[News Figures] Park Ji-won, CEO of HYBE

Majored in Political Science and Joined Game Company Nexon
'Salaryman Myth' as CEO After 11 Years
Responsible for 'Accelerating Global Management' at HYBE

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] HYBE, the agency of BTS, is accelerating discussions surrounding the replacement of SM Entertainment's (SM) management by revealing new candidates for SM's board of directors on the 16th.

There were rumors that HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk and Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR and a former SM executive, were being considered as inside directors. However, HYBE CEO Park Ji-won denied these rumors during an internal briefing, stating, "They are too busy," quickly dispelling the speculations related to HYBE.

CEO Park is also regarded as a 'salaryman legend.' Majoring in Political Science and Diplomacy at Yonsei University, he joined Nexon in 2003 as an entry-level employee and within seven years rose to become the head of operations and a registered director at Nexon Japan, a key division of the Nexon Group at the time. He contributed to Nexon Japan's listing on the Japanese stock market in 2011, served as the head of global business, and became CEO of Nexon Korea after 11 years with the company.

Park Ji-won, CEO of HYBE. Photo by HYBE

His appointment as CEO in 2014 was reportedly a decision made by the late Nexon founder Kim Jung-ju. Judging that strong reform was necessary at Nexon, Chairman Kim designated Park as the right person for the role. Subsequently, Park demonstrated rapid execution and quick decision-making skills, enabling Nexon Korea to develop its own mobile games in preparation for the mobile gaming market, proving Chairman Kim's judgment was correct.

After Chairman Kim attempted to sell Nexon in 2019 but the sale fell through, Park left Nexon in August 2019 and joined HYBE in May 2020. As HQ CEO responsible for domestic business at HYBE, Park has established his own management philosophy across the entertainment business, including music production, solidifying HYBE's leading position in the industry. On July 1, 2021, HYBE appointed Park to oversee overall management strategy and operations to accelerate global management.

Park emphasizes a management philosophy focused on customer-centric business models. At the 'NextRise 2021, Seoul' global startup expo conference held in June 2021 at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, he stated, "To gain an advantage in competition, it is not about deciding whether content or platform comes first, but about creating a new business model based on how to take the initiative within the customer's choices."