HYBE has officially been recognized as a major corporate group, a first for an entertainment-centric company in South Korea.

On May 15, the Fair Trade Commission declared HYBE as a “publicly-disclosed corporate group” for 2024, with total assets surpassing KRW 5 trillion (approximately 3.85 billion USD).

Bang Si Hyuk, the founder and chairman of HYBE, who owns 31.57% of HYBE’s shares, is acknowledged as the “head of the same business group” (chaebol).

This development mirrors the expansion of HYBE’s scale in tandem with the global popularity of K-pop. As per HYBE’s recent business report, its assets at the end of last year were valued at KRW 5.3457 trillion, a 9.8% increase from the previous year, placing them 85th in asset size.

With HYBE’s rise to major corporate status, Bang Si Hyuk has ascended the ranks of major conglomerate leaders.

Amid conflicts with Min Hee Jin, the head of HYBE’s label ADOR, HYBE’s new designation and Bang’s inclusion in the official list of conglomerate leaders by the Fair Trade Commission are drawing significant attention.

Furthermore, this designation marks a first in South Korean history since the inception of the major corporate group and chaebol leader designation system in 1986, that two related individuals, Bang Si Hyuk and his relative Bang Joon Hyuk, chairman of Netmarble (which was designated in 2018), appear together on the chaebol list.

A Fair Trade Commission official commented, “The rapid growth of the entertainment industry, fueled by the global success of K-pop acts like BTS and their key revenue from albums and performances, has been reflected in this designation.”

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Actor Lee Min Ho recently shared an unforgettable and embarrassing moment from his early career, revealing how he became a “falling star” at his first Baeksang Arts Awards.

On the December 25th episode of You Quiz on the Block (Episode 274), Lee Min Ho made a guest appearance and reflected on his rise to fame.

The actor, known for his iconic role as Goo Jun Pyo in Boys Over Flowers, won the Best New Actor award at the Baeksang Arts Awards, but it wasn’t just his victory that grabbed attention.

Lee Min Ho recalled, "I was attending the Baeksang for the first time, and I was so excited. Since I wasn’t going as Goo Jun Pyo, but as Lee Min Ho, I styled my hair in a perm and was ready to go." However, things took an unexpected turn when he tripped and fell on the red carpet.

He sighed, recalling, "That day, I fell. I fell and created so many memes. Even now, I look back and think, 'How did I walk that quickly on the red carpet?'"

Laughing at his own clumsiness, he admitted, "I was moving at the speed of light, no composure, no focus. Honestly, more than the joy of winning the award, that day was chaotic and so embarrassing for me."

Though his win was a highlight, Lee Min Ho humorously shared that the incident of tripping overshadowed the excitement of his achievement.

It’s safe to say that while the fall became a funny meme, it also became a lesson in humility for the actor, and a moment that fans still remember to this day.

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