MBK Entertainment

MBK Entertainment
Native name
MBK 엔터테인먼트
FormerlyGM Planning (1999–2007)
Core Contents Media (2007–2014)
Unlisted company
Industry
Genre
FoundedJanuary 9, 2007 (2007-01-09) (Core Contents Media)
October 14, 2014 (2014-10-14) (MBK Entertainment)
FounderKim Kwang-soo
FateDefunct in 2022. Most of the music catalogs were sold to Beyond Music, while the publishing rights were held by Dreamus.
HeadquartersYeoksam, Gangnam,
Seoul
,
South Korea
Key people
Kim Tae-kyung (CEO)
Services
  • Music production
  • Licensing
  • Record distribution
  • Artists Management
ParentCJ E&M Music (2006–2009)
MBK (2014–2016)
SubsidiariesDAP Sound (2014)
PocketDol Studio (2017)
M25 (2022)

MBK Entertainment (Korean: MBK 엔터테인먼트) was a South Korean entertainment company established by Kim Kwang-soo. MBK Entertainment is known for managing multiple successful K-pop artists, such as T-ara, DIA, Davichi, SeeYa, F-ve Dolls, Shannon, Coed School, and SPEED.

The company was originally founded in 1999 as GM Planning. The company was absorbed by Mnet Media in 2006, following Kim Kwang-soo joint with CJ Group as their director. In 2007, the company re-launch as Core Contents Media under Mnet Media. In September 2009, Kim Kwang-soo was removed from the list as director of Mnet Media and then effectively his own company ended business with Mnet Media.

On October 1, 2014, Core Contents Media had been acquired by MBK Co., Ltd. (formerly CS ELSOLAR Co., Ltd.) and renamed as MBK Entertainment (abbreviation for "Music Beyond Korea").[1][2]

In December 2016, MBK Entertainment parent company MBK suspended their entertainment business.[3]

In May 2018, Kim Kwang-soo and its subsidiary label The Unit: Idol Rebooting Project Culture Industry Company (then-known as PocketDol Studio) were revealed to have a secret partnership with PD Han Kyeong-cheon to produce survival program The Unit: Idol Rebooting Project. He also confirmed that he would be focused as producer for winning group UNB and UNI.T.[4][5]

In October 2018, MBK and MBC launched a talent show titled Under Nineteen, a contest for male trainees under the age of 19 years old to compete for a spot to be in a new K-pop idol group 1the9. The final winners would sign a 12-month contract under MBK (then PocketDol Studio) after a 5-month contract with MBC.[6]

In April 2020, two contestants representing MBK in Produce X 101, Hangyul and Dohyon debuted as duo H&D under PocketDol Studio. In May 2020, DIA were transferred to sub-label PocketDol Studio ahead of their June comeback.[citation needed]

As of 2022, the company became defunct and closed after moving to its subsidiary label PocketDol Studio.[citation needed]

  1. ^ "코어콘텐츠미디어, Mbk엔터테인먼트로 재출범…'소속 연예인들 행보는?'".
  2. ^ "MBK ENTERTAINMENT CEO GO GEON HEE, "T-ARA WILL BE THE FUTURE OF HALLYU IN CHINA."". tiaradiadem. January 21, 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-10-07. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  3. ^ ""티아라·다이아 회사 아니예요"…Mbk엔터, 때아닌 '사업중단' 해프닝". 12 December 2016.
  4. ^ "[김광수 인터뷰⑤]"수십억 적자 속 '더유닛' 우승팀 전폭지원, 약속 지키기 위해"". entertain.naver.com. May 17, 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  5. ^ "[김광수 인터뷰⑤]"수십억 적자 속 '더유닛' 우승팀 전폭지원, 약속 지키기 위해"". sportsseoul.com. May 17, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-05-17. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  6. ^ "'언더나인틴', MBC-MBK가 만들 '틴에이저 아이돌'의 시작(종합)". enter.etoday.co.kr. October 30, 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2018-10-30.