SEOUL, South Korea (CelebrityAccess) — Sony Music Entertainment announced a round of leadership changes at its regional office in South Korea, including the appointment of Bobby (Youngchan) Ju as the new Managing Director for the company.
In his new gig at SME, Ju will now oversee operations in the country with a focus on expanding strategic partnerships and growing SMEK’s local roster, which includes artists ranging from Kang Daniel to Oh My Girl and Dreamcatchers.
Ju steps into his new role following the departure of his predecessor, Joseph Chang, and will report to Shridhar Subramaniam, Sony Music’s President of Corporate Strategy and Market Development for Asia and the Middle East.
“Bobby is testament to the talent and expertise we have in our Korea team, and I’m delighted he has agreed to lead the company in the next exciting phase of our growth and expansion,” said Shridhar Subramaniam, President, Corporate Strategy and Market Development, Sony Music Entertainment Asia and the Middle East. “He is known for always putting the artist first, which is why he has such strong relationships with our artists, both new and established, and has already earned the trust of our strategic partners in Korea. Bobby is building off a robust platform that has been well established over the past few years and inherits an excellent management team, so I know he will do great things and I am excited to see what’s to come.”
“It is an honor to be leading the business into its next phase of growth,” added Bobby Ju, Managing Director, Sony Music Entertainment Korea. “Korea is a fast-growing market and continues to deliver global hit after hit, proving that music transcends borders and cultures and requires no passport to have global appeal. I have the privilege to work with a great leadership team who are passionate about our artists and know what it takes to deliver global success, so I can’t wait to get started.”
Before his promotion, Ju served in SMEK’s A&R team for more then a decade, signing K-pop acts and managing SMEK’s labels as the A&R, distribution, and label relations manager.
Last year, he was promoted to lead the A&R team, as well as distribution, label relations, artist management and outbound marketing. Ju holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Chung-Ang University.
SMEK also announced the appointment of Elin Her to the post of General Manager of Marketing for Korea in addition to her current duties as Senior Director of Marketing for China.
Additionally, Taeky Kim has been promoted to Director of Digital Business and Hugh Kim has been promoted to Senior Director of Marketing for International Repertoire.