SM Entertainment founder and Chairman Lee Soo-man, "Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho and Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk have made this year's "Variety 500."
The U.S. pop culture magazine Variety since 2017 has released its rankings of the most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry, based on their accomplishments over the past year.
Lee became the only Korean to be named to the list, which was released on Dec. 21, for five straight years.
The magazine described Lee as the "founder of leading K-pop label SM Entertainment, which has a roster of artists that includes Super Junior, Girls' Generation, SHINee, Red Velvet, SuperM, NCT, EXO and Aespa," calling him "a major force in the global music industry."
Director Bong made the list for the third consecutive year. Variety hailed his "satiric class-warfare thriller 'Parasite,' which won four Oscars, including best director, best original screenplay and — in a first for a foreign language film — best picture."
"He is also producing 'Sea Fog,' Participant Media's English-language adaptation of his 2014 immigrant smuggling dram, which he co-wrote but didn't direct."
Hybe Chairman Bang, who discovered and fostered BTS, was also listed for the second straight year. Variety said he created "bigger headlines" in April by taking over Ithaca Holdings, the agency that manages American pop stars Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, rather than have BTS topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for nine weeks with its single "Butter."
Lee Mie-kyung aka Miky Lee, vice chair of the CJ Group who participated in the production of "Parasite," also made the list for the second straight year.
Others on the list included Steven Yeun, the Korean American actor in the American film "Minari"; Google CEO Sundar Pichai; YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki; director Steven Spielberg; and Netflix Co-CEO Reed Hastings.
