• "We've long prepared for this", HYBE assures investors that preparations are underway ahead of BTS military enlistment

    As an alternative to falling sales and the possibility that BTS members will join the military, HYBE has said that it will introduce four new groups.

    On October 17, the CEO of HYBE, Park Ji Won, sent a letter to shareholders in which he said, "We have been getting ready for this for a long time, just in case something like this ever happened. We want to make it possible for BTS and their fans to be together."

    He said, "We fully understand that investors are worried about whether HYBE will be able to keep growing at the same rate it has because BTS isn't doing as much".

    He added, "We are setting up a structure that can make them, and we are taking on different challenges by combining new technologies like platform business and game business."

    HYBE has a plan for how to do this:

    • The debut of four or more groups next year with a K-pop production method including Japan and the US
    • Live streaming on the fan platform Weverse
    • New subscription service
    • Continuous update of the BTS game and expansion of publishing
    • Incorporation of AI-based voice and singing synthesis technology of Supertone was presented.

    Aside from BTS, the sales of established artists like SEVENTEEN, TXT, ENHYPHEN, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, Zico, Fromis9, Justin Bieber, and Ariana Grande grew by more than three times last year on average. It is said to make nine independent labels work together and compete.

    It has been studied and found that the confirmation of BTS's membership will hurt HYBE's stock price.

    By doing things like getting into the game business, HYBE is making BTS less dependent on sales, but it is still high. HYBE was able to cut its reliance on BTS from 80% when it went public to 60%.

    As long as there was doubt about BTS joining, the securities industry kept lowering HYBE's target price. It was changed to 250,000 won for NH Investment & Securities, 210,000 won for Samsung Securities, and 210,000 won for Hyundai Motor Securities.

    Source[1]

  • BTS's Jimin Makes History by Winning 'Fan’s Choice Grand Prize' at the 2024 MAMA Awards

    BTS member Jimin made history at the 2024 MAMA AWARDS, becoming the first solo artist ever to win the prestigious Visa Fan’s Choice of the Year award.

    On November 22, Jimin was honored with the Fan’s Choice of the Year award at the 2024 MAMA AWARDS JAPAN, held at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan. This marks a huge milestone in his career, especially considering his ongoing military service.

    Jimin made history as the first solo artist to win the Fan’s Choice of the Year award, a category that BTS had dominated for six years since its debut in 2018.

    In addition to this achievement, Jimin also took home the Fan’s Choice Grand Prize, making him a two-time winner at this year’s awards.

    Although Jimin couldn't attend the ceremony due to his military service, his name was met with loud cheers from fans when announced.

    His incredible win continues to prove his global influence as a solo artist. Jimin had also won Best Male Artist at the 2023 MAMA AWARDS, marking back-to-back wins at the event.

    The MAMA AWARDS praised Jimin for his groundbreaking achievements, saying, “As the first K-pop solo artist to reach 4 billion streams and set the longest-running #1 record for a Korean artist, Jimin has proven his influence as a world-class artist and global pop star.”

    Jimin's win also made him the first solo artist to claim a grand prize at the MAMA AWARDS in 10 years, with his achievement sparking excitement worldwide.

    On X (formerly Twitter), the hashtag “CONGRATULATIONS JIMIN” topped the trends, while “우리지민이상받았네” (Our Jimin Got the Award) reached the #1 spot in Korea.

    Jimin’s ongoing success continues to shine even during his military service. He was also recently named Best K-pop at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards and continues to be recognized for his charitable efforts, including a recent donation of 100 million KRW to the National Defense Soldier and Veteran Love Fund.

    Source: [1]