HYBE (352820.KS), the music company behind BTS, has joined the Korea Venture Business Association as a vice chair member.
The association said on the 19th that it named six companies as new executive members at its third regular board meeting of 2026, held on the 18th. Four executives were appointed vice chairs: HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang, LB Investment (309960.KS) CEO Park Ki-ho, Keumyong Machinery CEO Lee Jun-hyeok and Musicow Chairperson Jung Hyun-kyung. Two others joined as directors: Lbox CEO Lee Jin and TUgether CEO Seo Jae-won.
The association said it expects cooperation between the content industry and the venture ecosystem to expand with a major K-pop agency serving as a vice chair member. HYBE has been expanding its global business by combining music with content, intellectual property and platform operations.
The association said the five other companies granted executive membership have opened new markets or supported venture firms and startups based on experience built up in their respective industries. LB Investment is a leading venture capital firm that has invested in more than 500 domestic startups over nearly three decades. Keumyong Machinery has secured a competitive position in textile machinery and industrial machinery based on long-accumulated manufacturing technology. Musicow is developing a new cultural finance market that combines music with financial products.
Lbox provides legal technology services that apply artificial intelligence to legal information and court rulings. TUgether is pursuing expansion in medical services based on its management and administrative support capabilities in healthcare.
The association plans to build a framework for cooperation covering the promotion of startups in new industries, support for the growth of venture firms, expanded investment and business partnerships, and improvements to policies and regulations. "We will strengthen the association's role in expanding connections and cooperation across industries and in creating an ecosystem where new venture companies can emerge in a wide range of fields," said Song Byung-joon, chairman of the Korea Venture Business Association.
