KPOP Interview: '20-Year-Old Park Hye-ju, PD at UNIONPICTURES, Holds the Largest Portfolio in Korea'

The global market for popular music performances is expanding every year.

In 2023, live music ticket sales reached a whopping 30 trillion won (Source: 2023 Music Industry White Paper, Plustar). Japan, the world's second-largest music market, generated 6 trillion won, while the Korean market is exceeding 1 trillion won and continues to grow.

However, even now, most domestic concert planning companies and operation teams operate as production companies that receive and execute projects (outsourcing) from large management agencies or corporations.

In other words, in addition to production outsourcing, there is a growing need for young CPs (Overall Producers) in Korea who can comprehensively plan, from designing and investing in their own businesses, to production, distribution/marketing, and on-site operations.

Union Picturesis one of the K-Contents ventures in Korea with the most K-POP concert and fan meeting references. They handle over 100 projects annually, with the majority being self-planned/invested projects. Their projects are not limited to Korea but also span diverse regions such as the United States, Taiwan, and Thailand.

Currently, within this cultural venture company that is expanding its infrastructure to Korea and Taiwan, centered around Union in the United States, PD Hyeju Park, despite being among the youngest in the company, leads numerous collaborations with artists.

Q. Could you introduce yourself?

A. Hello, I am Hyeju Park, PD at Union Pictures, where I produce K-POP performances and entertainment projects. My main responsibilities involve managing major contracts with entertainment companies, planning overseas tours, and recently, developing Hallyu tourism products in collaboration with various artists. I have around 5 years of experience and work at the Union Pictures Korea branch in the Samsung-dong ASEM Tower.

Some of the performances our company has produced include CNBLUE's Jung Yong-hwa, 2NE1's Park Bom, Bada, the K-POP No.1 dance team 1Million, and others such as members from popular groups like B1A4, VICTON, UP10TION, Lovelyz, Wanna One, and IZ*ONE.

We also work with promising rookies, and a few days ago, we launched the global tour for the rookie idol group NTX.

Q. What kind of work does a general cultural and performance planner do?

A. Unlike general operation PDs or production PDs, a CP (Overall Producer) needs to be able to connect many different aspects.

For a single day's project, they need to handle artist recruitment and contracts (including copyright management), establish overseas local consortia, secure brand sponsorships, prepare the daily program, and communicate with various marketing partners and the technical team.

Of course, if you are only interested in a specific part of the production process for performances, festivals, or events, it might be different. However, if you aspire to be the 'conductor' who designs the entire cultural content, you will need to work on your fundamentals and build a network.

Q. At your young age of being in your 20s, you've successfully completed many projects and generated significant revenue. Have you faced any difficulties?

A. My global CEO at Union Pictures (Taeho Kwon) asked me a similar question recently. I'm not sure if you'll relate to this, but I don't think I've ever considered giving up or quitting my job. Of course, the company's HR direction, which supports individuals based on their 'true abilities' regardless of age, background, or gender, has played a significant role. My CEO often tells me,

"Don't work for the company or the CEO, work for yourself, for your own dreams, and I hope you can break free from the confines of the world."

I truly love my goals and dreams related to entertainment, culture, and performances. I believe that in the field of cultural content, if you have the skills, you can grow quickly as an individual and can communicate with people anywhere in the world, broadening your horizons.

These aspects give me a sense of traveling every year. Although traveling can be physically demanding, I can't miss the joy it brings.

Q. A word of advice for those in their 20s and 30s who dream of becoming cultural/performance planners? And what direction do you think future performances and events will take?

A. I'm still in the learning phase and feel myself growing every year, but I think finding a dream you can truly love comes first.

After that, I think it's very important to find passionate people or leaders with whom you can share that dream.

That was the case for me as well. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the performance and travel industries faced great difficulties. Our company also couldn't plan large-scale performances during that time and had to operate numerous small and medium-sized projects.

At times, I handled 10 projects a month by myself. Even during those challenging times, the company and the CEO actively invested in long-term global vision, networks, and overseas infrastructure. I really appreciated that, and it felt great to be building a dream together.

I think it's important for all of you to find colleagues or teams like that. In the future, our company will continue to invest in this area. I see two main keywords: Global and AI integration.

Can we provide exclusive experiences that resonate with people around the world? And can we utilize diverse digital content and AI integration to deliver these experiences globally? These are the questions we need to consider.

Q. This may be a sensitive question, but I'd like to ask a question that many people are curious about. I've heard that salaries in the cultural and entertainment industries are unstable or low. Is that true?

A. It's true that the lifestyle in this field is different from that of regular office workers or civil servants. Performances and tours usually don't happen on weekdays, so the schedules of PDs in charge are often different from those of their acquaintances. It's a fact that their work and free time are different.

However, time management can vary depending on the company culture in the entertainment and production sectors. In our company, we work similarly to regular companies on weekdays when we don't have projects, and we're expanding early dismissal systems as well.

Of course, things get busy during peak seasons. Regarding salaries, during the initial 1-2 years, due to the nature of the entertainment and production industry, there's a lot of emphasis on acquiring basic skills, so the salaries are not high. However, after that period, if you gain recognition, the growth rate tends to be very high (although this also varies by company, of course).

While I can't give you exact figures, I can say that my salary is sometimes better than that of my peers in large corporations, and I'm satisfied with the company-provided vehicle and welfare card.

I believe that the benefits in our industry vary greatly depending on experience and performance.

Q. Finally, what are your future goals?

A. I don't know how my life will unfold in the future, but in the long run, I want to become one of the best, not the best among my age group, in the field of cultural and entertainment planning on a global scale.

I know I'm still lacking and have a lot to experience, but I believe I've gotten a great start, and I want to achieve it. I hope to meet you someday at a performance that my colleagues and I have planned. If you're interested in collaborating with Union Pictures, please send an email to ent@unionpic.net. Have a wonderful day!