YG Entertainment Accelerates Strategic Push with Increased Activities for Kang Seungyoon, BLACKPINK, and BABYMONSTER

YG Entertainment is implementing significant structural changes to its corporate strategy by expanding the activity schedules of its artists on a large scale. Samsung Securities believes these changes are yielding tangible results and has raised its target price for YG Entertainment from 90,000 won to 110,000 won. Currently, YG Entertainment’s schedule is becoming increasingly packed with world tours and new song releases. BLACKPINK will embark on a world tour starting with a concert in South Korea next month, while BABYMONSTER plans to release singles next month and in September, followed by a mini album in October. TREASURE will release a mini album in September and begin a world tour in October, and WINNER has also finalized tour dates in South Korea and Japan. Kang Seungyoon of WINNER will conclude his solo concert tour, which has been ongoing for four years, with a final show in Seoul. After successfully completing performances in Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Gwangju, Kang Seungyoon is set to hold concerts at Myunghwa Live Hall in Seoul on the 28th and March 1st. He will then meet local fans during his Japanese tour, performing in Osaka on March 14th and in Tokyo on March 15th. The Seoul concerts feature an undisclosed special guest, further raising fan anticipation. Choi Min-ha, a researcher at Samsung Securities, stated, “YG Entertainment has reaffirmed its efforts to address past market concerns by releasing its schedule for the second half of the year.” She added that artist activity cycles will become shorter and the roster will expand in the future. She also mentioned that the company currently has two male and two female Trainee groups, with a girl group set to Debut after the boy group next year. Based on the expectation of continued aggressive moves starting in July, Samsung Securities has raised its estimates for YG Entertainment’s operating profits for this year and next by 16% and 7%, respectively.