BTS Agency 'HYBE' Chief Producer's First Half Salary 40 Billion Won... Surpasses All Chaebol Heads

Senior Producer Kang Hyowon of HYBE Entertainment received approximately 40 billion KRW as compensation in the first half of this year.
/Photo by HYBE

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] Kang Hyowon, senior producer at HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), the agency managing the idol group BTS, reportedly received approximately 40 billion KRW in compensation during the first half of this year through exercising stock options. This amount surpasses that of Chung Mong-koo, Honorary Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, who earned about 30.2 billion KRW in the same period and was known as the 'compensation king' among major owner-executives.

According to HYBE's semi-annual report on the 17th, Kang, affiliated with Big Hit Music, received a total of 40.077 billion KRW in compensation during the first half of this year. This included a salary of 38 million KRW, a bonus of 111 million KRW, and 39.928 billion KRW from stock option exercise gains. Stock options refer to a system where a company grants its employees the right to purchase a certain number of its own shares at a predetermined price.

He is an employee rather than an executive, and the company explained that his salary was determined based on the employee work regulations, comprehensively considering individual expertise and performance, and paid in equal monthly installments. HYBE is known to strictly base employee treatment on performance principles.

Big Hit Music corresponds to HYBE's label business division. Kang is an original HYBE member who has been involved since the group planning stage long before BTS's debut and has been responsible for music lessons. Numerous representative BTS hit songs, from their debut single "2 COOL 4 SKOOL" to "DNA," "FAKE LOVE," and "IDOL," have passed through his hands.

He ranked first in domestic copyright income from 2018 to 2020. Although his official salary was only 38 million KRW, he topped the first half compensation rankings by striking it big with stock options.

Meanwhile, an analysis of semi-annual reports disclosed by domestic listed companies on the 17th showed that three of the top five earners were HYBE employees. Kim Shinkyu, HYBE's Manager General (CAMO), who received 27.7 billion KRW from stock option exercise gains, ranked third, followed by Yoon Seokjun, Global CEO, who earned 23.5 billion KRW, behind Kang.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.