Agency · Entertainment company, Seoul

YG Entertainment

YG엔터테인먼트

The agency with hip-hop in its roots. YG gave K-pop BIGBANG and 2NE1, then BLACKPINK, and in 2026 it turns thirty.

Founded: 1996, by Yang Hyun-suk; YG Entertainment since 2001
Headquarters: Mapo-gu, Seoul
Stock market: KOSDAQ, since November 2011
CEO: Yang Min-suk, since 2024

Yang Hyun-suk was a member of Seo Taiji and Boys, the group that changed Korean pop in the early nineties. In 1996 he started his own company, and in 2001 it became YG Entertainment. From the start the sound was hip-hop and R&B, with acts like Jinusean and 1TYM.

BIGBANG debuted in 2006 and 2NE1 in 2009, and both became defining groups of the second generation. In 2016 came BLACKPINK, who renewed with YG as a group in 2023, while the four members do their solo work at their own companies. TREASURE and BABYMONSTER are the newer groups, and a new boy group is planned for 2026, YG's thirtieth year.

THEBLACKLABEL was started inside YG by producer Teddy, who also wrote many of the BIGBANG, 2NE1 and BLACKPINK hits. It later became independent, with YG as one of its shareholders. TAEYANG, ROSÉ for her solo work, Jeon Somi, MEOVV and ALLDAY PROJECT are there now.