SEOUL (ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – Billboard Korea’s highly anticipated inaugural issue, initially slated for June, has yet to hit the stands, prompting speculation that the launch has been postponed to August.
“Billboard K Vol1 is scheduled to be published in June. With the release of Billboard K Vol1, you can consider our official launch to have begun,” Billboard Korea CEO and publisher Kim Yuna announced at a press conference on 15 April.
However, with June now in the past, there is still no sign of the first issue. Billboard Korea has not made any official statement regarding the delay. The latest update on Billboard Korea’s account on the social media platform X was in April, sharing news of the launch event. Meanwhile, their Instagram has been focused on updates about K-pop musicians’ new releases.
Billboard Korea declined to comment directly on the delay but mentioned that an announcement would be made on Friday. An industry insider suggested that staffing issues have postponed the launch to August.
Billboard President Mike Van’s visit to Seoul in April was intended to reassure the public of the successful establishment of the Korean branch of the music media giant, following previous failed attempts.
During his visit, Van bolstered expectations by signing business agreements with major Korean companies such as Naver Pay, CJ ENM, and Kakao Entertainment. The new Billboard Korea operates as a subsidiary of California-based Billboard, under direct management.
Previous ventures in 2009 and 2017 under licensing deals were unsuccessful in Korea, reportedly due to their more independent operations. Billboard Korea first launched in 2009 but ceased operations in 2014 after the then-CEO faced embezzlement charges. A second attempt in 2017, involving partnerships with several domestic companies and efforts to produce broadcast content, also quietly ended.
To dispel doubts about the new venture’s viability, Billboard Korea’s Kim Yuna stressed during the April press conference that the current launch was entirely separate from previous attempts and would proceed under direct control from Billboard headquarters.
“We would like to clarify that since our owner group, Penske Media Corp., acquired Billboard in 2020, we have no connection with the previous companies. As President Mike Van mentioned, Billboard Korea will proceed under the control of the headquarters,” Kim said at the time.
The delay in launching the first issue, despite these assurances, has only heightened scepticism and unease among observers.
