Pledis Entertainment, home of Seventeen, gets new general manager

HYBE label Pledis Entertainment, home to popular K-pop acts like Seventeen and fromis_9, has appointed Kim Youn-soo as its new general manager, the firm's top-level executive for the business division, the agency said on Friday.

Pledis Entertainment's boy group Seventeen [YONHAP]

HYBE label Pledis Entertainment, home to popular K-pop acts like Seventeen and fromis_9, has appointed Kim Youn-soo as its new general manager, the firm's top-level executive for the business division, the agency said on Friday.

The company has two CEO-level positions — "general manager” for the business section and “master professional” for the production side. The company does not technically have a CEO.

Kim, who joined Pledis in 2012, is credited with debuting the group Seventeen and leading its foray into the Japanese market. In 2023, she was appointed as the CEO of HYBE Labels Japan, overseeing the Japan-based boy band &TEAM. With her latest appointment, Kim will now concurrently serve as the managerial executive of both companies.

“I pledge to prioritize our artists and their fans, providing content that they can truly enjoy,” said Kim in a statement.

Pledis Entertainment's founder and sitting ″master professional″ Han Sung-soo [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

The agency’s founder, Han Sung-soo, who is often cited as the current CEO of the company by local media, has been serving as the master professional since November 2020, primarily focused on the direction of the artists’ albums.

Pledis Entertainment manages a diverse roster of K-pop acts, including boy band Seventeen, girl group fromis_9, rookie boy group TWS and former Wanna One member Hwang Min-hyun.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]