Why BTS, Exo, Twice and other K-pop groups will be spending less time in Seoul’s Gangnam district in future

Many of K-pop’s biggest labels are moving out of Seoul’s Gangnam district, made famous by Psy’s 2012 music video Gangnam Style, as they reorganise and expand
They are moving to larger buildings around the South Korean capital with all-in-one production facilities

K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop

The Korea Times

Published: 10:15pm, 13 Jan 2021

Why you can trust SCMP

By Park Ji-won

Seoul’s Gangnam district has long been home to South Korea’s large entertainment companies, such as SM Entertainment and Big Hit Entertainment, the label of BTS. Many K-pop entertainment companies, some statistics say more than half, are known to have offices near the district’s Apgujeong area. The area was made famous globally by Psy’s hit Gangnam Style in 2012.

Since the introduction of music cable channel Mnet in 1995, recording studios proliferated in the area and high-end hair and make-up salons opened to cater to young performers. By setting up offices in the area, entertainment companies could recruit idol trainees and create all their content nearby.

However, the trend is coming to an end, with entertainment companies moving their facilities to other areas of Seoul, looking for larger spaces for bigger projects amid the expansion of the K-pop industry in recent years.

Also, staying in the area has become less beneficial as more major broadcasters and cable channels such as Mnet and CJ ENM have since moved to Sangam-dong, in the northwest of Seoul.

Along with companies producing more in-house content and releasing it online, entertainment companies have become less bound by location.

Big Hit Entertainment is planning to move to the Yongsan Trade Centre in central Seoul, in the first half of the year. It has leased the entire building, which has 26 floors and seven basement levels, and was completed in December last year. The company earlier said that it decided to move its facilities following a drastic increase in its staff.

SM Entertainment’s headquarters in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Photo: Shutterstock

Founded in 1995, SM Entertainment, which manages K-pop groups such as Exo, NCT and Red Velvet, is also planning a move. The company will set up shop in Seongsu-dong in the east of the city this year, according to insiders.

SM has several buildings in areas such as Apgujeong-dong, Samsung-dong and Cheongdam-dong, all in Gangnam. An official said that the company is planning to reorganise its businesses and move some of them to the new Seongsu-dong building.

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JYP Entertainment, which manages Twice, Itzy and more, left Gangnam in 2018, moving to a renovated 10-storey building in Seongnae-dong, eastern Seoul, which has all-in-one production facilities including dance and vocal studios and recording rooms.

YG Entertainment, founded in Hapjeong-dong in Mapo District, western Seoul in 1998, appears to have no relocation plans.

YG Entertainment was founded in Hapjeong-dong in Mapo District, western Seoul in 1998, appears to have no relocation plans. The company responsible for Blackpink built a nine-storey building next to its headquarters in September last year.

The new building is 10 times larger than the original and has spaces designed to allow artists to practise and create music, in addition to a cafeteria and gyms.

Read the full story at the Korea Times

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