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| ▲ This image is provided by Kakao Entertainment on July 16, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- Kakao Entertainment is accelerating its global music business initiatives, with a focus on expanding its international presence in the second half of this year.
On the 16th, the company announced plans for various global activities, including launching major intellectual property (IP) projects, world tours, and overseas album releases for its artists.
One of the key projects is the debut of a UK boy group, created in collaboration with UK entertainment company Moon & Back (M&B). This group is a result of the synergy between Kakao Entertainment's global business network and SM Entertainment's expertise in music and artist planning. Despite being a UK group, the members underwent a 100-day K-pop training program in Seoul. This training process will be featured in a six-part TV series titled "Made in Korea: The K-pop Experience," which will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Kakao Entertainment's label artists will also be touring across the United States, Asia, and Europe to meet their international fans. IU will embark on a North American tour starting on the 15th in Newark, with subsequent stops in Atlanta, Washington, Rosemont, Oakland, and Los Angeles. In addition, she will hold a concert at Seoul's Sangam World Cup Stadium on September 21-22, becoming the first female solo artist to perform at this venue.
Girl group IVE is set to perform at the globally renowned music festival Lollapalooza in Chicago next month and will also participate in Japan's Summer Sonic festival. As part of their world tour, IVE will perform at Seoul's Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena on August 10-11 and will visit Tokyo Dome in September.
Boy group The Boyz will commence their third world tour, starting with the release of their third full-length album, "Gibberish," in Japan on the 19th. They will engage with fans across Asia, North America, and Europe throughout the latter half of the year.
Additionally, Kakao Entertainment is strengthening its partnerships with global entertainment companies. It is introducing K-pop through partnerships with Chinese music platforms QQ Music and NetEase Music.
Jang Yoon-jung, co-CEO of Kakao Entertainment and head of the music IP division, stated, "In the second half of this year, we will diversify the global activities of our label artists based on a global management system. We plan to expand and strengthen our network with various partners in the global entertainment industry and, together with SM, create and present local IPs worldwide."
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