100 Entertainment and Industry Professionals Vote On The Best Of K-Pop

Here’s what industry professionals think is the best of K-Pop.

100 Entertainment and industry professionals voted on what they believed what the best of K-Pop is, including the best artists, the leaders of the next generation of artists, and the best companies.

The first vote was for who they believed the Representative Face of Hallyu was for fans around the world, and it was no surprise to see BTS on top. Out of a total of 96 professionals who voted, almost 90% of them voted for BTS!

  1. BTS (96 votes)
  2. Big Hit Entertainment (2 votes)
  3. Actress Song Hye Kyo (2 votes)
  4. Writer Kim Eun Sook (2 votes)

The next vote was for who the professionals believed to be the TOP 3 players (artists) who represent K-Pop right now. Once again, BTS is leading the way. Professionals were allowed to pick up to 3 artists.

  1. BTS (90 votes)
  2. EXO (58 votes)
  3. TWICE (51 votes)
  4. BLACKPINK (19 votes)
  5. BIGBANG (9 votes)
  6. TVXQ (5 votes)
  7. Wanna One (5 votes)
  8. SEVENTEEN (4 votes)
  9. PSY (4 votes)

The third vote was for which executive producer represents K-Pop the best, and none other than Hitman Bang tops the vote.

  1. Bang Si Hyuk – Big Hit Entertainment (26 votes)
  2. Lee Soo Man – SM Entertainment (16 votes)
  3. Park Jin Young – JYP Entertainment (12 votes)
  4. Yang Hyun Suk – YG Entertainment (7 votes)

The fourth vote was for which entertainment agency represents K-Pop the best, and SM Entertainment still leads the way here.

  1. SM Entertainment (69 votes)
  2. JYP Entertainment (60 votes)
  3. Big Hit Entertainment (55 votes)
  4. YG Entertainment (20 votes)

The fifth vote was for which K-Pop groups would lead the next generation of the Hallyu Wave, both in Korea and around the world. JYP’s newest girl group ITZY leads the way.

  1. ITZY (40 votes)
  2. BLACKPINK (29 votes)
  3. TXT (22 votes)
  4. NCT (18 votes)
  5. Stray Kids (11 votes)
  6. SEVENTEEN (9 votes)
  7. IZ*ONE (9 votes)
  8. MONSTA X (8 votes)
  9. (G)I-DLE (8 votes)

The 100 entertainment industry officials who voted come from a variety of sectors, including entertainment agencies, actor agencies, broadcast companies, movie production companies, and production teams.

  • Kang Dong Young – Team Leader, Lotte Culture Works Communications Team
  • Kang Soo Jin – Leader, Loen Entertainment Creative Center
  • Kang Tae Gyu – Public culture critic
  • Kang Hyo Mi – CEO, First Look
  • Kang Hye Jung – CEO, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove
  • Kwon Seok – Ledaer, MBC Variety Department
  • Kwon Chang Hyun – CEO, Music K
  • Kim Gyo Shik – CEO, HNS HQ
  • Kim Dae Hee – Department head, CGV Promotional Team
  • Kim Sang Ho – Director, JYP Entertainment
  • Kim Sang Heon – CEO, Green Snake Media
  • Kim Seok Hyun – Department head, tvN Production and Digital Contents
  • Kim Sung Hwan – CEO, About FIlm
  • Kim Sook Kyung – Director, Jellyfish Entertainment
  • Kim Young Seob – CEO, SBS Contents Hub
  • Kim Yeon Soo – Vice President, Pledis Entertainment
  • Kim Eun Ah – Director, SM Entertainment
  • Kim Jang Gyun – CEO, Management SOOP
  • Kim Jung Min – CEO, Film K
  • Kim Jong Do – CEO, Namoo Actors
  • Kim Ji Woo – Vice President, Celltrion Entertainment Drama Operations
  • Kim Jin Woo – CEO, RBW
  • Nam Goong Chan – CEO, FAVE Entertainment
  • Nam Seung Yong – Department Head, SBS Variety Division
  • Noh Young Ryeol – Chief Director, Amoeba Culture
  • Noh Yoon Ae – CEO, Y Tree
  • Rhymer – CEO, Brand New Music
  • Moon Bo Mi – CEO, HB Entertainment
  • Moon Bo Hyun – Center Director, KBS Drama
  • Park Sung Hye – CEO, KeyEast
  • Park Se Jin – CEO, Polaris Entertainment
  • Park Jung Min – CEO, Plain Global
  • Park Joon Seo – CEO, Drama House
  • Park Chul Soo – CEO, Film Monster
  • Park Hyun Jung – CEO, UAA
  • Bang Ji Yeon – Team Leader, MelOn Communications
  • Baek Chang Joo – CEO,  C-JeS Entertainment
  • Black Eyed Pilseung – Producers
  • Seo Soo Min – PD
  • Seo Jang Ho – Director, CJ ENM Global Contents
  • Seo Hyun Joo – Director,  Starship Entertainment
  • Seo Hye Jin – Director, TV Chosun Variety
  • Son Seok Woo – CEO, BH Entertainment
  • Shin Yoo Kyung – CEO, Movie In
  • Shin Joo Hak – CEO, Korean Management Federation
  • Shim Young – CEO, Shall We Talk
  • Shim Jae Myung – CEO, Myung Film
  • Oh Kwang Hee – CEO, Born Factory
  • Yang Geun Hwan – CEO, Awesome ENT
  • Yang Ji Hye – Department Head, NEW Promotional Team
  • Yang Hyun Seung – CEO, UL Entertainment
  • Yeo Woon Hyuk – President, Mystic Story
  • Won Dong Yeon – CEO,  Realize Pictures
  • Yoo Hui Yeol – CEO, Antenna Music
  • Yoo In Ho – Promotions Director, CJ ENM
  • Yoon Je Gyun – CEO, JK Film
  • Lee Geum Jun – Director, Major Seven
  • Lee Sang Cheul – CEO, Long Play Music
  • Lee So Young – CEO, Saram Entertainment
  • Lee Ye Ji – Department Head, SM C&C Contents
  • Lee Won Min – CEO, WM Entertainment
  • Lee Yu Jin – CEO, Movie House
  • Lee Jung Eun – CEO, How Do And You Entertainment
  • Lee Jong Seok – CEO, All S Company
  • Lee Jin Sung – CEO, King Kong by Starship
  • Lee Jin Young – CEO, Fortune Entertainment
  • Lee Chae Hyun – CEO, Ho Ho Ho Beach
  • Lee Hyun – CEO, 3HW
  • Lee Hoon Hee – Director, KBS Productions 2
  • Im Seung Yong – CEO, Yong Film
  • Im Jung Ah – Director, JTBC Productions 2
  • Jang Kyung Ik – CEO, Studio NEW
  • Jang Bo Kyung – CEO, Delight
  • Jeon Hye Jung – Chairman, London Asia Film Festival
  • Jung Deok Gyun – CEO, J-Wide Company
  • Jung Won Jung – CEO, EJ Company
  • Jung Jin Ho – Section Chief, Big Hit Entertainment
  • Jung Tae Won – CEO, Taewon Entertainment
  • Jung Hae Ryong – CEO, Monster Union
  • Jo Sung Wan – President, FNC Entertainment
  • Jo Young Shik – Department Head, CJ ENM
  • Jo Young Chul – CEO, Mystic Entertainment
  • Jo Jun Sung – Producer
  • Jo Bang Wook – CEO, Blossom Entertainment
  • Jo Sung Woo – Department Head, MBC Drama
  • Joo Pil Ho – CEO, Joo Filter Film
  • Choi Gwan Yong – CEO, SMC
  • Choi Geun Ha – Team Leader, Showbox
  • Choi Myung Gyu – Vice President, Huayi Brothers Korea
  • Choi Sung Pil – Vice President, Plan A Entertainment
  • Choi Yoon Hee – Team Leader, CJ ENM Overseas Movie Distribution
  • Choi Jin Woo – CEO, High-Up Entertainment
  • Choi Jin Hee – CEO, Studio Dragon
  • Han Jung Soo – General Director, Kiwi Media Group
  • Han Hae Deok – CEO, Sanai Pictures
  • Ham Young Hoon – Director, JTBC Production 1
  • Hong Min Ki – Vice President, KeyEast Management
  • Hong Il Hwa – Vice President, Cube Entertainment
  • Hong Jin Young – Chairman, KOMCA
Source: Sports Seoul (1), (2) and (3)