2011 will be the 15th year since YG Entertainment was established. And in the beginning, Jinusean was their only artist. However, over time artists such as 1TYM, Se7en, Big Bang and 2NE1 appeared, YG slowly yet firmly took root in the Korean music industry and they then came to be considered one of the top three powerhouses of the industry. YG also recently passed the screening for entering Korea's junior KOSDAQ market and on July 21, they launched YGEX, a label solely for YG with major Japanese label Avex. Below are remarks from YG's chief Yang Hyuk-suk at the launching ceremony for YGEX.


<#10_QMARK#> How did you come to do this business with Avex?
Yang: Avex chairman Max Matsuura played an important role in making Big Bang's name known in Japan. And when I got to meet him, I found out that we were similar in that we're both introverted and like to go fishing as a hobby. So I came to have a good feeling toward him and I felt more trust in getting to work with Avex than any other agency in that I could talk to chairman Matsuura directly. You could say that we're currently working on the business.

Avex chairman Max Matsuura and YG Entertainment chief Yang Hyun-suk [YG Entertainment]

<#10_QMARK#> Se7en and Big Bang have already expanded their careers into Japan. Could you explain what the difference is between how they'd gone about with their activities in the country and establishing YGEX?
Yang: They'd debuted in Japan but we hadn't been that aggressive the past few years. And you need to be in Japan for a very long time to lead an active career so you could say that we promoted them very cautiously in that sense. They didn't stay in Japan for extended periods and Big Bang released music that Japanese record companies wanted instead of promoting the songs they released in Korea. However, we don't want to adjust YG's style of music to the Japanese style at YGEX.

<#10_QMARK#> Does that mean they'll pursue they activities mainly with music they've released in Korea?
Yang: The first condition I talked about with Avex in establishing YGEX was that YG wouldn't have to adjust its style of music too much to that of Japan's. Avex too is up for this because they like YG's style of music -- I don't see them as wanting to make us adjust our music. Starting with 2NE1's "I am the Best," YG's artists plan to promote themselves in Japan with music they've released in Korea.

<#10_QMARK#> Why did you think of such a strategy?
Yang: We had been one of the most passive agencies when it comes to activities overseas. Korea had always been our priority. And this is because if we focused our artists' activities in Japan, their popularity in Korea could shake. That's why they'll pursue their activities in Korea and Japan simultaneously. When they release a song in Korea, the song will be released in Japan as well a week later. And we established YGEX in order to try this properly. Touring Asia is something we're thinking of adding to all of this.

<#10_QMARK#> Do you think Korean music has enough competitiveness to do that?
Yang: I think the quality of Korean content has definitely improved a lot. Musicians are equipped with dancing skills, singing skills and the looks while the system in which the entertainment industry turns them into gems is becoming completed as well. I think now is the happiest time for people like me who do music. Because regardless of how well or bad business does, we can make the excellence of Korean content get known and become acknowledged. It might be too early to say the Korean Wave has hit Europe but people outside of Asia with different cultures from Easterners liking and supporting Korean singers was something we couldn't have even imagined of in the past.

YG Entertainment chief Yang Hyun-suk [YG Entertainment]

<#10_QMARK#> Do you think this trend will continue?
Yang: I'm secretly looking forward to the U.S. market as well. China and the U.S. are actually the toughest markets. The U.S. is also the market that the most singers are targeting but it's so big that I think it's more effective to polish content made in Korea and inform them of it than to promote in the country directly. I think positively of Park Jin-young staying in the U.S. for a long time and promoting his artists there but I'm thinking of a structure where an artist gains popularity, starting in Korea, and as that spreads, it draws in fans in the U.S. The way that people in France or the U.S. find out about Korean singers is not just over the Internet but through Koreans in those countries which I think plays a big part and I think this could end up forming a market. There are various nationalities in the U.S. so if a market forms there, it'll be impossible for U.S. not to become affected.

<#10_QMARK#> Then in what way do you think YG's music will appeal to them?
Yang: I think it would be arrogant of us to consider our music as being better than theirs. But hip-hop has been at the core of our music, since Jinusean's debut. Even when we do electronica music, it's been within hip-hop. And just like the times change, music changes and crossover music will change as well so I think we do music that I think is in step with the trends of the global market. As much as our music has been influenced by music in the U.S. and Europe, we can speak of YG's music naturally when meeting with industry people overseas. It was the same with 2NE1 working with Will.i.am. We didn't have to pay Will.i.am a single dime.

<#10_QMARK#> How did they come to work with Will.i.am?
Yang: Will.i.am himself say 2NE1's music video and said he wanted to make music for them. And if we were under a contract with him, we would've had to release a song on a set date. But this is something we're doing because both parties wanted it so it's taking longer to work on the album.

<#10_QMARK#> GD&T.O.P worked with global DJ and producer Diplo while Taeyang worked with The Underdogs. How did they get in touch with them?
Yang: They became interested in them after getting to see their videos through people around them and then they naturally got to meet each other. That's how they met with Will.i.am and Diplo who has made songs for Beyonce. Diplo recently visited Korea as well and made many songs with GD&TOP. And he asked them to do a featuring for his own album. That means that they'll be in his album that'll get released in the U.S. And this was possible because they have the same values, not because money was exchanged.

<#10_QMARK#> What's YG's goal?
Yang: To make everyone feel happy to be working. I think that's what makes YG the happiest.


10 아시아 Editor in Chief : Kang Myeong-Seok two@
10 아시아 Editor : Lee Ji-Hye seven@
10 아시아 Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
<ⓒ즐거움의 공장 "10 아시아" (10.asiae.co.kr) 무단전재 배포금지>