HYBE: Men Earn 158 Million Won, Women 49 Million Won... Power and Pay Concentrated Among a Few Male Executives

Average Salary per Employee for Men Is Three Times Higher than for Women
Women's Average Pay Has Decreased Compared to Three Years Ago

There are criticisms that the average salary gap between male and female employees at HYBE in the first half of this year has widened to more than threefold, running counter to the government’s employment equality policy. In the entertainment industry, women make up the largest share of operational staff, but as male-dominated upper management continues to monopolize power and compensation, the average salary gap between male and female employees is widening.

According to an analysis of HYBE's workforce composition and wage data based on the 2026 interim and annual reports disclosed in the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure system on August 28, it was found that as the proportion of female employees increased, the gender wage gap paradoxically intensified.

As of the first half of this year, the average salary per employee at HYBE (including non-registered executives, excluding registered directors) was 83 million won, a 1.5-fold increase from 54 million won in the same period the previous year. However, the difference in average salary between men and women was stark. Male employees (271 regular, 26 contract) earned an average of 158 million won, while female employees (603 regular, 54 contract) earned 49 million won. On average, male employees earned more than three times that of female employees.

Over the past year, the average salary for female employees increased by 2 million won, while the average salary for male employees more than doubled. Compared to three years ago, the average salary for female employees actually decreased by 6 million won. In terms of total annual salary, the figures reversed this past half-year: despite the number of female employees being more than twice that of men, the annual total salary for male employees was 45.77 billion won, or about 1.5 times that for women (30.964 billion won). This indicates that while women—key contributors to HYBE’s growth—shoulder operational responsibilities, they are thoroughly excluded from compensation.

The gender-based average salary gap at HYBE is even more pronounced compared to its peers in the entertainment sector. At SM, the average salary per employee for the first half was 76.3 million won for men and 49.88 million won for women; at YG Entertainment, 68 million won for men and 39 million won for women—a gap of approximately 30 million won in both cases. JYP Entertainment showed the smallest gap, with men earning 84.49 million won and women 68.18 million won. In all three companies—SM, YG, and JYP—the total annual salary for female employees matches their greater headcount, in contrast to the situation at HYBE.

Key Positions Concentrated Among a Few Male Executives... Structure Favors Salary and Stock Compensation for Men

The widening gender pay gap at HYBE can be attributed to the fact that most high-paid executives are male and that stock-based compensation awarded this year was largely distributed to male executives. Though HYBE announced last year that the proportion of female executives surpassed 20% and that nearly 50% of managers are women, the impact on overall pay remains negligible due to small absolute numbers. According to its Sustainability Management Report, HYBE had 6 female executives in 2023, 9 in 2024, and 10 in 2025—marking the first double-digit figure last year. During the same period, the number of male executives was 29, 30, and 25, showing some fluctuation but still remaining two to three times higher than that of women.

Bang Si-hyuk, Chairman of HYBE. Photo by Yonhap News

In particular, compensation for four non-registered executives included in the first-half salary statistics—Kim Taeho (COO), Park Taehee (CCO), Lee Kyungjun (CFO), and Jung Jinsoo (CLO)—averaged 6 billion won per person, totaling 24.3 billion won. Three out of these four executives concurrently serve as top executives at major affiliates, further concentrating group-wide board power. Kim Taeho (COO) concurrently serves as CEO of Belift Lab, while Lee Kyungjun (CFO) acts as non-executive director of Weverse Company and holds director positions in nine subsidiaries including Ador, Source Music, and HYBE America, as well as audit roles in two companies such as HYBE Universal. Jung Jinsoo (CLO) likewise holds audit positions at two companies, such as Pledis Entertainment, along with director posts in three subsidiaries including HYBE Latin America.

HYBE’s board of directors, which is responsible for key decision-making, is also heavily male-dominated. Currently, HYBE’s board comprises two internal directors, one CEO, one non-executive director, and six independent (external) directors, making a total of ten registered board members. While some of the six external directors are women, they are all non-executive, non-participating board members. The board chair position has continued to be held by Bang Si-hyuk, the largest shareholder and internal director. The fact that the controlling shareholder serves as board chair means the board may fail to supervise management and instead become a mere rubber stamp.

A HYBE representative stated, “There is no wage gap between male and female employees,” and explained, “The higher salaries for men reflected in the data are an optical illusion due to one-time stock compensation awarded to some long-serving executives.” They added, “The ‘Pay-for-Performance Policy’ is applied fairly regardless of gender.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.