. According to some rumors, it cost around $3 billion won just to promote through Naver, one of Korea’s main portal websites.

Furthermore, another requirement for a singer to gain popularity is the relationship with broadcasting companies. However, YG Entertainment seems to have a bad relationship with Korea’s main broadcasting companies, except for SBS. For example, KBS even claimed that Big Bang and 2NE1 cannot access their company nor appear on their channel. Also, Big Bang was heavily criticized for their short time for repentance in KBS’s ‘Entertainment Relay‘. Their bad relationships with Korea’s main channels could have a bad effect on YG Entertainment’s upcoming idol groups or singers.

Currently, analysts believe that YG Entertainment stocks are overvalued due to the numerous factors hurting the company’s image. Big Bang is still only in the beginning phase of their promotional activities so many stockholders are hoping to see the entertainment company get back on track. It seems that although many fans have been supporting Big Bang’s comeback in the industry, the public is still skeptical about their short repentance and their bad influence to society as an ‘idol’ group, ultimately causing the stock prices to decline rapidly. Certainly, YG Entertainment has been going through hard times with increasing costs and efforts to rebuild their public image. One thing for certain though, is that the musicians of YG Entertainment are still top-notch and the company produces some the best K-Pop artists in the country. Hopefully soon enough, YG Entertainment will be able to gain back their lost value through the fantastic music they bring to the industry.

 

Source + Photo: Nate

Se7en shares the pros & cons of being under YG Entertainment

In addition to miss A‘s Suzy and Min, singer Se7en also shared the pros and cons of being under his label, YG Entertainment.

Se7en guest-featured on the ‘K-POP Star‘ special of SBS ‘Strong Heart‘ that aired on March 6th, along with stars like Girls’ Generation member Seohyun, miss A’s Min & Suzy, and more.

“The rehearsal and training studio facilities are set up really well,” he bragged. “YGE also has an excellent air-conditioning and heating system, and you can always eat a hot meal at the YG cafeteria.”

On the flip side, he said being with YG Entertainment also had it’s down sides. “The training period is extremely long. Sometimes you debut rather hastily, while other times you don’t debut at all.”

“In my case, it took about 4 to 5 years. It took Big Bang 7,” he added.

Hearing this, Boom revealed, “It took me about two weeks to debut,” and MC Lee Seung Gi hilariously added, “Don’t you think your CEO rushed into it a little fast?”, causing the entire set to roar in hearty laughter.

Source & Image: TVDaily via Nate

Comedian Kim Kyung Jin also wants to join YG Entertainment

It looks like Jung Hyung Don inspired a gagman rush to YG Entertainment, as fellow comedian Kim Kyung Jin has also requested to join YG.

A few days ago, Jung Hyung Don jokingly asked CEO Yang Hyun Suk if he would consider welcoming Jung to the label. Yang responded in an interview with E-Daily that “If Jung Hyung Don really meant what he said, I would like to discuss a management contract with him.”

On January 30th, Kim Kyung Jin added his own appeal to YG by tweeting the following message: ”I wish to go to YG. It’s because I’m a “gag-singer” who has released three digital singles! A gagman and singer!! CEO Yang! Please watch over the group ‘One Hundred’~”

He then attached a photo of himself posing beside a typed note that read, “I want to join YG too!” The comedian also wrote ‘YG’ on his face with toothpaste to further express his enthusiasm.

Netizens laughed as they commented, “Yang Hyun Suk! It’s a good deal! A gagman AND a singer in one!” and “Who’ll be the next gagman to knock on YG’s door, I wonder?”

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Source + Image: OSEN via Nate

Yang Hyun Suk would welcome Jung Hyung Don into YG Entertainment

On a recent recording of MBC Every1‘s ‘Weekly Idol‘, comedian Jung Hyung Don had jokingly asked if YG Entertainment recruited gagmen in hopes of joining the label.

The episode featured a segment where Jung Hyung Don called up YG Entertainment officials to tell them news of G-Dragon winning yet another poll held amongst idols. During the call, he asked, “Does YG not recruit gagmen?”

Although it was said as a joke, YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun Suk readily welcomed the gagman. On January 27th, in an interview with E-Daily, he revealed, “If Jung Hyung Don really meant what he said, I would like to discuss a management contract with him.”

He continued, “Not only myself, but the majority of our company staff are fans of Jung Hyung Don. If he would come, I think I’d actually be really thankful.”

Jung Hyung Don actually isn’t signed with an agency at the moment, and his relationship with YG stars dates back to ‘Infinity Challenge‘, where he collaborated with Big Bang‘s G-Dragon.

Source + Photos: E-Daily via Nate

YG Entertainment hints at an earlier comeback for Big Bang

For the past month, Big Bang has been dropping hints on their March comeback. According to industry officials, however, the boys could be making their return a month earlier than expected.

The boys had planned to release an album ahead of their ‘Big Show‘ concert in March. Officials believe that in order for this to be possible, their album has to be released by late February at the latest.

Taeyang recently revealed to Star News, “We’re planning for our ‘Big Show’ concert in March, and around that time, Big Bang will release a new album. Whether it’s an official studio album or a mini-album has yet to be decided.”

Officials have been noticing that YG Entertainment has been pooling all of their resources into Big Bang’s comeback album lately. They’ve been rushing to enlist music video directors and have concentrated their staff on its release.

Additionally, the members have already recorded a number of new songs together over their hiatus, thus lending weight to the claims made by officials that the album may be released by mid-February at the earliest.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Source + Photos: Star News via Naver

YG Entertainment forbids plastic surgery for their new 5~7 member girl group

Recently, Korean news sites OSEN and Star News were able to obtain new insight into YG Entertainment‘s upcoming girl group debuting next year.

YG Entertainment has revealed that they have added a “No Plastic Surgery” condition into the contract with the 7 member girl group.

They told OSEN, “The new girl group is made up of members who have not had any plastic surgery.  The girls have also agreed to the condition of not undergoing plastic surgery in the future in their contract with Yang Hyun Suk CEO… This contract was possible because we were focusing on creating a girl group that emphasizes natural beauty.”

YG Entertainment has done this once before with Big Mama in order to emphasize talent over looks. However, this is the first time that anyone has put this kind of condition in the contract for an idol group. This is also interesting since YG has for the first time considered looks and appearance as part of the selection process for members of the new group.

They added, “Plastic Surgery has its positive points, however it’s regrettable to see natural charms disappear through it… Those within the agency all agree with Yang Hyun Suk’s decision.”

YG Entertainment is showing confidence about being able to produce members who are attractive even without plastic surgery. They stated, “While we were looking at the pretty singers from other agencies, we were curious as to what the result would be if those singers did YG music. That is how the idea of this new girl group started… In addition to emphasis on skills, good looks are also included.  A group that can’t be found in the existing music market will be produced.”

YG Entertainment also further discussed their decision about the no plastic surgery requirement and revealed more details about the new group to Star News. They stated, “The new girl group that fans will be able to meet next year will have 5~7 members… All the members have not been finalized yet, so the nominees are competing intensely with one another.”

They continued, “The trainees who are nominees for the new girl group are all teens ranging from 15~19 years old… That’s why we put the no plastic surgery condition into the contract.”

They revealed that in addition to not wanting to lose the natural charm of the members, as they stated earlier, they were also worried about health issues that were involved with plastic surgery.“They are still in their teens, so health problems could arise plus the special charm of teens could be lost as well. That’s why we have included the no plastic surgery condition.”

YG Entertainment confidently stated, “YG’s new girl group will be a team that allows you to feel the freshness and purity of teens.”

In related news, ‘Super Star K2′s‘ Kim Eun Bi has been revealed as one of the confirmed members of the new girl group.

Source + Photo: Osen, Star News via Nate

YG Entertainment’s entrance into KOSDAQ + 3 new idol groups in the making

One of Korea’s top agencies, YG Entertainment, will finally be listed on the independent Korean stock market, KOSDAQ (the Korean counterpart to the American NASDAQ).

YG Entertainment’s application to enter KOSDAQ has been pending for a while now, and it was finally approved earlier this year. This new announcement states that their stocks will be listed on the market starting on November 23rd.

In light of such a big development, YG Entertainment held a press conference on November 8th and revealed their plans after entering KOSDAQ.

With top artists like Big Bang, 2NE1, Se7en, Gummy, Psy, Tablo, Yoo In Na, Jung Hye Young, and more under its label, YG Entertainment brought in approximately $40 million USD last year in sales, $9.2 million in operating profit, and $8.75 million in net profit. In the first half of 2011, they also recorded strong figures with $39.9 million in sales, $8.6 million in operating profit, and $6.4 million in net profit.

With YG Entertainment entering the stock exchange fray, all of the ‘Big 3′ companies (YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertaiment) are now listed on KOSDAQ. (SM Entertainment was able to secure its entrance into KOSDAQ more than 10 years ago, while JYP Entertainment entered in February of this year.)  Many are interested to see what kind of results the ‘Big 3′ will bring about not only in the music industry, but in the stock market as well.

YG Entertainment also revealed to investors that there are currently 3 groups in the making out of the 32 trainees they currently house, confirming plans to continue the next generation of Big Bang and 2NE1.

It was revealed that a female group, made up of trainees all under the age of 20, will be making their debut in the early half of next year. In the latter half, they will be followed up by a new boy group.

Source + Photo: Star News 1, 2

YG Family Train celebrates 15th anniversary of YG Family concert

YG Entertainment recently opened the “YG Family Train” on the New-Boondang subway line on November 5th. The line is reported to have gathered a lot of attention from citizens as it’s a highly popular route.

The “YG Family Train” promotes and celebrates the upcoming ’15th anniversary YG Family concert’, which will take place on December 3rd and 4th KST

Out of the ten trains that pass through the line, one was chosen to be decorated with photos ofBig Bang, 2NE1, Tablo, and other YG Entertainment artists. Fans can openly show their support for their favorite artists by sitting in the various sections designated for each artist labeled with signs such as “Big Bang”, “2NE1″, etc. In addition, each section of the train is equipped with LCD monitors that air past concerts as well as promotional footage for the upcoming concert.

The concert will take place in Korea as well as Japan, and is expected to draw in 200,000 attendees. Current artists as well as past members of the YG Family will be performing.

The YG Family Train will run from November 5th until December 4th.

Source + Photo: Money Today via Nate

Big Bang nominated as the most anticipated artist at YG Family Concert

YG Entertainment started selling tickets for their 15th anniversary YG Family Concert yesterday, which will be taking place in both Korea and Japan.

A survey was conducted on October 26th, asking fans who they were most excited to see at the event.

Out of Se7en, Gummy, Big Bang, 2NE1, Psy, and Tablo, 40% of participants chose Big Bang as the artist they were most looking forward to see at the concert. 2NE1 came in second place, and surprisingly enough, the CEO of YG Entertainment, Yang Hyun Suk, came in at #4.

Artists like 1TYM and Jinusean, who haven’t promoted any of their own music in years, came in at third and sixth place respectively, proving that they’ve still got a formidable fanbase. Furthermore, fans also showed their support for Epik High‘s Tablo, who recently released some new music through YG; Tablo came in 5th place behind CEO Yang Hyun Suk.

The YG Family Concert kicks off on December 3rd and 4th, and will take place at Gymnastics Stadium at the Olympic Hall in Seoul. There will be additional shows at the Kyocera Dome on January 7th and 8th in Japan, as well as at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo on the 21st and 22nd.

Source & Image : TV Report via Nate

G-Dragon completes North Face photoshoot with Big Bang as planned

Although the Korean media reported yesterday that Big Bang had canceled a scheduled photoshoot for a North Face advertisement in light of recent events, it was revealed that G-Dragon and the Big Bang members had attended the photoshoot as planned on October 5th.

An official from the advertising industry stated, “A star’s every action heavily affects the advertising world. But taking into consideration that G-Dragon was not officially indicted, he’s most likely to not run into significant problems.”

It’s also been reported that the many brands Big Bang is currently endorsing have not yet approached YG Entertainment with any issues.

Source: Star News

YG Entertaiment releases an official statement regarding G-Dragon’s marijuana case

YG Entertaiment releases an official statement regarding G-Dragon’s marijuana case

YG Entertainment has just released an official statement about their position regarding the issues surrounding G-Dragon‘s marijuana case.

In the documents released to the press, YG Entertainment stated,

We would like to sincerely offer our deepest apologies to all the fans and to everyone who appreciates Big Bang’s music.

G-Dragon underwent an investigation for smoking marijuana last July. Because G-Dragon had never smoked marijuana, we cooperated with the investigation confidently and proceeded as usual with scheduled events. However, according to the hair strand test, G-Dragon tested positive for minuscule amounts of marijuana, which shocked us.

While we were contemplating what the reason could be, we thought of the event that occurred in May during their Japan tour. There was a drinking event to celebrate a successful concert with various Japanese associates who visited us at the concert location. When G-Dragon went to use the restroom, a young person who seemed to be a Japanese fan recognized G-Dragon and offered him a cigarette as he greeted him. Out of courtesy, G-Dragon took two or three puffs, but upon feeling that it was different from normal cigarettes, he flushed it down the toilet right away.

We thought it to be a trivial event, and soon we were unable to remember that it ever happened. However, when we began to ponder over the reason for this positive test, that night’s event returned as the likely cause.  We contacted the prosecution right away and related the event exactly as it happened.

Although there was no legal penalty issued, the guilty conscience and responsibility for causing everyone pain is a weight that G-Dragon and the company must now carry upon our shoulders, and it is heavier than any penalty.

As celebrities who have received a lot of interest from the public, and as a company who is supposed to thoroughly manage them, we sincerely regret the emergence of this situation, and have been self-reflecting on our carelessness. We deeply bow our heads as we apologize for causing you to worry once again, and we will try our best to make sure this type of event does not occur again.

Source + Photo: Chosun, No Cut News