Billboard Korea aims to become K-culture ambassador

Billboard, an American media company known for its music charts and news, begins a new chapter in South Korea with the launch of Billboard Korea, a subsidiary that will extensively cover the Korean music industry, Billboard CEO Mike Vans announced Monday during a press conference.

“At Billboard, we recognize the significance of K-pop and K-music as not just a musical genre, but as a cultural movement that continues to transcend borders and redefine the landscape of the global entertainment industry. With our dedicated team of journalists and music enthusiasts from both the US and Korea, we are poised to further amplify the beauty of K-music through Billboard's industry-leading platforms and content,” said Vans during the press conference held in Seoul on Monday.

The launch of Billboard Korea is scheduled for June this year.

“Billboard Korea aims to become a cultural ambassador and the go-to destination for Korean music and culture with the help of Billboard’s digital and social presence,” said Kim Yuna, the publisher of Billboard Korea.

Billboard Korea plans to not only issue monthly magazines but also to create original content that can be distributed across its channels.

“At Billboard, we have a vibrant ecosystem of capabilities to create branded content in which artists and fans take part, to be distributed on our website as well as all of our social platforms,” said Vans.

According to Kim, Billboard Korea will work closely with Billboard headquarters in the US.

“You can think of Billboard Korea as the Korean music team of Billboard. We are currently working closely with Billboard’s content-creating team to come up with future projects, including digital editorials of K-pop stars and video content. During Vans’ stay here in Seoul, we are also going to make content with a K-pop star,” explained Kim.

The CEO of Billboard evaluated that K-pop will continue to thrive in the global music industry.

“The volume, quality and variations of K-pop projects are very robust. But I want to be clear that Billboard Korea is not just for K-pop but we seek to support Korean music of all genres,” added Vans.

Vans is set to meet with Billboard partners in Korea for the next five days of his stay in Seoul, which is the CEO's first visit to the country since he took office in May 2022.