KQ Entertainment: Location, Artists & Latest News

Full transcript

Annyeong, yeoreobun! Yul here, near Hongdae in Mapo district. Close by is KQ Entertainment, home of ATEEZ and xikers. And this is a classic underdog story.

It begins in 2013, when Kim Kyu-wook founded a label called Seven Seasons for the idol group Block B. In 2016, the company changed its name to KQ Entertainment. Not one of the giant agencies. Just a team with big dreams.

Before debut, eight trainees were simply called KQ Fellaz, and some of them competed on a survival show called Mix Nine. Then, in October 2018, they debuted as ATEEZ, short for A TEEnager Z. Everything about being a teenager, from A to Z.

Now the plot twist. This mid-sized team went global. In 2024, ATEEZ became the first K-pop boy group to perform at Coachella. In July 2025, all eight members renewed their contracts for seven more years. And in July 2026, their album GOLDEN HOUR Part 5 debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, their third time at the top. Between 2020 and 2025, KQ's yearly revenue grew more than twelve times, mostly thanks to concerts. Daebak!

Yul's tip! Start at Hongik University Station. Hongdae's streets are full of buskers, K-pop shops and photo booths, so it's a fun area to explore. But the agency itself is a workplace. Take photos from outside, keep the entrance clear, and never wait for or follow artists.

Next, let's go to Hannam-dong, where a legendary producer built his own label. Kaja!