As Billboard Korea prepares for its official launch on the 27th, the industry’s attention is focused on its bold moves.
Launching with the ‘Billboard K POWER 100’ event, Billboard Korea aims to be a new force in the K-pop market. Leveraging its expertise from the heart of pop music, the company is dedicated to discovering artists like the next BTS.
To support this, the event at the Shilla Hotel’s Yeongbin Hall in Seoul will feature a significant presence of global Billboard executives, including CEO Mike Van and Editor-in-Chief Hannah Karp.
Mike Van, in particular, is highly interested in the Korean market, having returned to Korea in just over 4 months. He plans to significantly support Billboard Korea and actively assist in the international expansion of Korean artists. The goal is to create opportunities for K-pop artists, who have emerged from the periphery to become central to global music, to lead new trends and freely engage with music industry professionals worldwide.
Additionally, Brazilian star Luísa Sonza will visit Korea for the 1st time to meet with K-music artists and producers. Asian top stars Isyana Sarasvati, SB19, and BINI will also attend, adding to the global celebration.
Kim Yuna, Publisher of Billboard Korea, stated, “The event on the 27th will commemorate nearly 100 years of Korean popular music and highlight the impact of Korean music, including K-pop, on the global music industry. Through the annual ‘K-POP Artist Directory’ published in Korean and English, we aim to lay the foundation for global networking for Korean artists.”
Billboard Korea, officially launched as the Korean branch of Billboard Media after being acquired by PMC Group in 2020, plans to establish itself as a hub for promoting K-music and K-culture through PMC’s media outlets, including Variety, Rolling Stone, South by Southwest, ArtNews, Golden Globe, WWD, and Artforum.
Billboard, founded in 1894 in New York, began publishing popular music charts in the mid-1950s and has since become a key indicator of music trends worldwide.