KBS Demands an Apology After Real Madrid C.F. Announces Music Bank in Madrid Has Been Canceled Unilaterally!

September 20, 2024    Comment   

KBS Demands an Apology After Real Madrid C.F. Announces Music Bank in Madrid Has Been Canceled Unilaterally!

KBS is reportedly currently demanding an explanation and apology from Real Madrid C.F. regarding Music Bank in Madrid. Music Bank in Madrid has reportedly been canceled unilaterally by Real Madrid C.F. without prior notification to KBS.

Previously, Real Madrid C.F. announced the cancellation of the Music Bank in Madrid event on September 13th.

Real Madrid C.F. stated that the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium would temporarily stop holding concerts due to noise complaints from local residents, in this case including the Music Bank in Madrid concert.

Regarding this, KBS finally responded on September 19th, they released an official statement to clarify that Music Bank in Madrid had been canceled unilaterally by Real Madrid C.F. without prior approval from the local organizers or KBS.

KBS also stated, "We demand an official explanation and apology from Real Madrid C.F.

"In addition, we also ask Real Madrid C.F. to provide an official explanation and apology to the thousands of Kpop fans who are deeply disappointed by the cancellation, as well as to the Kpop artists who abandoned other commitments to fulfill their promise to meet fans in Spain."

Of course, this statement cannot be separated from the fans who are known to have protested against Real Madrid C.F.'s decision online.

They demanded that Music Bank in Madrid would continue as planned.

KBS also stated that while waiting for Real Madrid C.F. to take full ethical and financial responsibility for the losses suffered, they also explained their intention to work with the stadium to reschedule the concert.

Meanwhile, Music Bank in Madrid itself was previously scheduled to be held on October 12th, 2024.

The following is a statement from KBS: 

(www.onkpop.com)

After the Unregistered Company Controversy, the Agency that Manages Davichi Accused of Plagiarizing Slogans?

September 15, 2024    Comment   

After the Unregistered Company Controversy, the Agency that Manages Davichi Accused of Plagiarizing Slogans?

Another surprising news came from the agency label that houses the Davichi, WMMM.

On (10/9/2024), news circulated that the WMMM company was accused of plagiarizing slogans from other companies. This was revealed by a former employee of a company, Magic Strawberry Sound, who uploaded something on their social media.

The post read, "WE MAKE MAGICAL MOMENTS is a slogan created by the team I worked for when I was at Magic Strawberry Sound." said the former employee.

He further revealed that he had just heard that the phrase was now being used by a new label, revealing that it was not good to use it as a brand name and slogan, whatever the purpose.

WE MAKE MAGICAL MOMENT itself is the slogan used by WMMM, the label under which Davichi belongs a few days ago.

Until September 15th, WMMM exclusively clarified the allegations.

"When our new agency brand name was being considered, we checked the trademark registration and we ended up using that phrase. After the brand name was announced, we realized the situation and are considering changing the brand name."

Previously, WMMM was involved in controversy because the company was an unregistered company.

WMMM then clarified that currently there is a delay in issuing certificates and it is certain that they will start issuing at the end of September. (www.onkpop.com)

SM Entertainment Will Form a Kpop Boygroup in England with The X Factor Producer Nigel Hall

February 10, 2024    Comment   

SM Entertainment Will Form a Kpop Boygroup in England with The X Factor Producer Nigel Hall

SM Entertainment is reportedly going to debut a Kpop boy group in the UK. Later, the group will be led by the producer of The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, Nigel Hall. This news was actually announced last year. This boy group in England will later be under the British entertainment company Moon&Back (M&B) led by Nigel Hall.

 

SM Entertainment and M&B plan to make a TV series containing six episodes. The series will feature the creation of a Kpop group consisting of British members.

 

A total of 84 local music composers were recruited by the agency. The recruitment was done through its music publishing affiliate, Kreation Music Rights. This step was taken as SM Entertainment's effort to expand its music market overseas.

 

"This year, we will establish a US branch of Kreation Music Rights to recruit American composers," said SM Entertainment.

 

The plan is that SM Entertainment will hold at least two large-scale song camps to maximize production capabilities. This announcement adds to the list of new artists under SM Entertainment.

 

Previously, SM Entertainment had prepared NCT Wish's debut this month. This new group will officially debut by appearing at the label's concert, SMTown Live at Tokyo Dome, Japan, on February 21 2024. NCT Wish is the new sub-unit of the Kpop group NCT.

 

Apart from NCT Wish, SM Entertainment also plans to debut a new girl group, Naevis. This group is SM Entertainment's first virtual artist related to the Kpop group aespa.

SM Entertainment co-CEO Responds to Bang Si Hyuk and Lee Soo Man's Actions

February 10, 2023    Comment   

SM Entertainment co-CEO Responds to Bang Si Hyuk and Lee Soo Man's Actions

Bang Si Hyuk's movement as chairman of HYBE LABELS in acquiring SM Entertainment through Lee Soo Man, drew criticism from SM Entertainment's co-CEO. HYBE LABELS' step in taking over Lee Soo Man's position as the largest shareholder of SM Entertainment managed to make a scene.

HYBE LABELS has spent around 422.8 billion KRW for this action, and will take over other small shares from SM Entertainment.

However, the actions of the chairman of HYBE LABELS, Bang Si Hyuk, and the founder of SM Entertainment, Lee Soo Man, drew criticism from the co-CEO of SM Entertainment.

It is Lee Sung Soo and Tak Young Joon who immediately released an official statement regarding the acquisition of HYBE LABELS.

"This statement reflects the positions that have been gathered from SM Entertainment's 25 chief directors, including co-CEOs Lee Sung Soo and Tak Young Joon, as well as other officials who hold positions above division heads.

Back on February 3rd, SM Entertainment announced plans to enter a new phase of 'SM 3.0', transitioning from a single producer to a multi-production/multi-label system.

But soon after this new phase was announced, it was reported that conflicting merger and acquisition attempts were underway.

An attempt that not only undermines SM's many planned decisions, but also the values ​​SM Entertainment has built with all its artists over the years.

SM Entertainment is a company of about 600 employees, working hard every day in hopes of elevating SM Entertainment's status to become the number 1 entertainment company.

(We) are also a company that, on the basis of the efforts of its employees, has led the K-Pop industry with pride until now.

With the new phase of 'SM 3.0', SM Entertainment plans to once again take the next step to become a leading company in global entertainment with the support of fans and shareholders, and thus, we would like to convey the firm position that every employee of SM Entertainment has, all artist, who strongly disapproves of any and all outside conflicting acquisition attempts.

The strategic partnership between SM Entertainment and Kakao, which was announced publicly on February 7th, marks a step in securing the necessary components to fulfill 'SM 3.0'.

This partnership is sure to show a strong synergy effect in strengthening the global reach of IP SM content with its various applications.

This mutually beneficial strategic partnership vision has been thoroughly discussed and agreed upon with Kakao.

Therefore, we would like to emphasize that the strategic partnership with Kakao is a management decision that we feel is necessary for the fulfillment of 'SM 3.0', and thus the partnership does not have a significant role in the so-called 'management battle' which our largest shareholder insists on."

Meanwhile, HYBE LABELS, which is now the largest shareholder of SM Entertainment, is ready to acquire small shares of the agency.

They plan to own a total of up to 40% of SM Entertainment's shares by March 1st, 2023. The move from HYBE LABELS is also known to have received great support from Lee Soo Man as the founder of SM Entertainment. (www.onkpop.com)

Lee Soo Man and Bang Si Hyuk Release Official Statement, This is The Reason for HYBE Buying SM Entertainment Shares!

February 10, 2023    Comment   

Lee Soo Man and Bang Si Hyuk Release Official Statement, This is The Reason for HYBE Buying SM Entertainment Shares!

Bang Si Hyuk as the founder of HYBE and Lee Soo Man as the founder of SM Entertainment recently released their official statement. As previously reported, HYBE has purchased 14.8% of SM Entertainment shares owned by Lee Soo Man or 3,523,420 shares.

With the purchase of these shares, HYBE is now the majority shareholder at the SM Entertainment agency. After the news of the stock purchase shocked many people, Bang Si Hyuk and Lee Soo Man released their joint statement.

Through this statement, Bang Si Hyuk and Lee Soo Man explained the reasons why HYBE bought SM Entertainment shares.

"The largest shareholder and founder of SM Entertainment, former executive producer Lee Soo Man and HYBE chairman Bang Si Hyuk, have joined hands so that SM Entertainment and HYBE will become game changers in world popular music.

This will increase K-Pop's competitiveness globally, and we have decided to realize our shared vision of a lifestyle platform for future endeavors.

Lee Soo Man has decided to transfer his shares to HYBE to start a partnership with HYBE. HYBE shares a vision with SM Entertainment and Lee Soo Man to implement the metaverse, establish a multi-label system, and a vision campaign to save the world, and HYBE will use its resources so that K-Pop will improve its position in the global market.

SM Entertainment is a formidable company that turned the fast-changing music industry into one that allowed Korean music to thrive.

It was the pioneer who paved the way and has allowed K-Pop to become international and it was the pioneer of K-Pop who suggested a new genre called K-Pop to people around the world.

At the center of all SM Entertainment's accomplishments is Lee Soo Man. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that everyone in the K-Pop industry was influenced by Lee Soo Man.

Lee Soo Man industrialized Korean music, which was once barren, and made it the best in the world and is the legacy of our musicians.

Lee Soo Man and HYBE will actively cooperate in improving SM Entertainment's governance and executive management. Lee Soo Man, while taking the important decision to sell his shares, also supports HYBE's plan to buy shares from minority shareholders.

SM Entertainment and HYBE will combine their capabilities to globalize K-Pop and will create strong synergies across various businesses starting with labels and platforms.

We will upgrade the current platform that is leading the global market so that the world's fans can meet more artists and experience the excitement of K-Pop.

We ask that you continue to support the future that SM Entertainment and HYBE will create together.

Thank You.

The largest shareholder and founder of SM Entertainment and chairman of HYBE."

(www.onkpop.com)

Replacing Lee Soo Man's Position, HYBE Officially Becomes SM Entertainment's Biggest Shareholder!

February 10, 2023    Comment   

Replacing Lee Soo Man's Position, HYBE Officially Becomes SM Entertainment's Biggest Shareholder!

Another big step was taken by HYBE LABELS regarding SM Entertainment shares. Previously it was reported that HYBE LABELS was considering buying SM Entertainment shares. Until today, February 10th, 2023, shocking news emerged that HYBE LABELS had officially purchased SM Entertainment shares.

It is known that HYBE LABELS has acquired 14.8% of SM Entertainment's shares. The shares were taken over by HYBE LABELS after officially purchasing from Lee Soo Man as the founder and largest shareholder of SM Entertainment.

Previously, Lee Soo Man became the largest shareholder of SM Entertainment at 18.46%. HYBE LABELS itself has poured out 422.8 billion KRW to buy SM Entertainment shares from Lee Soo Man.

Meanwhile, Kakao is now the second largest shareholder of SM Entertainment, which Lee Soo Man disputes because it is considered an illegal act. It is also known that HYBE LABELS will buy small shares of SM Entertainment, increasing their ownership of the company. (www.onkpop.com)

Korean Netizens' Response After Lee Soo Man Filed a Lawsuit Against SMTOWN

February 08, 2023    Comment   

Korean Netizens' Response After Lee Soo Man Filed a Lawsuit Against SMTOWN

How do South Korean netizens react after Lee Soo Man sued the agency he founded himself? As previously reported, Lee Soo Man has filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment for alleged illegal business practices.

As recently, Lee Sung Soo and Tak Young Joon as the co-CEOs of the SM Entertainment have released an announcement video for SM 3.0 without notifying Lee Soo Man.

Through the video, they have also announced that Lee Soo Man's contract as a producer at SM Entertainment has officially ended.

Lee Soo Man's attorney said, "SM Entertainment's board of directors unilaterally distributed new shares and convertible bonds to Kakao's third parties to expand their reach and make things more profitable for them."

Of course, this surprised many people, as Lee Soo Man was the person who founded the SM Entertainment agency.

Responding to the news of the lawsuit, South Korean netizens on the Instiz website commented:

"This will be a long legal battle,"

"If SM is wrong, Lee Soo Man will definitely win in the lawsuit,"

"But why does SM have to make new shares and give them to Kakao?"

"So the problem is that the SM board of directors distributes new shares to third parties, Kakao. So they are in trouble,"

"This matter is going to get very messy."

"Lee Soo Man has to go through a lot of things in his retirement," and various other comments. (www.onkpop.com)

Rosé BLACKPINK is rumored to be dating the CEO of Spotify, here's the reaction of netizens

December 06, 2022    Comment   

Rosé BLACKPINK is rumored to be dating the CEO of Spotify, here's the reaction of netizens

 

The closeness between a member of BLACKPINK and a Spotify official drew attention, which led to a discussion in one of the community forums.Not long ago a thread surfaced with the headline “Is Rosé dating the CEO of Spotify?” on Pann Nate, discussing the closeness of the BLACKPINK members with Jeremy Erlich, Head of Music Strategy from Spotify.

Through this thread, various photos and GIFs were uploaded featuring Rosé BLACKPINK and Jeremy who were seen doing activities together several times.

Responding to these rumors, various comments were made by netizens through related threads.

Seeing that there's been a lot of talk about these two, this is getting suspicious."

"They look good, If they are really dating, I will support it",

“BLACKPINK is close to the global head of Spotify, in which she is also close to many artists. Also, people think what bad things did BLACKPINK do for their success because they are female singers? It's 2022 and they still underestimate women's success, stop it, you look stupid.

"But is there a reason they shouldn't be dating?"

"This is an absurd rumour",

"A photo of his (Jeremy) hand on Rosé's waist, overseas, it's a way for older people to show affection for younger ones, there's nothing strange about seeing that and taking it as a sign of courtship, that's normal,"

Seungri Will File an Appeal Against 3 Years In Prison He Received

August 20, 2021    Comment   

Seungri Will File an Appeal Against 3 Years In Prison He Received

After undergoing a long process of trial for all criminal charges against him, Seungri has officially received a prison sentence of 3 years. However, on August 18th, 2021, it was reported through South Korean media, it was known that Seungri would appeal against the 3-year sentence.

Previously, through a long trial for approximately 10 months, Seungri had denied 8 of the other 9 accusations which may be the subject of his future appeal.

Through the last trial on August 12th, 2021, Seungri was officially sentenced to 3 years in prison and a fine of 1.15 billion Won. It is known that until now (08/20) Seungri still has not submitted his appeal. (www.onkpop.com)

Seungri Testifies About Jung Joon Young's Group Chat in Military Court

June 30, 2021    Comment   

Seungri Testifies About Jung Joon Young's Group Chat in Military Court

Seungri gave his side of story regarding Jung Joon Young's controversial chat group at the military court. On Wednesday (06/30), Seungri attended the military trial to discuss the controversial chat group case belonging to Jung Joon Young etc.

During the trial, the prosecutor asked Seungri, "There is evidence of illegal prostitution in the KakaoTalk chat group. There is chat content that mentions about entertainment services for your Japanese clients. Don't you know about this?"

Seungri then replied, "The messages in the KakaoTalk chat group are not all in my life. There are many different chat groups, and we also use about 5 other messenger apps. Even if I don't hold my phone for a moment, there are almost 500 unread messages piling up. Just because there is evidence of messages being sent on it doesn't mean that I read them all."

Regarding Japanese clients who received illegal prostitution entertainment services, Seungri added, “During the Christmas party, I invited acquaintances from all over the world. Those acquaintances also brought their own acquaintances, and these people themselves had many other acquaintances in Korea besides me. In the chat group there are also discussions about acquaintances from other countries, such as Vietnam, China, Malaysia, etc.”

“As I said before, KakaoTalk chat groups are not all in my life. I feel sorry to the public, because they are a chat group containing close acquaintances, we often exchange vulgar words. I feel sorry about that" he admitted about the vulgar words that were often used in the chat group.

After starting his mandatory military service, Seungri's case is currently being handled by a military court. However, recently the military court announced that from now on they would reject military conscripts who are currently under investigation outside the military court. (www.onkpop.com)

Chat Room Revealed, Seo YeJi's Possessive Behavior To Kim Jung Hyun When Dating Revealed!

April 12, 2021    Comment   

Chat Room Revealed, Seo YeJi's Possessive Behavior To Kim Jung Hyun When Dating Revealed!

Not only reporting the shocking news of actor Kim Jung Hyun's girlfriend's identity when starring in 'Time', which is none other than Seo YeJi, the Dispatch media also revealed the chat contents of this celebrity couple.

As previously reported, the reason why Kim Jung Hyun acted harshly towards Seohyun, who he co-starred with in the drama 'Time' in 2018 is none other than because of the control of his girlfriend who is an actress, who is none other than Seo YeJi.

Not only being rude, Seo YeJi's possessive attitude towards Kim Jung Hyun also had an impact on the change in the script between his characters Soo Ho and Ji Hyun, roled by SNSD's Seohyun, who originally had romantic scenes until skinship was erased. Recently, the Dispatch media revealed the entire transcript of the conversation between Seo YeJi and Kim Jung Hyun on one of the chat platforms.

Seo Ye Ji: Stiff Kim [Kim Jung Hyun], avoid all physical contact.
Kim Jung Hyun: Of course!
Seo: Why don't you tell what you did today?
Kim: I don't even greet the female staff. Act completely disinterested in other people.

 

Kim: Only you can touch my hand.
Seo: Do ​​everything without passion. No physical contact.
Kim: Of course. I'm the stiff Kim!
Seo: Are you taking care of your attitude?

Seo: How do you greet people?
Kim: (sending video) I didn't even say hi.
Seo: You don't need to greet them (staff) anyway. If they do it first, you can respond harshly.

Kim: I keep reading my script. Without doing anything.
Seo: Adjust the script so there is no romantic scene.
Kim: Yes, I was reading the script.
Seo: Okay, do your best. No romantic scenes or physical contact.

Until now, the Gold Medalist is still checking the truth regarding the news of one of its artists. (www.onkpop.com)

YG Entertainment Reportedly Preparing Global Fandom Collaboration With HYBE

April 06, 2021    Comment   

YG Entertainment Reportedly Preparing Global Fandom Collaboration With HYBE

YG Entertainment and HYBE seem to be starting their first steps after it was announced that they were working together some time ago. On April 5th, it was reported that there is a mature global fandom business collaboration of the companies YG Entertainment and HYBE.

This resulted in YG Entertainment's shares trading at 46,000 won per share at the market close of KOSDAQ on April 5th. In addition, the news of their legendary artist BIGBANG's comeback this year also played a part in the rise.

According to Lee Hwa Jung, researcher from NH Investment and Securities, “The growth in sales of BLACKPINK and TREASURE's global fandom through the collaboration with HYBE and the increase in album sales through Big Bang's comeback will be seen in the short term. "

He continued, "We hope to increase the momentum once the COVID19 conditions subside and Big Bang and BLACKPINK will be able to continue their stadium tour."

“TREASURE topped the Oricon album chart after their official debut in Japan. Assuming the group's Japanese album sales volume reaches number 1, their Japanese album sales alone will reach 2.5 billion Won this year."

"We estimate that YG's overall sales and operating profit based on the first quarter will record 71.3 billion Won and 5.2 billion KRW respectively. BLACKPINK has proven their global fan base with ticket sales for their first online concert and sales of Rose's solo album. Also, there is additional growth expected in global sales after BLACKPINK enters Weverse stores."(www.onkpop.com)