MBW’s World Leaders is a regular series in which we turn the spotlight toward some of the most influential industry figures overseeing key international markets. In this feature, we speak to Tae-Ho Kim, Chief Operating Officer of HYBE and President of BELIFT LAB, where he leads the teams behind K-Pop groups ENHYPEN and ILLIT. World Leaders is supported by SoundExchange.
K-pop stars ENHYPEN are no strangers to big milestones.
The group, which was formed through HYBE’s global audition program I-LAND and debuted via HYBE-owned BELIFT Lab in 2020, became the fastest K-pop boy group to surpass three billion streams on Spotify, according to their label.
Less than five years after their debut (during the pandemic), they’ve become a global phenomenon. HYBE says that, with nearly 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 25 million followers on TikTok, they’re now the third-most influential K-Pop artist on social media. They’ve also claimed the position of sixth most viewed artist on TikTok globally, and third most viewed on the platform in K-pop.
ENHYPEN’s album sales success tells an equally impressive story. ORANGE BLOOD (2023) and ROMANCE : UNTOLD (2024) hit No.4 and No.2 on the Billboard Hot 200, respectively, with 1.87 million and 2.34 million first-week sales.
The group’s fan engagement levels are also remarkable. ENHYPEN hosted 220 livestreams on Weverse – HYBE’s proprietary superfan platform – last year, amassing 87 million real-time views and 137 million cumulative views, the highest among all artists on the platform. They were also the most active artist on Weverse by comments last year.
This weekend marks the group’s latest major milestone – their debut performance at Coachella.
As he explains in our wide-ranging interview below, Kim attributes BELIFT LAB’s success to its focus on “connecting [its] artists’ content to the fans.”
This fan-centric approach extends throughout HYBE’s ecosystem, Kim notes, and particularly through Weverse, where ENHYPEN boast the second-largest artist community on the platform after HYBE’s flagship act BTS.
Looking ahead, Kim sees both challenges and opportunities in the globalization of fandom-based businesses like K-Pop.
“K-pop needs tailored IP strategies that resonate with each region’s culture, language, and emotions,” he says.
And despite BELIFT LAB’s roster’s ongoing success, Kim’s ultimate goal transcends business metrics: “My primary focus is cultivating ‘happy artists,’” he says.
“Life in the spotlight is complex; providing unwavering support for their aspirations and translating that into musical and commercial success is crucial. In the end, my job is to facilitate the mutual growth of both the artists and the label.”
Here, Tae-Ho Kim tells us more about his career in the music industry, what differentiates BELIFT Lab from other K-Pop labels, and what the global music business can learn from K-Pop’s approach to superfans…
Can you please tell our readers about your journey to becoming the President of BELIFT LAB and COO of HYBE?
I first crossed paths with Chairman Bang [pictured] while I was serving as a marketing executive at JYP Entertainment, which was then a subsidiary of Daum (now known as Kakao). In 2016, I was appointed as an outside director of Big Hit Entertainment (now rebranded as HYBE), where I had many opportunities to sit down with him to have candid conversations on the future of K-pop.
By 2018, he was exploring the idea of combining various media channels with the precise music production mechanisms that led to BTS’ success, and the joint venture between Big Hit and CJ ENM was a means to actualize this vision. That’s when I came on board as the head of that Joint Venture, which eventually became BELIFT LAB.
After we established BELIFT LAB, we worked on I-LAND, the audition show that led to ENHYPEN’s debut. In March 2019, following Chairman Bang’s request, I took on the role of Chief Strategy Officer at HYBE to build a stronger organizational structure while simultaneously continuing to lead BELIFT LAB. As a side note, in 2023, HYBE acquired both CJ ENM’s and my shares in BELIFT LAB, making it a fully-owned subsidiary of HYBE.
Could you give us an overview of your broader remit within the wider HYBE organization?
As the President of BELIFT LAB, I am responsible for setting the concepts, market positioning, and growth strategies for both ENHYPEN and ILLIT. This means that I oversee every aspect of their journey, from defining their musical direction and conceptualizing music videos to making the final decisions on key aspects of the business, including live performances, business strategies, and marketing initiatives. My focus is on guiding our artists towards sustainable, meaningful success in the global music landscape, ensuring that the work we do at BELIFT LAB is aligned with their artistic vision and long-term growth.
As the COO of HYBE, I oversee the company’s overall business operations. Some of these include planning and producing high-quality offline and online concerts for HYBE artists (360), offering exclusive fan experiences through brand collaborations (IPX), and licensing, limited-edition merchandise, and the in-house production and distribution of original video content based on fans and artists (HYBE MEDIA STUDIO).
Taking on both roles is only possible because I work with amazing teams. I truly believe that HYBE has some of the best talent in the world. Being the head of a label also provides a unique advantage in shaping and driving HYBE’s vision for innovation in the music industry. Through our artists ENHYPEN and ILLIT, BELIFT LAB has pioneered groundbreaking business strategies and customer experiences that no other company or label has ever tried.
What leadership strategies have been most crucial to your success in launching and developing global K-pop acts like ENHYPEN and ILLIT?
It all comes down to how we connect our artists’ content to the fans. I see my role as connecting with the business side, building and managing key relationships behind the scenes while leveraging various media platforms to maintain communication with fans. It’s about orchestrating all these moving parts to create the perfect environment where our artists can truly thrive, continuously evolving in a space that nurtures their growth and creativity.
Who are the industry leaders or mentors who have most influenced your career?
Chairman Bang has continuously actualized his dream of revolutionizing not just K-pop, but the entire global music industry. It’s an incredibly difficult feat for one of the world’s top music producers to lead one of the largest entertainment companies, but he’s doing it better than anyone else. Having the privilege to work alongside him for almost a decade has been an incredible opportunity, and it’s inspiring to constantly witness his vision come to life.
The K-pop industry is incredibly competitive. How does BELIFT LAB differentiate itself in the market?
While we’ve taken a unique approach by debuting our artists through audition programs, our dedication to artist happiness and long-term well-being truly sets us apart.
We believe that true artist happiness requires more than just superficial care; it demands a profound focus on their growth, especially those finding fame young. Remaining grounded and evolving into healthy, well-rounded, independent, and self-aware individuals is paramount. Ultimately, it’s always about the people when it comes to K-pop.
How do you see BELIFT LAB positioned within HYBE today, and how is HYBE positioned within the global music industry?
Given my dual role as the COO of HYBE, BELIFT LAB naturally takes the lead in exploring new ventures and innovations within the company. True to the word “LAB” in our name, we operate like a startup — embracing the risk, and pushing the boundaries to drive innovation. We’re also unique in being the only label within HYBE that manages both a boy group and a girl group. Given the distinct musical styles and creative approaches of each, successfully managing both under one label is no small challenge.
BELIFT LAB’s focus goes beyond just achieving success, as we are committed to sharing these experiences and insights across HYBE. As part of HYBE’s multi-label system, we work closely with the other labels, drawing on each other’s unique strengths to create synergies. Looking ahead, my goal is to ensure sustainable growth for both HYBE and BELIFT LAB.
How does BELIFT LAB’s artist development model differ from other labels globally?
BELIFT LAB’s artist development model stands out from other labels, particularly in how much we value the emotional connection between artists and fans. Both ENHYPEN [pictured] and ILLIT were formed through audition programs, which allowed for close communication with fans from the very beginning.
One of the challenges with this model, though, is maintaining growth and interest after the debut. To overcome this, we focused on continuous fan engagement, adapting concepts and images that reflect what fans want, while highlighting each member’s individuality. Additionally, we prioritize storytelling that is centered around the artists’ emotions and life experiences, creating content that fans can truly connect with.
What was the vision behind ENHYPEN, and how did you approach their initial concept and training?
Even before their debut, ENHYPEN built a deep connection with global fans through the fan-vote-based audition program I-LAND. The goal was to create a sense of ownership for fans, making them feel like “they took an active part in helping the group debut,” which worked well. Voting took place in over 130 regions and countries, and by the time of their debut, over 2 million fans had already joined ENHYPEN’s Weverse community.
“Since then, we’ve strategically broadened their presence by embracing narrative-driven, character-focused storytelling that showcases the distinct personalities and charms of each member.”
Since then, we’ve strategically broadened their presence by embracing narrative-driven, character-focused storytelling that showcases the distinct personalities and charms of each member. ENHYPEN not only produced music and content centered around a “romantic vampire-themed universe” but also became the protagonists of Dark Moon, an original webtoon series that garnered over 100 million views globally. This series even captured the attention of general webtoon fans, creating a positive cycle of success. As a result, an animation series is also in the works.
What strategic elements contributed to ILLIT’s breakthrough debut?
ILLIT made one of the most impressive debuts in K-pop history with their debut mini-album SUPER REAL ME achieving incredible results, including a No.10 spot on the Billboard World Albums chart and No.15 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. Their title track Magnetic – produced by “hitman” Bang – entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #91, making it the first debut song to ever chart on the Hot 100 in K-pop history.
But it’s not just about the music. ILLIT’s concept, with their “quirky yet sweet and relatable” charm, filled a gap in the market. BELIFT LAB’s creative director, Serian Heu, played a key role. Her vision for the group’s concept and styling, along with the iconic “brand films” that have become a signature of ILLIT, were crucial in setting them apart. BELIFT LAB’s smart market strategy was essential in positioning ILLIT to resonate deeply with the audience.
How has the global music landscape changed for K-pop groups since ENHYPEN’s debut?
ENHYPEN is a group that debuted during the middle of the pandemic, which meant no offline fan activities, but it was also a time when digital fan culture was really taking off. They debuted through a global audition, and the whole process was all about fans from around the world getting involved. This made ENHYPEN unique because it wasn’t just about getting attention, it was about building a deep emotional connection with their fans right from the very start. That connection helped them grow quickly into a global artist with a strong fanbase, right off the bat since their debut.
Interestingly, ENHYPEN, despite being a K-pop group, boasts a much larger international fanbase than their domestic following in Korea, positioning them as a prime example of a “global artist.”
Their success showed just how important fan participation and connectedness are for a group’s global growth.
I truly believe ENHYPEN has also helped pave the way for other artists to connect with fans around the world in a meaningful way.
What are the biggest challenges in the K-pop industry today?
The K-pop industry has achieved unprecedented growth over the years, and as we look ahead, one of the big challenges is figuring out how to create a sustainable growth model within the music scene. The fandom-driven business model that once defined K-pop is no longer unique to the genre. Other industries like traditional entertainment, sports, e-sports, and gaming are quickly catching on.
As K-pop continues to grow globally, it’s becoming clear that fandoms have different tastes and expectations depending on where they are based. Given emotional connection is becoming key, K-pop needs tailored IP strategies that resonate with each region’s culture, language, and emotions.
“The K-pop industry has achieved unprecedented growth over the years, and as we look ahead, one of the big challenges is figuring out how to create a sustainable growth model within the music scene.”
In the long run, if K-pop is going to stay a global force, it can’t just be seen as a “Korean” cultural product, just like Taekwondo. At HYBE, we’re working hard to create a fully integrated fan experience both online and offline, expand into different types of IP-based content businesses, and offer unique, tailored experiences for superfans. Simultaneously, we’re also focusing on creating content and IP that’s specifically tailored to local markets, allowing us to connect with fans on a deeper, more meaningful level around the globe.
The music industry is very focused on superfans lately – what strategies have been most effective in building ENHYPEN’s global fanbase?
Connecting with their fans has always been a top priority for ENHYPEN and this active interaction has undoubtedly contributed to their global success. Ever since their debut, they have turned Weverse into a key space for direct communication with their global fans.
As a result, ENHYPEN had the highest engagement on Weverse, leaving the highest number of replies to fans according to Weverse’s Global Fandom Report 2024. By 2024, their Weverse community had grown to over 10 million global fans, making it the second-largest artist community on the platform after BTS.
What can the global music business learn from the K-pop industry when it comes to superfans and fan culture?
While general social media platforms are spaces where both passionate fans and general users share content, catering to broader, public-facing engagement, superfan platforms like Weverse are crafted specifically to strengthen the connection between artists and their most dedicated fans. It creates an exclusive space for real-time engagement, where artists can interact with fans worldwide in multiple languages, boosting satisfaction for both artists and fans. Even though in-person meetings aren’t possible, fans feel like they are part of the artists’ everyday lives. This feeling of intimacy and belonging is something that is a key part of the K-pop experience, which cultivates a strong superfan base.
What specific strategies have you employed to convert K-pop’s fanbase into a scalable, revenue-generating ecosystem?
At HYBE, we’ve built a dynamic ecosystem centered around artist IP, allowing fans to engage with their favorite artists in ways that go far beyond music. We started with core content like videos and music but expanded into fan-first superfan platforms, such as Weverse, as well as commerce through merchandise and album sales. Additionally, we offer immersive experiences like concerts and exhibitions, all of which are part of a carefully designed fan journey.
This structure not only enhances loyalty among existing fans but also attracts new fans, leading to a positive cycle that expands the reach of our fandoms. A prime example of this is the THE CITY project. HYBE’s THE CITY redefines concerts, transforming them from standalone events into citywide fan experience platforms. By combining collaborations with hotels, exhibitions, pop-up stores, fan gatherings, to other IP-driven content, we’ve maximized fan immersion while also expanding our fanbase regionally. Additionally, THE CITY has demonstrated the potential to expand the influence of K-pop by connecting with local economies and driving new engagement across various regions.
At HYBE, our goal is to expand K-pop beyond a single genre and build a fandom-driven industry. Ultimately, we aim to create an ecosystem that transforms fan engagement and emotional connection into long-term value.
How do fan engagement platforms like Weverse contribute to your overall business model?
I believe superfan platforms like Weverse offer much more than just a fan community. From a label’s perspective, Weverse includes features like Weverse Albums, exclusive merchandise, and various content, all of which serve as important touchpoints with fans.
This allows us to develop a stable and sustainable superfan strategy that’s specifically tailored to our artists’ fandom. Superfans, in particular, are deeply engaged and actively support the artists they love, making fan engagement platforms a key tool in strengthening the bond between fans and artists.
At BELIFT LAB, we design every project with Weverse in mind, and this approach has been heavily influenced by my role as COO of HYBE, overseeing the broader business strategy.
What other emerging technologies (for example AI) are you exploring for artist creation and fan engagement?
At BELIFT LAB, we’re open to using technology that can enhance the creative process and improve collaboration between teams. While innovative technologies and tools can be useful in developing creative ideas, the key is to use them in a way that doesn’t compromise the essence of creation. We’re also continuously exploring technologies that can strengthen our communication with fans by leveraging data, and we’re always looking for ways to help fans engage more actively in the artists’ journey.
What emerging trends in the global music industry are you most excited about that we should know about?
One trend I’m keeping an eye on right now is the globalization of fandom-based businesses, especially driven by superfans, and the growing need for diversifying IP strategies. This is both a key challenge and a significant opportunity for K-pop’s continued success.
Fandom-based businesses are no longer niche, and K-pop business models, including multi-album releases and fan-driven ventures, are actively influencing the traditional pop market. HYBE has been at the forefront of designing various fandom-based business structures, and moving forward, we will continue to expand our solution-based business leveraging our unique capabilities.
What’s exciting is that this opens up opportunities to tap into markets that need content and IP that reflect their local culture, language, and emotional sensibilities. This means we need more refined, region-specific strategies and fan experiences. HYBE has been all about discovering new artists and developing IP with a local focus, as is evident in the case of &TEAM in Japan and KATSEYE in the U.S.. They are both HYBE artists that debuted outside of Korea, and their success shows that we go beyond exporting K-pop. We’re creating organic, local IP ecosystems powered by HYBE’s creative vision and systems. This is an approach we plan to keep building on, and I believe it will play a crucial role in shaping HYBE’s growth moving forward.
What are your long-term ambitions for BELIFT LAB and the artists you work with?
As I mentioned earlier, my primary focus is cultivating “happy artists.” This means empowering them to focus on their work, experiencing artistic fulfillment through their music, and finding satisfaction in both their professional and personal lives. Life in the spotlight is complex; providing unwavering support for their aspirations and translating that into musical and commercial success is crucial. In the end, my job is to facilitate the mutual growth of both the artists and the label.
What are your short to long-term predictions for the global K-pop business?
Over the past decade, K-pop has experienced rapid global expansion, becoming more than just a music genre but a cultural phenomenon. In the short term, I believe this momentum will continue, with the loyalty of K-pop fans and the concentration of content consumption remaining one of K-pop’s greatest strengths.
The recovery of the global touring market, the growth of streaming, and the continuous debut of new artists will drive the industry in the short term, but eventually, these growth engines will reach their limits. Fans are looking for new, immersive experiences, and the diversity of fandoms across regions is growing.
To respond to these structural changes, HYBE is advancing its multi-label system through “HYBE 2.0,” enhancing the quality of fan experiences, and accelerating global business expansion. Based on a multi-home, multi-genre strategy to establish ourselves as leaders in each market, we are integrating K-pop expertise into each local market environment. At the same time, we’re broadening our reach into new genres, aiming to attract fans who haven’t yet connected with K-pop. This approach will help us bring even more fans into the HYBE universe and continue to evolve our business strategy for long-term success.
If there was one thing you could change about the music business what would it be and why?
If I could change one thing in the music industry, it would be the relentless pressure of rapid, deadline-driven production. In today’s fast-paced world, both music and content are consumed so quickly, and as a result, we often feel rushed. But I believe that the music and content that truly endure are the ones that have the power to capture people’s attention and emotions. Even if it means a slower pace, fostering an environment where we can make content that resonates with fans for the long term can ultimately hold greater value.
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