YG Enters "Full-Force Activity Season" in Second Half of Year... Aiming for a Comeback with New BLACKPINK Song and CONTINUED Activities by BABYMONSTER

YG Entertainment is set to launch full-scale activities for all its artists in the second half of the year. After being relatively quiet due to overseas tour commitments in the first half, YG is now preparing to capture attention in the music industry through intensive musical activities. BLACKPINK will lead YG’s efforts in this period. The group will kick off their full-member world tour at the Goyang Stadium main arena on July 5 and 6. A new song is scheduled to be unveiled during these performances. This marks the first release since their second studio album “BORN PINK” in 2022, approximately 2 years and 8 months later, and it is expected to further heighten excitement for the concerts, whose tickets for even the lower seating sections have already sold out. BABYMONSTER also has aggressive activity plans. Following the release of “Hot Sauce” on the 1st, the group will release a second single in September and a mini-album in October. Given their consistent growth driven by strong live performance skills, this new album is highly anticipated. Additionally, ICHANHYUK of AKMU will release his first solo studio album “AROS” on July 14 after three years without a solo project. He will then hold the “2025 AKMU Standing Concert Akdongdeul” at the Myunghwa Live Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, from August 8 to 24 over a period of three weeks. WINNER will hold a full-member concert from July 25 to 27, excluding Song Mino, followed by a Japan tour after approximately six years to meet local fans. TREASURE has also announced the release of a mini-album on September 1, meaning virtually all YG artists will be active in the second half of the year. The market has responded positively to these activity announcements. KB Securities raised its target price for YG from 87,000 won to 110,000 won last month and increased its annual operating profit estimate from 59 billion won to 67 billion won, a 13.2% rise. In fact, YG’s stock price rose by 3.25% to 95,200 won compared to the trading day 30 days earlier, and as of 11 a.m. on the 1st, it was trading at 95,900 won. However, despite these optimistic market assessments, concerns persist regarding the lack of new intellectual properties. Compared to girl groups that debuted around the same time, BABYMONSTER has not stood out significantly, and their activities have had a minimal impact on stock prices. To date, BLACKPINK remains YG Entertainment’s flagship girl group. After the failure to renew individual contracts for BLACKPINK last year, the company suffered an operating loss of 20.5 billion won due to the lack of outstanding performance from other artists, highlighting the importance of a generational transition. To overcome this challenge, YG is focusing all its efforts on the successful launch of the new four-member girl group “NEXTMONSTER” by the end of this year. Practice videos of members IBELLY and CHANYA have been released sequentially since May, attracting interest from global K-pop fans. Chief Producer HYUNSEOK expressed confidence in NEXTMONSTER, stating it will “become the new protagonist in YG’s girl group success story” and that the group “will be evaluated solely based on their skills and talent.” Meanwhile, YG is also working to strengthen its sustainable business practices. The “2025 Sustainability Report” released last month outlines plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 and RE100 status by 2025. For three consecutive years, the company has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 28% compared to the previous year and cut energy usage by 3.0%, while increasing the proportion of renewable energy used to 28.8%. The company is also developing an “environment-friendly album roadmap” to measure carbon emissions across the entire album production supply chain and reduce plastic use.