CEO Mike Ban: Billboard Korea to be launched in Korea

Billboard, the most prominent music magazine and chart in the U.S., will be launched in South Korea. To mark its official launch in the country, Billboard will publish its first issue of Billboard Korea, the South Korean edition of its magazine, in June. It is garnering attention whether the new introduction of a K-pop chart to Billboard will boost K-pop once again.

“We launched Billboard Korea to properly deliver the rapidly growing Korean music market to the world,” said Billboard CEO Mike Ban during a press conference held in Seoul on Monday. “Through Billboard Korea, fans around the world will be able to access the latest news and insights from K Music.”

“The new magazine to be published has nothing to do with previous Billboard Korea,” Billboard Korea CEO Kim Yu-na said during the press conference. “Everything about Billboard Korea to be issued this year is handled by the headquarters. We are the K-music team of the Billboard headquarters.”

Billboard will introduce a new K-pop chart. Currently, it has over 150 charts, including the main album chart (Billboard 200) and the main single chart (Hot 100). When asked during the press conference if the introduction of a K-pop chart would limit various music genres in South Korea to K-pop, Ban answered, “There are also Latin charts and jazz charts, so K-pop charts do not operate differently,” the Billboard CEO said. “It is operated separately by the K-pop chart to have all the nuances of music.”

The first issue of Billboard Korea, Billboard K Vol.1, will include interviews with 100 K-pop artists. The magazine will release digital images featuring a K-pop artist to the world on a monthly basis, and digital content, which will be shared on social media and the company’s website, will be planned and created in collaboration with the headquarters in the U.S.


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com