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HYBE and SM executives named to Billboard's 2026 Touring Power Players

Billboard's November 6 Touring Power Players list includes three HYBE concert executives — Kang Min-i for a second year, plus first-timers Oh Yu-ra and Ha Jung-jae — and SM Entertainment chief business officer Lee Sang-hwa.

By 2FC NEWSROOM · Published

File photo of HYBE and SM Entertainment buildings used with Yonhap report on Billboard Touring Power Players
Image: Yonhap News

K-pop's touring desks landed on Billboard's annual power list. The U.S. trade's 2026 Touring Power Players, posted November 6, names HYBE concert-business leader Kang Min-i (Min E Kang) for a second year alongside first-time picks Oh Yu-ra (Youra Oh) and Ha Jung-jae (Jay Jungjae Ha), while SM Entertainment CBO Lee Sang-hwa (Sanghwa Lee) also appears — matching Yonhap and CHOSUNBIZ Korean write-ups on November 7.

Korean coverage ties the HYBE selections to the company's global concert run for BTS, SEVENTEEN, TXT and ENHYPEN, and cites Billboard Boxscore midyear promoter ranking plus Pollstar Asia figures as context for why the live team is being recognized.

Confirmed

  • Billboard published its 2026 Touring Power Players list on November 6, 2026, and under Multisector lists HYBE's Min E Kang (Leader of concert business division), Youra Oh (Leader of global touring business team) and Jay Jungjae Ha (Senior professional), plus SM Entertainment's Sanghwa Lee (Chief business officer).
  • Yonhap News reports on November 7 that Kang Min-i was selected for a second consecutive year and that Oh Yu-ra and Ha Jung-jae are first-time honorees, with SM CBO Lee Sang-hwa also named.
  • CHOSUNBIZ separately reports the same three HYBE names and frames Kang as a two-year repeat selection.

Reported by other outlets

  • CHOSUNBIZ reports the HYBE trio plans and operates world tours for acts including BTS (ARIRANG), SEVENTEEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER and ENHYPEN, citing expanded venues, story-driven staging and digital–offline fan experiences.
  • CHOSUNBIZ reports HYBE ranked sixth on Billboard Boxscore's 2026 midyear top promoters chart and that Pollstar's 2026 Asia focus chart listed HYBE No. 1 among Asian concert promoters with about $247.97 million in revenue and 1,827,914 tickets.

Analysis

Interpretation by 2FC NEWSROOM, not reported fact.

2FC NEWSROOM: Names and titles are confirmed directly from Billboard's list and mirrored by Yonhap; Boxscore/Pollstar ranking color and artist-tour examples are CHOSUNBIZ-reported context, not reprintings of Billboard's methodology blurb.

Sources

Conflicts of interest: None on the four named executives. English romanizations vary slightly (Kang Min-i / Min E Kang; Oh Yu-ra / Youra Oh; Ha Jung-jae / Jay Jungjae Ha; Lee Sang-hwa / Sanghwa Lee) between Billboard and Korean wires but refer to the same people.

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