MLD Entertainment is a household name for long-time fans of K-Pop. For new fans, the company is pioneering extraordinary developments, expanding the reach of K-Pop worldwide. Similarly, for industry professionals, it represents innovation and novelty. At the forefront of it all is CEO Lee HyungJin, gearing up to shape the future of K-Pop.
Founded in 2015, MLD Entertainment is recognized as a major K-Pop company whose growth has been unprecedented over the years. It is the agency behind the launch of the legendary K-Pop group MOMOLAND and currently manages TFN, Lapillus, CocaNButter, and, most interestingly, HORI7ON.
For those who might not know, HORI7ON is the first all-Filipino boy group to train and debut in South Korea. The group was formed through ABS-CBN's "Dream Maker" - an idol survival show created in partnership with MLD Entertainment led by CEO Lee HyungJin and KAMP Korea.
HORI7ON made quite a buzz in the K-Pop fandom, garnering huge interest from all over the world. As fans look forward to the future of HORI7ON as well as other MLD Entertainment artists, Kpopmap had the incredible opportunity of sitting down with CEO Lee HyungJin to dive deeper into the company's vision.
Needless to say, the conversation that followed was not only insightful but also exciting, urging fans to look forward to the future of K-Pop. So, without further ado, let's see what CEO Lee HyungJin had to say!
Hello CEO Lee HyungJin. Welcome to Kpopmap! Please introduce yourself to our readers and global fans.
Hello, I am Lee HyungJin, the CEO and producer of MLD Entertainment. Our company, MLD Entertainment, is dedicated to discovering passionate and creative artists and leading them to success. Nice to meet you.
What inspired you to start a K-Pop entertainment company and what was your motivation behind it?
The inspiration for starting a K-Pop entertainment company came from my experience as a road manager since 1996. I started the company with a passion for the music industry and the motivation to help artists grow. With years of management experience, we have a vision to lead the K-Pop market in the future and deliver emotion and enjoyment to global fans through our music.
The recent collaboration between MLD Entertainment and "Dream Maker" was an important step towards globalizing K-Pop. The winning group, HORI7ON, is reportedly set to debut in Korea. Can you tell us what HORI7ON's future plans are?
HORI7ON is the first foreign collaborative idol group created by incorporating the K-Pop system. HORI7ON was selected through a survival program held in the Philippines. They recently arrived in Korea and have been focusing on preparing their album. Going forward, their reality program will air on Mnet and YouTube's "M2" channel from early July, and they will debut in Korea in July. Please look forward to HORI7ON's future activities.
Can you please tell us about the second group from “Dream Maker”, tentatively named "New MLD Boys"?
HORI7ON is a group consisting of 7 members, ranked from 1st to 7th, entirely based on the fans' choices. The second group, New MLD Boys, is made up of 5 members who possess interest and talent in music but couldn't make it into the top 7. The New MLD Boys are currently preparing for their debut in Korea, and after their debut, they will be holding a fan meeting in the Philippines. Both groups, HORI7ON and New MLD Boys, will have their own unique colors. HORI7ON will focus more on K-Pop, while New MLD Boys will utilize the Korean production system to engage in active promotions in the Philippines.
Do you have any plans to create K-Pop content in languages other than Korean, such as 'Dream Maker'?
Yes, MLD Entertainment has plans to produce K-Pop content in other languages in the future. We are operating based on the foundation of Korea's K-Pop system, so we haven't decided which countries we will specifically target, but we are considering producing content in various languages. We are striving to enter the global market to connect more deeply with our fans and deliver the charm of music to the world.
The K-Pop industry is famous for its intensive education and development programs for aspiring artists. Can you briefly explain what education programs are offered for trainees at MLD Entertainment and what steps are taken to debut?
At MLD Entertainment, we provide various education programs for our trainees. Aside from offering Korean language classes, training in artistic aspects such as vocals, choreography, and physical training as fundamentals, we also pay attention to health and diet management. We also strengthen members' self-expression and communication skills through interview practice and video shooting. We check the progress of the trainees on a weekly or monthly basis, selecting members who are working hard and those who can move forward together.
Do you think there is a difference in the needs of domestic and overseas fans? If so, are there any specific areas that you pay special attention to in order to achieve an effective balance?
Korean fans are known as pioneers of the K-Pop fandom culture, characterized by their high passion and quick feedback. They show deep affection for the group and exhibit interest in every aspect of the members' lives. On the other hand, international fans tend to have a broader perspective and place greater importance on cultural diversity. They show significant interest not only in the group's musical style but also in the individual personalities of the members and their various activities. To handle these differences in a balanced manner, MLD Entertainment focuses on several key aspects. Firstly, we enhance communication through multilingual support and various forms of communication via social media. Secondly, we strive to incorporate diverse cultures and genres into our music, based on the foundation of K-Pop. This allows us to provide fans with diverse musical experiences and meet their varied needs. We respect the diversity of our fans and make special efforts to create a group that is loved both domestically and internationally.
Having been in the entertainment industry for 26 years, we believe you have a unique perspective on the K-Pop market. How do you think the K-Pop industry has developed in recent years, and what changes do you anticipate in the future?
I think the K-Pop industry has made significant progress in recent years. While luck may have played a part, it is ultimately the result of the combined efforts of many people involved in the K-Pop industry. Thanks to the dedication of the agencies and artists who prepare K-Pop, we have been able to make strong connections with overseas fans and gain global recognition. I think K-Pop has been able to make the progress it has because of this hard work and sincerity that has been conveyed to overseas fans. As for future changes, we expect localization of K-Pop to play a major role. It is important to strengthen the connection and understanding with local fans by considering the culture and taste of each country. Through this, we expect K-Pop to develop in various forms. In addition, as the rapid changes in the global market and the influence of digital platforms continue to grow, the K-Pop industry will need to flexibly respond to these changes and develop new business models and creative content. MLD Entertainment will always be open to these changes and challenges, and will strive to strengthen our connection to the global market and our fans.
What is your perspective on the growing interest in virtual idols and metaverse, and does MLD Entertainment have any plans to respond to this trend?
We are aware of the growing interest in virtual idols and metaverses, and we believe that this has a lot to do with the trends of the digital age. Young people are very interested in interacting with their idols in a virtual space and enjoying the experience of living in a virtual world. However, MLD Entertainment does not currently have any plans for virtual idols. We believe in the importance of live interaction between artists and fans at venues or in the field. While online performances are important, we believe it's more effective to have artists and fans live and interact with each other, which is why we're focusing on live and active idols rather than virtual idols. At MLD Entertainment, we're looking for ways to bring fans closer to the action. We want to strengthen the connection between artists and fans through real-time communication with fans, offline events, fan meetings, etc. By doing so, we hope to make the performance experience more special and fully reflect the participation and passion of fans.
As a leader in the K-Pop entertainment industry, what do you consider to be the strengths of TFN and Lapillus?
TFN and Lapillus have their own strengths. TFN is a global Korean-Japanese collaboration team consisting of 5 Korean members and 4 Japanese members. This gives us the advantage of linguistic diversity and the globalized personalities of our members. TFN has released an album in Spanish and is planning to release their second album in Spanish in August. This diversity of languages and cultures allows TFN to connect with fans in different regions.
Lapillus is a global idol group with members of Argentine-Philippine descent, Chanty, a Japanese member, Shana, and a Chinese-American member, Yue, as well as members of Korean nationality. This makes the group linguistically global as well as embodying the personality of each member's country. Lapillus has plans to localize and release not only K-Pop songs in Korean, but also songs in other languages. This will allow the group to communicate with fans in different regions through different languages and cultures, and showcase their differentiated appeal.
TFN and Lapillus are working to strengthen communication with local fans and maximize the group's global appeal through linguistic diversity and localization. Based on these strengths, we expect to grow and develop further in the future.
Through collaboration with KAMP Global, MLD Entertainment is making various attempts to expand globally through market-specific localization. What do you think is the merit of this strategy used by MLD Entertainment?
MLD Entertainment, in collaboration with KAMP Global, is making various attempts to expand globally through market-specific localization. The main advantage of this strategy is localization. Through our business trips abroad and our experiences with various international fans, we realized the importance of collaborating with local music that takes into account the cultural characteristics of each country. We believe that breathing with the local music and blending in harmoniously with the culture is the most essential factor, especially since KAMP Global hosts the largest K-Pop festivals overseas.
Lastly, can you give some advice to help young people overseas who want to become K-Pop idols?
In terms of advice that might help those who are trying to become K-Pop idols abroad, the most important thing would be adaptability. If you grew up in a different country and experienced a different culture, you might have a hard time adapting, but I believe that if you have the passion to pursue your dreams and have a curious and open mind to new cultures and music, you can overcome the difficulties. Also, adapting to the system of K-Pop is an important process, and many aspiring K-Pop idols overseas already understand the system of K-Pop, so this is a great starting point. I believe that if you work hard and put your heart into it, you will get good results. In the end, there will be a bright future for those who challenge themselves without losing their dreams and passion.
Are you excited for what MLD Entertainment has in store for us next? Share your thoughts with Kpopmap in the comments section down below!
