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As per media sources from March 15, HYBE Corporation chairman Bang Si-hyuk will receive an honorary PhD from Seoul National University this year, making him the first pop culture personality to do this on the institution's record.
Seoul National University awards honorary doctorates to those who have contributed massively to the promotion of education or the growth of culture.
Bang Si-hyuk, commonly called Hitman Bang, is credited with founding BTS and contributing a significant part in developing Korean culture as a worldwide phenomenon. Furthermore, he graduated from Seoul National University with a Master's degree in Arts.
Seoul National University, or SNU, was founded in 1946 and is a South Korean national research university in Seoul. It is one of the country's most prestigious national universities, famous for accepting only Korea's top 1% students.
More about HYBE's chairman, Bang Si-hyuk
HYBE, previously known as Big Hit Entertainment, is one of Korea's top major record labels and entertainment corporations, with Bang Si-hyuk as its founder and chairman. In October 2020, he launched the corporation publicly for what was South Korea's largest IPO in three years, making him a billionaire.
BTS, the seven-member K-pop group behind HYBE's popularity, has many albums on the Billboard 200 in the United States.
Before going solo, Hitman Bang was a composer at JYP Entertainment, one of Korea's Big Three music companies. Moreover, HYBE paid more than $1 billion for Ithaca Holdings, which administers artists such as Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.
Bang Si-hyuk is often praised for supporting artists
HYBE's chairman recently posted a picture featuring Miyawaki Sakura and Kim Chae-won, two of HYBE's newest artists.
Source Music, a division of HYBE Labels, revealed on March 14 that previous IZ*ONE members Sakura and Chae-won had agreed to terms with the company. Both will make their comebacks in the first girl group formed by HYBE and Source Music.
Earlier in the day, HYBE's chairman Hitman Bang shared a picture with Miyawaki Sakura and Kim Chae-won on Instagram, welcoming the stars through the post.
He is renowned for promoting his agency's artists, including BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. He also often uses social media to provide updates about himself, his team, and the artists to express his support for them, which many fans have praised.
Often, followers also refer to him as Bang PD Nim.
In July 2019, HYBE Labels purchased Source Music. Hitman Bang, the creator of HYBE, has already stepped down as CEO to emphasize his responsibilities as chairman of the board of directors and devote more time to music production.
