Big Hit Music VP Kim Hyun-jung named to Billboard's 2026 40 Under 40

Kim Hyun-jung, Vice President of Big Hit Music, made Billboard's 2026 40 Under 40 list as the only Korean honoree.

Billboard unveiled the 40 executives and operational leaders on July 30 (local time). The roster highlights rising figures under 40 working across artists, labels, platforms, management, and live business. Kim runs BTS's operations and business at Big Hit Music, a HYBE subsidiary.

BTS dropped their comeback album ARIRANG in March and hit the road for a stadium tour—both achievements that helped earn her the recognition. In her Billboard interview, Kim pointed to the album: "'ARIRANG' release is one of my proudest achievements." She continued, "The past 12 months have been filled with countless historic moments for BTS, and I am very grateful to have been part of that journey."

Juan S. Arenas, CEO of HYBE Global Label Services, also landed on the list. Billboard noted his work expanding HYBE Latin America's reach across Central and South America and launching Latin pop group Santos Bravos.

Two HYBE executives on one Billboard list. That counts.