Bang Si-hyuk: "KATIEYE Proves Potential for Success in the U.S."
Bang Si-hyuk, Chairman of HYBE, and Jang Yoon-joong, Co-CEO of Kakao Entertainment, were named in Billboard's '2025 Billboard Power 100.'
According to Billboard on the 27th (local time), Chairman Bang ranked joint 17th in the 'Leaderboard' category, which selected 40 leaders who have innovated the music industry, alongside Scooter Braun, CEO of HYBE America. This marks the fifth time he has been selected for the 'Power 100,' following 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Billboard highlighted the U.S. event of KATIEYE last October, stating, "The group's promising debut is essential to HYBE's plan to export a Korean-style approach to artist development." KATIEYE is a Korea-U.S. joint global girl group formed by HYBE and Geffen Records.
In an interview with Billboard, Chairman Bang said, "More than 7,000 fans visited the shopping mall to see KATIEYE," calling it "a sign that they have established themselves as a trend." He added, "Initially, there were concerns about whether boy groups and girl groups could succeed in the U.S. music market, but the success of the first mini-album sufficiently proved the existence of such a market."
Jang Yoon-joong, Co-CEO of Kakao Entertainment and CEO of Kakao Entertainment America, was ranked 15th in the 'Multi-Sector' category. Billboard introduced, "Kakao Entertainment America collaborated with UK production company Moon & Back to produce the TV series 'Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience,' which launched the Korea-UK joint boy group Dear Ally."
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