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…

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 the bank, Kakao Entertainment emerged the winner. The consolation prize? Platform technology coordination for Hybe. But can we really rest easy that another twist in this real-life K-drama saga won’t turn up at the last minute?

A 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 of corruption and violence are actually true. According to his claims, however, he is he being targeted by his political rivals who have weaponized the justice system. Politicians this week said this real-life horror movie must end in order to prevent more people disappearing.

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…

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…

Hybe 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…

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…

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 for the major players here? Are each of them acting rationally? And will Kakao Entertainment make a major countermove in the next few days?

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 through a hostile takeover could come with the winner’s curse. On the other hand, will Kakao destroy the music legend or allow it to run with independence as both Hybe and Kakao have promised in their ‘marriage proposals’? I’d rather protect Hybe from marrying into a dysfunctional family. But you be the judge!