Most top hit K-pop idol groups such as Big Bang, Wonder Girls and Girls’ Generation, belong to the main three entertainment agencies of Korea: YG, JYP and S.M. Entertainment.
Fans might know a lot about their favorite idols, but how much do they know about the agencies that produce these artists?

Here is a brief profile of each agency:

(S.M. Entertainment)

S.M. Entertainment was established in 1995 by Lee Soo-man. Its prior business focused mainly on entertainment management, but with merger and acquisitions it is expanding its business into drama production and cultural content. Its celebrities include BoA, Shinhwa, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, Shinee, f(x), EXO and NCT.

(YG Entertainment)

YG Entertainment was established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk, a former member of Seo Taiji and Boys, after the legendary boy band’s dissolution. Since its establishment, the agency has been expanded into album production and its actor management that started in 2009. With the recruitment of top actors, YG Entertainment has shown its competence as a comprehensive entertainment agency.
Celebrities on its books include Big Bang, Psy, 2NE1, AKMU, Lee-hi, Epik High and Sechs Kies.

(JYP Entertainment)

JYP Entertainment was established in 1996 by musician and record producer Park Jin-young, whose initials were taken as the name of the agency. It focuses on celebrity management and album productions.
Its best known celebrities include Wonder Girls, 2PM, Miss A, Twice, 15&, GOT7 and Baek A-yeon.

For more information, here is a simple but straightforward description for each agency’s style, which was mentioned on MBC variety show “Radio Star” on May 11.

(MBC)

S.M. Entertainment: I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I prepared everything
YG Entertainment: I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I will give you something I like
JYP Entertainment: I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I came out (Park Jin-young)

The meaning behind the descriptions is that:
If the performances are flashy and colorful and seem to encompass all genres, it is probably S.M. Entertainment.
If the performances seem unique and make you wonder where the artists could have come from, it is likely to be YG Entertainment.
And in JYP Entertainment productions, you will find Park somewhere.

By Choi Hyung-won (h.c1110@heraldcorp.com)