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South Korea's Hybe opens China office amid hopes of a K-pop reversal from Beijing

South Korea's Hybe opens China office amid hopes of a K-pop reversal from Beijing

CNBC30-05-2025
South Korea's largest K-pop agency Hybe has established its first office in China — amid signs that Beijing is lifting its unofficial ban on K-pop shows.
The agency behind global sensation BTS has been preparing to establish itself in China since last year, a Hybe official said recently.
Hybe's China office — launched on April 2 and announced on Thursday — is its fourth overseas branch. But while the agency has launched local groups such as &Team in Japan and Katseye in the United States, it has no plans to debut rookie teams in China, according to South Korean state media KBS.
There have been indications that Beijing might be softening its stance on K-pop in the face of weak domestic consumption and stalled trade talks with China. And in another sign of thawing relations, China announced its decision to waive visas for South Koreans last November. South Korea followed suit in March 2025 with its plans to offer a visa exemption to Chinese visitors in the third quarter.
Even more recently and on the K-pop front, Hybe announced plans to sell its entire stake in SM Entertainment to China's Tencent Music. The move is a testament to a strengthening relationship between Tencent and major K-pop companies, Junhyun Kim, a Korea internet gaming and entertainment research analyst at HSBC, said in a recent note.
If K-pop becomes more widely recognized in China, Kim said, he expects there will be increased use of fan platforms like Hybe's Weverse and Dear U Bubble, which are messaging platforms between fans and artists.
But the path to a K-pop comeback in China won't necessarily be smooth.
K-pop group Epex canceled a concert in Fuzhou that was scheduled for May 31, citing "issues in the local region." The performance would have been the first concert by an all-Korean idol group in mainland China since 2016.
Hybe's shares fell 1.47% in Friday trading hours.
With other industries under pressure from tariffs, a U-turn from China on its unofficial K-pop ban could inject fresh momentum into South Korea's entertainment industry.
"In contrast with semiconductors or autos, where global trade policy directly impacts supply chains and pricing, K-pop consumption is far less sensitive to protectionist measures," Shinhan Securities said in a note in April.
"Core revenue drivers—streaming, concerts, and fan content—are digital and intangible, making them immune to cross-border tariffs," CGS said, adding that even if fans buy albums and merchandise, tariff exposure is "negligible," given low unit prices and loyal fan demand.
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How Maria Kim and REDF Are Building Career Pathways Across the United States
How Maria Kim and REDF Are Building Career Pathways Across the United States

Newsweek

time7 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

How Maria Kim and REDF Are Building Career Pathways Across the United States

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Maria Kim started her career in insurance, moving up the ranks but finding herself unfulfilled despite her success. She mentioned the September 11, 2001, attacks as a moment when her philosophy around work and career changed. She noted a similar shock occurring in the workforce since the COVID-19 pandemic. "If this is how fragile our world is, am I really walking in my vocation?" Kim told Newsweek about her feelings at the time she made a career pivot. "Obviously, we all were mourning what was happening in our country. It was also professional shock ... so I did a little soul searching." She started working for Cara Collective, an organization that supported career opportunities for people who have served time in the justice system. "We had a couple businesses that helped folks build their skills, their confidence, their moxie and ultimately get placed in private sector jobs where they continued their economic mobility," she explained. Kim attended business school at the University of Chicago, saying she was one of two people in her class interested in nonprofit work at the time. Her first contact with REDF (Roberts Enterprise Development Fund) was with Cara Collective as a grantee of its investment program. Today, she's the CEO of REDF, a social enterprise accelerator founded by George Roberts, the finance-industry veteran who co-founded the well-known investment firm KKR. "Social enterprises are businesses that exist not just to offer some type of good or service, but to create jobs and something we call economic power for folks overcoming tough barriers to employment," Kim said. "Those barriers could include homelessness, impact of the justice system, or often a combination of the two." In addition to financial support, social enterprises benefit from the business acumen within REDF, including leaders like Kim, access to strategic templates and advice on how to scale operations to make the biggest impact. "We want to help all of these businesses have double-bottom-line impact, not just produce a profit that they can reinvest in their mission, but produce social impact that can scale," Kim said. She added that she's seen a rise in business students interested in working at places with a social mission, an assertion backed by survey data over the last year. REDF has started an MBA fellowship program to help business students familiarize themselves with nonprofit operations. "We're not just coaches for these enterprises. 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Fitness influencer set Guinness World Record with this insane deadlift skill
Fitness influencer set Guinness World Record with this insane deadlift skill

New York Post

time7 minutes ago

  • New York Post

Fitness influencer set Guinness World Record with this insane deadlift skill

Liu Weiqiang has broken a Guinness World record, and all he had to do was, quite literally, lift a finger. The Chinese fitness influencer deadlifted a jaw-dropping 144 kilograms with just his middle finger, breaking the previous record set by Egmond Molina, who achieved a one-finger deadlift of 138.5 kilograms in March 2024. To put 144 kilograms into perspective, that's roughly the weight of a washer and dryer combo, a bathtub full of water, a small motorbike, or even two full kegs of beer. Yep. So, very impressive. To achieve this whopping accomplishment, Liu built a weighted device he could lift with just one finger. He clipped a carabiner to a sturdy fitness pole and loaded it with four 25-kilogram plates and two 20-kilogram plates. 5 Liu Weiqiang has broken a Guinness World record, and all he had to do was, quite literally, lift a finger. Guinness World Records Then, while in a deadlift position – legs apart and a neutral spine – he looped his right middle finger around the carabiner and pulled the weight up, his face the picture of pain as he grimaced through the movement. The entire lift took almost an entire 10 seconds. Impressive as the feat is, Liu is no stranger to breaking world records. In 2023, he set eight Guinness World Records, including the heaviest weighted pull-up (109.20 kg), most pull-ups in one minute with a 36-kilogram pack (25 pull-ups), and the most ring dips in one minute carrying a 45-kilogram pack (20 dips). 5 The entire lift took almost an entire 10 seconds, according to reports. Guinness World Records Contrary to his impressive rep sheet, the strongman did not set out with the intention of setting such records. 'Due to the pressures of work and the natural ageing process, I found myself with less energy for fitness than before,' Weiqiang previously told Guinness World Records. 'I believed that my training performances were already approaching record levels, so I decided to put myself to the test. 5 To achieve this whopping accomplishment, Liu built a weighted device he could lift with just one finger. Guinness World Records 5 He clipped a carabiner to a sturdy fitness pole and loaded it with four 25-kilogram plates and two 20-kilogram plates. Guinness World Records 'I chose several challenges with a higher chance of success and scheduled them at the beginning of this year's vacation. 'Since starting my job, I've had less time for fitness, and I've felt a bit slack. However, after proving myself through these records, I find fitness to be relaxing and enjoyable.' Aussies have also gotten a piece of the world record pie. In 2023, Brisbane accountant Lucas Helmke went down in history after beating the world record for the most push-ups in one hour as he performed 3,206 push-ups in 60 minutes. 5 'Due to the pressures of work and the natural ageing process, I found myself with less energy for fitness than before,' Weiqiang previously told Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records For those having trouble wrapping their head around that figure, that's an average of 53 per minute. The previous record of 3182 was set by another Aussie, Adelaide mechanic Daniel Scali, in April 2022. Mr Helmke attempted this record to 'provide inspiration' for his one-year-old son in a bid to 'show him nothing is impossible'. The Queensland man trained for three years to break the record, with the official attempt taking place at the powerlifting gym Iron Underground, Brisbane.

XngHan Steps Into the Spotlight With Superb Solo Debut: 'It's A New Beginning for Me'
XngHan Steps Into the Spotlight With Superb Solo Debut: 'It's A New Beginning for Me'

Yahoo

time10 minutes ago

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XngHan Steps Into the Spotlight With Superb Solo Debut: 'It's A New Beginning for Me'

'I'm very excited,' K-pop star XngHan tells The Hollywood Reporter about his solo debut. 'My heart swoons.' The 21-year-old, officially making his solo debut today with his artist project XngHan and Xoul, is equal parts excited and optimistic on a Zoom call from his label SM Entertainment's Seoul headquarters as he speaks of his new chapter as a soloist. More from The Hollywood Reporter Foo Fighters' New Drummer Revealed (Exclusive) Jess Glynne Criticizes White House for Using Viral Jet2 Holiday Sound in Deportation Meme: "Makes Me Sick" Avex Music Group and S10 Report Early 2025 Chart Successes XngHan's debut has been highly anticipated by much of the K-pop community. Late last year, it was announced that the K-pop star, who previously went by his name Seunghan, would be leaving the boy group Riize, just days after the news of his return from a lengthy hiatus. When it was later announced that he'd be debuting as a soloist, XngHan received genuine well wishes from fans across various K-pop fandoms – somewhat of a rarity in online music spaces these days. XngHan's first single, 'Waste No Time,' is a pitch-perfect choice for his debut track. As the singer puts it, the 'refreshing' summer song talks of not wasting any time and spreading his 'boundless wings' – perhaps a perfect parallel to XngHan himself, who seems eager to tackle this new chapter head-on. The single is accompanied by a B-Side, 'Heavenly Blue,' is similarly catchy and the perfect soundtrack for a sunny summer day. XngHan contributed to writing lyrics and choreographing for the song. Below, the XngHan speaks with THR about 'Waste No Time' and 'Heavenly Blue,' his exit from Riize and what his hopes for the future. I think there are a lot of people who are eager to hear how you're doing these days. How are you feeling ahead of your debut? I made sure that I worked out. I've been practicing my dance skills and also my vocals, so that I can keep everything rolling and going. My solo debut is just around the corner, so I'm very excited. My heart swoons. You seem very happy. To talk about your future, I think we need to talk a bit about the past. How are you feeling, looking back on what I assume has been an at times difficult year? How do you feel looking ahead? I used that time to look back on myself. I think it was a time given to me for more self-improvement, so I was really using that time to make sure that I got better at stuff. I think it was a time where I was trying to get ready for a new start, so I think all the things I learned along the way are definitely going to be something that I can use going forward as a fuel, so I'm very excited and looking forward to my debut as a soloist. I think there are a lot of people who are really excited to see you debut and have been waiting for it since your time with Riize. Although you're no longer with Riize, you worked and trained alongside them. Do you have any wishes for them? But also what hopes do you have for yourself as a soloist? I know that Riize is doing so well, and] I'm rooting for them as a fellow artist. I hope they stay healthy and well. [Since] I'm also preparing my new launch as a soloist, I hope people stay tuned [for my debut]. I'm really going to pour my heart and soul into this. Why was it so important for you to change your stage name? Do you see this as opening a new chapter for you? Yeah, it's exactly as you said. I think it's a new chapter for me, a new challenge for me, and I'm very much looking forward to it. The reason why I wanted to include the letter X is because it symbolizes infinite potentials, [an] infinity of possibilities. It's also the unknown variable when it comes to mathematical formulas. I think it symbolizes that I am now opening up the doors to all the different potentials and possibilities that I could dig into. I wanted to use this letter X to show that. I think with this new artist brand, I can show you different facets of myself. How has your training been? What do you feel like you've been focusing on in terms of practicing for your debut 'Waste No Time' the most? I guess the focus in training for this single was that it had to be fun. It's a very vibing kind of song, so I wanted to give it that refreshing mood and vibe. Especially since it's a summer song. Actually, the good thing was that it wasn't very challenging to get ready for these songs. It was actually a very fun experience for me, especially since I got to work together with Xoul, the dance crew comprised of two people. It was really fun. It was almost like we were just playing around, but we were making something and creating something. I felt very much at ease preparing for the songs. Can you tell me about your collaboration with Xoul? Do you find yourself feeling a little more comfortable working alongside them, given you've previously worked in a group setting? Yeah, it's definitely a lot more comfortable [especially] because our interests align. These are two professional dancers, so all three of us are bonded by our love and passion for dance. We would be working [on choreography], but we'd also be having a lot of fun dancing. It just made me feel so comfortable and at home working together with them. How did this concept that you would have a dance crew with you come about? Why did you feel it made the most sense for you right now? I thought long and hard about with whom I should collaborate, and I think my top priority was to bring to the table something new, something refreshing, something people haven't seen before. I myself love trying new things and that's how we got to brainstorming ideas. Then I thought my forte is definitely performance, so why don't I start from there and gather a group of professional dancers, and that's how I gathered my first batch of Xoul. How do you envision this looking like for you going forward in the future? One of the ideas that I have in mind… I've always had this dream of creating a band, so that could be one idea. But right now I'm going to really focus on the Xoul dancers. We're just going to nail the performances. I have a lot of time ahead of me, and I think I have a lot of potential, a lot of possibilities. I'm going to open it up to all the different things that I could do. Do you feel you've had any big changes in the way you work? Did you realize any new strengths during your debut preparation? When I was working on this debut, there's the B-side track called 'Heavenly Blue,' and I contributed to writing the lyrics for the song. I also created the choreography together with Xoul. It was my first time trying to pen the words of my own song, and I realized that I'm actually pretty good at it. I think I do have a little bit of a forte in writing [lyrics]. I think for any soloist, it's a bit daunting, having to figure out who you'll be as a singer. What was that process like for you? I'd like to be a soloist who appears the same on and off stage. I changed the S in my name to an X, but it's actually not that different sonically because it's still Seunghan. I want to be a soloist who can really be his true self on stage and show his true colors and essence. That's what I'm trying to go for. 'Waste No Time' is so much fun and a great debut single. Why did you feel like it was the right fit? The genre of the track is electronic dance, which incorporates a wide range of sounds. That's something I liked about the song, and it was in line with the kind of concept that I wanted to go with. When I thought about performance, I thought this was a song that could really mesh well with the performance that I can show on stage. When I heard the demo of the song, I knew right away that this was the right one. From the very beginning, I really wanted this song to be my debut track. Can you tell me a bit about working on choreography for this project and what that experience was like? To be honest, it was quite challenging in the beginning because it was my first time and [Xoul's] first time collaborating. We all had our own style, so it was very hard to come to a consensus in the beginning. But I realized that I was the one who had to lead the debate, so I orchestrated [the process] between us three, and they were very happy to give me a lot of ideas. I was happy to share my ideas, even the very bizarre ones. We had a lot of fun sharing and tossing around ideas and coming up with the choreography. To look ahead – you're at a new starting line, which can be nerve-wrecking but at the same time, very exciting. What are you hoping the future looks like for you as a soloist? What are your aspirations for the year ahead? Maybe it's a little early to say this, but my ultimate dream and goal is to drop an album where I creatively contributed in all the different aspects of all the tracks, including the choreography and writing the lyrics and the composition of the songs. That's my ultimate dream. [Also] to have that album drop and perform it live and receive the love and support of the fans. That's my dream. As an artist, people's perception of you is often out of your control, but you're a human being and an artist. You've put a great deal of work into this debut and likely have an idea of how you want people to feel. How are you hoping to be viewed as an artist? I just hope that when fans watch my performance and see me performing live, they get so excited and happy. They can't help but dance. That's what I want the fans to view me as. When I'm on stage, I want to be remembered as an artist who just lights the stage on fire and nails every performance. Speaking of fans, do you have a message to the fans who have been eagerly awaiting your debut and supporting you from afar for a while now? Thank you for the long wait. Because the wait was so long, I created music that was worth the wait. I hope you stay tuned and really enjoy the music. I'm really going to pour my heart and soul into the promotion for this album. I hope you love the music and love me too. I'd like to give you the chance to close a chapter for yourself. Is there anything you'd like to add about your exit from Riize and about your debut? [My solo debut is] a new beginning for me, so I hope everyone can look at me from a fresh perspective. I'm going to try my hardest to burn the soloist XngHan into your brain. I'm going to work hard to do that. 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