Bang Sihyuk reveals what about BTS makes him feel the happiest during his 20 years of management

Remember BigHit Music when it was a poor company and even the president Bang had a huge debt on his shoulders. BTS debuted in this context so they were looked down upon and no one thought they could become A-list celebrities, except for Bang PD.

20 years after the company was founded and 12 years after the group debuted, BTS became the world's top K-pop superstars, the most anticipated comeback this year after HYBE has become a giant K-pop company.

These are the lifetime achievement of "BTS's father" Bang Sihyuk and are certainly the things he is most proud of in his career.

During these years, there have been many milestones and successes, but the thing that left deepest impression, making the president of HYBE the happiest is not the numbers, money, or status but the "3rd contract" renewal with BTS. He said that it was the best moment in his 20 years as manager.

Specifically, in a conversation with JYP president Park Jinyoung, Bang PD shared his feelings when he and BTS signed a contract extension in September 2023.

"At artists of their level, BTS has many options. For me, as the head of management and label, the fact that they chose is means that they are acknowledging the history that we have worked together with them, and that they have sufficiently accepted that we have also done well with them. It feel like they were praising me," he started.

"And although I was talk about it is a happy thing, [the discussions] mostly were just time taken to make adjustment. When they said they would trust me and renew it, it was the happiest find in all 20 years of my time working in management," he recalled the emotions in this special moment.

In another interview, Bang PD also mentioned similar feelings and the group's future plans when reuniting: "So as for the growth of the company, BTS and the fact we need BTS, I think, is needless to say but as manager of the company and musical producer for a company like HYBE, for such artist like BTS choosing us again is very valuable and make us very happy. 

I became closer to the members with the contrast process and can understand each other more. When we were young, we were all working together, we set to each other to pull a 10-anniversary album of the project: even if they hadn't signed with us, they still would have released without us but it's very important to me to keep this promise."

BTS debuted in June 2013, and in October 2018, the group renewed heir contract with BigHit Music for the first time before their initial contract expired. Meanwhile this second contract renewal is also BTS' third time signing a contrast under HYBE, deepening the group's close relationship with the company where they debuted.

Over the past decade, Bang PD has gone from a producer to the president of the giant entertainment industry like HYBE, and BTS has gone from rookies to global K-pop superstars. But their status has not changed their close friendship and trust in each other.

Through the sharing of HYBE's president, fans appreciate the companionship of both sides even more.