Hanteo Global, KBS Media sign MOU to launch global K-culture festival

Hanteo Global and KBS Media are joining forces to expand the Hanteo Music Awards (HMA) into a broader global Korean culture festival, the two companies said Thursday.

Under the agreement, signed on Wednesday at the KBS Media Center in Mapo District, western Seoul, the companies will jointly develop H-Con, or Hallyu Convention — a large-scale global festival designed to bring together K-pop fans from around the world. The festival will feature K-pop concerts, events for fan communities and exhibitions.

The companies also plan to establish what they describe as a “one-stop partnership” covering the development of H-Con, the use of Hanteo Global’s K-pop data, the promotion of a global fandom platform Whosfan and the production of high-quality broadcast content.

The centerpiece of H-Con will be the HMAs, a music awards show based on data from Hanteo Chart — Korea’s first music chart with a 34-year history.

“It is meaningful to work with Hanteo Global, which has played a key role in the history of K-pop while setting standards for objective data, to develop the HMAs and the large-scale H-Con festival,” said Han Dong-gyu, head of the Content Production Division at KBS Media. “We will draw on KBS Media’s high-quality production capabilities and global media network to develop the HMAs into an unrivaled awards show and H-Con into a global festival that music fans around the world can trust and enjoy.”

Hanteo Global also highlighted the partnership’s potential to expand the HMAs' global presence.

“By partnering with a public broadcaster that has led Korea’s broadcasting and media industry, the HMAs have reached a turning point in its bid to establish itself as a leading global music awards show and major event,” said Kwak Young-ho, CEO of Hanteo Global. “We will bring together Hanteo Global’s big data accumulated over 34 years, AI technology and artist network to develop H-Con and the HMAs into cultural platforms that demonstrate K-culture’s global influence.”

BY SHIN WOO-JIN [[email protected]]