YG Entertainment, the entertainment company established by Yang Hyun Suk, of the popular Korean act Seo Tae Ji and Boys, has been at the forefront of the popularization of hip-hop music in Korea. The name of the company, "YG", is an abbreviation for "Yang Goon", a nickname given to the Executive Director/Founder Yang Hyun-suk. From its inception, YG Entertainment has been the birthplace of some of Korea's most popular and well-respected artists, from YG's earlier artists such as JINUSEAN and 1TYM, to the immensely successful current acts, BIGBANG and 2NE1,Epik High, Lee Hi, and PSY. A prominent entertainment company in South Korea, its record label is also one of the three big record labels in the K-pop industry, alongside SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment.
The company operates:
