3 days agoI’ve Never LOVED a REVENGE K-Drama More | “The Glory” on NetflixVengeance can be sweeter in Korea. Netflix’s hit K-drama, “The Glory” Parts 1 & 2, take us on a wild revenge fantasy. Starring Song Hye-kyo and written by Kim Eun-sook, this series shows the audience that once-in-a-lifetime trauma must be healed through forgiveness or revenge. Want to choose the path…The Glory1 min readThe Glory1 min read
Mar 17Hit Man Bang: The Big Bet on K-Pop & Hybe and What It Means for SM Merger!Bang Si-hyuk, founder and chairman of K-pop powerhouse Hybe spoke at an exclusive forum held by the Kwanhun Club, a club for senior journalists on March 15, 2023. Here’s the English transcript of his speech read to you (semi-ASMR style) by yours truly. Hit Man Bang opened up about how…Kpop17 min readKpop17 min read
Mar 15Hybe Drops SM Entertainment: What Does This Mean for K-pop?It seems as if the war for control over SM Entertainment is over. But is it really? Over the weekend, Hybe and Kakao had a serious discussion over their spending battle to purchase enough shares to control the fate of the founding entertainment agency of K-pop. With more money in…Kpop1 min readKpop1 min read
Mar 13Fifth Super Sus Death Linked to Leader of Democratic Party in KoreaA fifth tragic death has been linked to Lee Jae-myung, the leader of Korea’s Democratic Party and last year’s runner-up in the presidential election. This week, another close associate died under mysterious circumstances. Five deaths in the last fifteen months. With the body count rising, many wonder if the rumors…Korea1 min readKorea1 min read
Mar 10Are Korea and Japan Friends Now?Have South Korea and Japan finally mended fences? How does one explain the complex frenemy relationship between Seoul and Tokyo? In a possible case of idiot savant or stroke of genius, President Yoon Seok Yeol ‘finalized’ a plan to compensate victims of Japan’s enslavement of South Koreans during World War…Korea2 min readKorea2 min read
Mar 8Kakao is Going ALL OUT for SM Entertainment… and You Won’t Believe How Much!It seemed like Hybe had its merger with SM Entertainment in the bag, but Kakao just made a shocking tender offer of 150,000 won per share to SM Entertainment shareholders in a bid to acquire 35% more stock. If successful, the Korean tech messaging giant would secure 40% ownership and…Kakao1 min readKakao1 min read
Mar 6Hybe is Totally Winning the K-Pop War… Here’s WhyHybe Entertainment, the home of K-pop’s #1 group, BTS, has come out with a bold plan to take control over former market leader SM Entertainment. Without the dust even settling, ‘SM with Hybe’ outlined a path for the two powerhouses to join forces to compete on the global music market…Hybe1 min readHybe1 min read
Feb 25If SM Entertainment & Kakao Join Forces — What Would It Bring?Whether villain or hero, the characters in K-drama never give up. And that’s the main life lesson for us in this ongoing real-life battle for control over K-pop’s founding agency SM Entertainment. At the start of the year, it looked like SM management successfully teamed with Korean tech giant…Kpop1 min readKpop1 min read
Feb 24Hybe Officially #1 Shareholder of SM Entertainment: But What Shocking Move Is Coming Next?It’s official. Hybe Entertainment is now the largest shareholder in SM Entertainment. Founder Lee Soo-man completed the sale of 14.8% of the company he founded to his rival. What started out as a family drama has turned into a corporate battle for global K-pop dominance. What is most at stake…Sm Entertainment1 min readSm Entertainment1 min read
Feb 20Who’s Gonna Win Big? Hybe and Kakao Founders Meet in the US 🤔Whoever wins control over SM Entertainment may find their celebrations short-lived. How much dysfunctional baggage will come with the decades of internal drama at the K-pop powerhouse? Though an eventual merger with Hybe could make the home of BTS one of the most powerful music labels on the planet, gaining…Sm Entertainment1 min readSm Entertainment1 min read
