Yang Hyun Suk: From YG's powerful "father Yang" to a scandalous "boss" in prison, now what?

With the success of BIGBANG, Yang Hyun Suk and YG for many years have become a powerful empire that everyone respects. However, from the beloved father Yang of the family idol series, Yang Hyun Suk later lost everything due to scandal and almost went to jail.

"Dad" Yang and the YG empire

Yang Hyun Suk (born 1970) rose to fame as a member of Seo Taiji and Boys in the 1990s. According to the Korea Herald, Seo Taiji and Boys are music legends in Korea. They experimented with popular genres of Western music and pioneered the use of rap in popular music. This changed the Korean music industry.

In 1996, after the group disbanded, Yang Hyun Suk founded YG Entertainment, thereby bringing this company into the B.ig 3 "big three" in the Korean entertainment industry besides SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. YG stormed the Korean music scene with a series of popular names such as Seven, Big Bang, 2NE1, Psy, Winner, iKon, Epik High, and Blackpink...

The period 2006 to 2011 can be said to be the most important time of YG, with the explosion of two groups that make up the company's brand, Big Bang and 2NE1. At that time, Yang Hyun Suk made an impression because he dared to break the principle of respecting the appearance of idol artists, putting talent first.

Up until now, Big Bang and 2NE1 are still typical representatives of the new idol image with a thorny, novel style that respects creativity, expressed through unique and explosive music products. explode.

Big Bang's Haru Haru and "I Am The Best" are still the melodies that "live forever" in the hearts of fans, reminiscent of the glory days of YG. In 2012, YG continued to create a spectacular hit when releasing Psy's Gangnam Style.

Gangnam Style and horse dance have brought YG's reputation out of Asia and affirmed its brand internationally, with many "terrible" achievements such as w.inning at MTV Europe Music Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards...

At the end of 2012, Gangnam Style became the first video to be viewed more than 1 billion times in Internet history. Yang Hyun Suk also directly participated in that hit hit.

One of Yang Hyun Suk's successes must be mentioned Blackpink as the person behind building the most powerful music empire in Kpop. YG's "youngest brother", Blackpink, continuously achieved many successes after debuting in 2016.

Two years after their debut, Blackpink is already the highest-charting K-pop g.irl group on both the Billboard H.ot 100 and Billboard 200.

According to Bloomberg's late 2020 rankings, Blackpink is the biggest pop band in the world. This is the first time a Korean group has topped the pop star power chart. Having been absent for more than 2 years, Blackpink still retains the heat and attracts attention every time they appear.

Blackpink's success comes from many factors. In addition to the members' talents, visuals, and catchy songs in both melody and choreography, the company YG Entertainment founded by Yang Hyun Suk also laid the foundation for this popularity.

Yang Hyun Suk is not only a "golden hand" that molds many stars for the Korean music industry, but also builds the image of YG Entertainment as a place where artists are free to create in a loving family-like atmosphere. TOP, Big Bang member also respectfully called Yang Hyun Suk "Dad Yang".

Empire no longer king

The YG empire is still flourishing with Blackpink's overseas tours, the comeback plans of many artists until the day "the king" announced his abdication, after many serious scandals occurred in the company.

One of the first scandals that seriously affected YG was that of TOP, with two years of probation for using banned substances in 2017. In early 2019, Korean showbiz was shaken by the scandal of another B.ig Bang member, Seungri, when the Burning Sun nightclub he managed was accused of being involved in p.rostitution, drug trafficking and bribery.

During the investigation of the Burning Sun case, Seuring was also accused of being involved in an online chat group that shared sensitive videos of many women without their consent, with many other famous names such as singers. Jung Joon Young and FT Island member Choi Jong Hoon.

He himself has not been caught up in any rumors about his personal life, but by the end of May this year, "godfather" Yang Hyun Suk was also accused of brokering a "prostitute" after MBC released an investigative report named Straight on May 27. He was also previously accused of tax evasion.

The "final" punch to overthrow the throne of "Dad Yang" was probably when member BI of the iKON group left the group, after being accused of buying banned substances 3 years ago. The incident caused Yang Hyun Suk to then give up his position as the company's president.

In his resignation letter, Yang apologized to fans and thanked the staff who were still working hard in the midst of the scandal, and announced that YG had many talents who could replace him.

"I have patiently endured this situation, where words are being spread thoughtlessly as if it were true. But I don't think I can stand it any longer. Artists and people YG fans shouldn't be hurt because of me.

I spent 23 years and half of my life for YG. Supporting the best artists and making the best music is my greatest happiness," he wrote.

The trial of Yang Hyun Suk lasted for many years. Sports Seoul reported on December 22, Yang Hyun Suk - former CEO of the entertainment company YG Entertainment - was found innocent in the first-instance trial. Yang Hyun Suk began to be investigated from June 2020 under the accusation of threatening witness Han Seo Hee to help Kim Han Bin (a male singer once under YG) cover up his use of banned substances.

At the latest trial, the judge stated that there was not enough evidence to conclude that the defendant threatened the victim. According to YTN, the most important factor affecting the verdict is the reliability of witness Han Seo Hee.

The court said there was no indication that the witness was fearful, acted or acted abnormally as a result of intimidation. In addition, after reviewing the investigation file and Han Seo Hee's media interview, the court found that Yang Hyun Suk's statement that Han Seo Hee provided in the testimony "became more and more specific, provoke".

This made the court doubt the reliability of the testimony that Han Seo Hee gave based on memory. After the trial, Yang Hyun Suk replied to a Korean reporter, "I respect the judge's decision."

Currently, after the ruling, Yang Hyun Suk has begun to gradually return to YG and recently continued the company's new group B.aby Monster. Despite many scandals, there is no denying the talent of the former president of YG and his extremely important role in helping YG and other groups achieve their current success.

YG moves to "reject" BLACKPINK, revealing the fate of Ahyeon (BABYMONSTER) Châu Anh06:10:05 02/01/2024YG's move towards BLACKPINK and BABYMONSTER just before the new year attracted attention from fans. At the same time, the comeback time of Ahyeon (BABYMONSTER) was also revealed by president Yang Hyun Suk.