Jang Yoon-jung, Co-CEO of Kakao Entertainment, has been selected as one of the '2025 Billboard Global Power Players.'
On the 19th (local time), the American music media Billboard announced the '2025 Billboard Global Power Players,' recognizing influential leaders driving the global music market outside of the United States through its official website.
This is a rebranding of Billboard's previous 'International Power Players' title, with Co-CEO Jang Yoon-jung joining SM Entertainment's Co-CEOs Jang Cheol-hyuk and Tak Young-jun on the list.
This marks the fourth time Co-CEO Jang Yoon-jung has been selected, having also been recognized in January as an industry expert gaining attention in the global music industry, being named in the 'Billboard Power 100' multi-section category for two consecutive years, acknowledging his achievements and influence in the global entertainment industry.
Billboard highlighted that Co-CEO Jang Yoon-jung is achieving results by diversifying the global activities of artists under his labels, and noted that Kakao Entertainment has solidified its position as a key player in the global K-pop market by collaborating with SM Entertainment on the production of new global IPs. The five-member British boy group dearALICE, launched by both companies last year, achieved a successful debut with their single 'Ariana,' which reached number 2 on the official singles chart in the UK after its release in February.
Since last year, artists under Kakao Entertainment's labels have been expanding their global influence through various activities, including world tours, participation in global festivals, OSTs, and collaborative music releases.
Artists from its subsidiary label, Idam Entertainment, such as IU and the Starship girl group IVE, have solidified their overseas fandom through large-scale world tours in North America and Europe, establishing themselves as global trendsetting artists. IVE has showcased overwhelming performances at events like 'Lollapalooza Chicago' and Japan's 'Summer Sonic 2024,' and is set to captivate global music fans once again at Lollapalooza Berlin and Paris in July. The company also plans to continuously discover and introduce new artists across various genres, including the Starship girl group Kiki and Antenna's boy band Dragon Pony, which have garnered attention both domestically and internationally right after their debut.
Kakao Entertainment will focus its capabilities on producing global mega IPs through various synergies with its labels, while continuing to strengthen its network with global partners and explore new global business opportunities.
