K-Pop Mogul 2: Yang Hyun Suk- The Veteran

The next on our list of K-Pop Moguls is Yang Hyun Suk of YG Entertainment. Born on December 2, 1970 Yang first got his start in the K-Pop industry as a member of the band Seo Taiji & The Boys in the early 90s. in 1996 the band broke up and this led Yang to found YG Entertainment where he is still the current owner and CEO. Bringing up acts such as Big Bang, 2NE1, and Se7en he puts his old experience and knowledge into the work as he not only acts as producer, but mentor for all of YG’s artists and entertainers.

Helping spread the rise of the Korean Wave, Yang is one of the bright thinkers that joined and expanded his K-Pop arsenal with companies in Japan, such as Nippon Columbia, to spread K-Pop throughout Asia and dominate the music market. As Yang acquired more acts and solidified the financial value of YG Entertainment, he was recently allowed to let his company go public in 2010.


From creating magazines and opening night clubs throughout South Korea, Yang has been the leading figure in spreading the hip hop culture throughout South Korea. His other contributions have been philanthropic with a notable donation for Japanese Earthquake relief. Yang’s contributions to YG Entertainment are not just business. He is well known for writing the songs, producing the songs, choreographing the dances, and photographing the art. This is why out of the “Big Three” Yang sticks out as the most versatile figure in the South Korean music industry.