Bang Si-hyuk

(Redirected from "Hitman" Bang)

Bang Si-hyuk (Korean방시혁; born August 9, 1972) is a South Korean music executive, record producer and songwriter who is a co-founder and the chairperson of Hybe Corporation. He founded the record label Big Hit Music (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) and entertainment company Hybe Corporation both in 2005.

Bang Si-hyuk
Closeup upper body shot of Bang Si-hyuk posing after signing a MOU for cooperation between Hybe and Busan City for the Busan World Expo 2030 in June 2022
Bang in June 2022
Born (1972-08-09) August 9, 1972 (age 52)
Seoul, South Korea
Other names"Hitman" Bang
EducationSeoul National University (BA)
Occupations
Years active1994–present
Title
FatherBang Geuk-yoon [ko]
Korean name
Hangul
방시혁
Hanja
房時爀
Revised RomanizationBang Sihyeok
McCune–ReischauerPang Sihyŏk
Websitehybecorp.com

One of the 50 wealthiest people in South Korea according to Forbes Asia, Bang is the only billionaire in the South Korean entertainment industry. By July 2021, his reported net worth was an estimated $3.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Early life and education

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Bang Si-hyuk was born to Bang Geuk-yoon [ko], former president of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Corporation at the Korea Social Insurance Research Institute,[1] and his wife, Choi Myung-ja.[2] Bang has a younger sister.[3]

Bang developed a passion for music from an early age, having grown up in a musical home, but was discouraged from pursuing a career in the industry by his parents.[4][5] Bang formed a band with his friends while in middle school and wrote and performed songs he composed.[2][6] He attended Kyunggi High School before graduating from Seoul National University with a degree in aesthetics.[7]

His distant relative, Bang Jun-hyuk, is the founder of Netmarble, South Korea's largest mobile-gaming company,[8] while his maternal uncle, politician and former journalist Choi Kyu-sik, was appointed as the South Korean ambassador to Hungary in 2018.[2][9]

Career

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Bang debuted as a composer while in college.[7] In 1994, he won the Yoo Jae-ha Music Contest and began his career in earnest writing and producing songs.[10] He met Park Jin-young in 1997, and the pair often partnered together as a songwriting duo. When Park founded his company JYP Entertainment, Bang joined him as a composer, arranger and producer.[5][11][12] One of their early successes was the first-generation group g.o.d.[11] Some of g.o.d's most famous songs arranged by Bang include "One Candle" and "Road". Bang's stage name "Hitman" originated from this period, when g.o.d enjoyed success as one of the country's best-selling and most popular boy bands of the early 2000s, earning himself and Park a reputation as "hit makers".[11][13] Besides g.o.d, Bang has produced or composed for many other artists, including veterans Im Chang-jung and Park Ji-yoon, singer-actor Rain, groups Wonder Girls, 2AM, and Teen Top, and R&B singer Baek Ji-young.[11][13][14]

In 2005, Bang left JYP and founded his own company, Big Hit Entertainment, where he continued to write, compose and produce for its artists.[13][15] Under the Big Hit label, he signed up RM, at age 15, who would go on to lead the boy band BTS.[16] He co-wrote six songs for BTS in their 2016 album Wings. Its success garnered Bang the Best Producer Award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards and the Songwriter Award at the Melon Music Awards that year. In June 2018, he was named one of Variety's International Music Leaders due to BTS' achievements.[17]

In April 2019, Bloomberg estimated Bang's worth to be about $770 million.[18] The BigHit initial public offering (IPO) filed in October 2020 was the largest seen in South Korea in three years and skyrocketed Bang's net worth to $2.8 billion,[19][20] making him the only billionaire in South Korea's entertainment industry and the sixth-richest person in the country.[21][22][23] The success of the IPO, together with the commercial success of BTS that year, Bang's steps into diversification with apps like Weverse, and acquisitions of companies like Source Music and Pledis Entertainment among others, landed him on the 2020 edition of Variety's Variety500, an annual index of the 500 most influential business leaders in the global media industry.[24][25]

In June 2021, Forbes Asia published its annual list of Korea's 50 Richest People. One of only two newcomers to the ranking, Bang was listed as the 16th richest person in South Korea.[26][27] On July 1, following an organizational restructuring, Hybe Corporation announced Bang's resignation as CEO of the company to return his focus to music production. He was replaced by Park Ji-won, but retained his position as Chairman of the Board of Directors.[28][29] According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bang is worth an estimated $3.2 billion as of July 2021.[30]

Bang was featured on the cover of the April 2022 issue of Time magazine, together with BTS, following the release of the outlet's annual list of the 100 Most Influential Companies in March.[31][32] Later that month, he received an honorary doctorate in Business from Seoul National University—he is the first figure in the entertainment industry to be awarded such—in recognition of his "contribution to the development and innovation of the nation's cultural and entertainment industry" and for his "role in turning K-pop into a global pop music culture".[33]

Other activities

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Philanthropy

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In October 2022, Bang donated 5 billion won (approximately $3.5 million) to the Community Chest of Korea.[34]

On February 17, 2023, Bang donated 200 million won to help 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, by donating money through Save the Children.[35]

Production discography

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Year Artist Album Notes
2007 Wonder Girls The Wonder Years
2009 Taegoon 1st Mini Album
T-ara Absolute First Album Production and writing credits on "Like the First Time"
2010 2AM Saint o'Clock
2011 Lee Hyun You Are the Best of My Life
Homme Homme by Hitman Bang
Lee Seung-gi Tonight
Teen Top Roman With composer Park Chang-hyeon
2012 Lee Hyun The Healing Echo
2013 BTS 2 Cool 4 Skool Co-produced with Pdogg
O!RUL8,2? Co-produced with Pdogg
2014 Skool Luv Affair
Skool Luv Affair Special Addition
1st Japan Single Album: No More Dream
2nd Japan Single Album: Boy In Luv
Dark & Wild
3rd Japan Single Album: Danger
Wake Up
2015 The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1
4th Japan Single Album: For You
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2
5th Japan Single Album: I Need U
6th Japan Single Album: Run
2016 The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever
Youth
Wings
2017 You Never Walk Alone
Love Yourself 承 Her
2018 Love Yourself 轉 Tear
Love Yourself 結 Answer
IZ Angel "Angel" with Supreme Boi, co-composed "Granulate" with Kim Do-hoon
2019 TXT The Dream Chapter: Star
BTS Map of the Soul: Persona
BTS World: Original Soundtrack
TXT The Dream Chapter: Magic
2020 GFriend 回:Labyrinth
BTS Map of the Soul: 7
TXT The Dream Chapter: Eternity
GFriend 回:Song of the Sirens
BTS Map of the Soul: 7 ~The Journey~
TXT Minisode1: Blue Hour
GFriend 回:Walpurgis Night Co-wrote "Mago", production and writing credits in "Apple" and "Labyrinth"
Enhypen Border: Day One
2021 Border: Carnival
TXT The Chaos Chapter: Freeze
Seventeen Your Choice
TXT The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape
Enhypen Dimension: Dilemma
2022 Dimension: Answer
Le Sserafim Fearless Executive Producer
TXT minisode 2: Thursday's Child
Enhypen Manifesto: Day 1
Le Sserafim Antifragile Executive producer
2023 TXT The Name Chapter: Temptation
Le Sserafim Unforgiven Executive producer
&Team First Howling : WE Production and writing credits in "Firework"
2024 Illit Super Real Me Production credits on "Magnetic"
TXT Minisode 3: Tomorrow Production credits on "- --- -- --- .-. .-. --- .--", "Deja Vu" and "Miracle"
Le Sserafim Crazy Production credits on "Crazy" and "Pierrot"
Illit I'll Like You Production credits on "Tick Tack"
TXT The Star Chapter: Sanctuary Production credits on "Over the Moon" and "Resist (Not Gonna Run Away)"

Lyrics and composition

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Recognition

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Awards

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Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee(s) of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Work(s) Result Ref.
Melon Music Awards 2009 Songwriter Award Won [36]
Mnet 20's Choice Awards 2010 20's Most Influential Star Award Won [37]
Korea Music Copyright Awards 2011 Best Lyricist (Ballad) Won [7]
Best Songwriter (Ballad) Won
Masterpiece Award Won [38]
Asia Artist Awards 2016 Best Producer Award Won [39]
Melon Music Awards Songwriter Award Won [40]
Mnet Asian Music Awards Special Awards – Best Executive Producer Won [41]
Golden Disc Awards 2017 Best Producer Won [42]
Gaon Chart Music Awards Producer of the Year Won [43]
Korea Content Awards Presidential Commendation Won [44]
Seoul Music Awards 2018 Producer Award Won [45]
Genie Music Awards Producer Award Won [46]
Mnet Asian Music Awards Producer of the Year Won [47]
Edaily Culture Awards Frontier Award Won [48]
Pony Chung Innovation Awards 2020 Innovation Award Won [49]
Mnet Asian Music Awards Best Executive Producer of the Year Won [50]

Listicles

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Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.
Billboard 2018 International Power Players – Recording Placed [51]
2019 New Power Generation: 25 Top Innovators Placed [52]
International Power Players – Recording Placed [53]

References

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  1. ^ Kim, Jun-ho (February 14, 2019). 방탄소년단 탄생시킨 방시혁의 아버지 방극윤 전 이사장 "나는 기타 하나 사준 것 밖에 없습니다" [Bang Geuk-yoon, the father of Bang Sihyuk who birthed BTS, said "the only thing I did was buy him a guitar"]. Jeonbuk Ilbo [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Kim, Gye-young (February 1, 2019). [방시혁 대표의 어머니 최명자 여사] 온유하며 강인한 어머니의 사랑이 이룬 결실 [[CEO Bang Si-hyuk's mother, Ms. Choi Myeong-ja] The fruits of her strong and gentle mother's love]. Today's Korea (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  3. ^ Kim, Eun-ju (September 9, 2010). [쿠키人터뷰] '히트 메이커' 방시혁 "미쓰에이 보고 충격 받았다". Kuki News (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  4. ^ Hwang, Mi-hyeon (April 28, 2011). 방시혁, 서울대 강의 "완전체아이돌 나올 것" [Bang, Shi-hyuk, Seoul National University Lecture "A complete idol will emerge"]. OSEN [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2019 – via The Chosun Ilbo.
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