Status Active Country of origin South Korea Founder Han Sung-soo | Genre K-pop Official website www.pledis.co.kr Founded 2007, South Korea | |
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Location Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea CEO Han Seong-su (11 Apr 2014–) Profiles | ||
Pledis entertainment
Pledis Entertainment (Hangul: 플레디스 엔터테인먼트) is a South Korean record label and entertainment agency founded in 2007 by Han Sung-soo. It is currently home to K-pop artists After School, Orange Caramel, NU'EST, Seventeen and Pristin. Its name originates from the pleiades, a star cluster in the constellation Taurus. Its current vice-president is Kim Yeon-soo.
Contents
2007–2012: Founding and early artists
Pledis Entertainment was founded in 2007. Son Dam-bi was the first artist to debut under Pledis, and was dubbed the 'female Rain' by media outlets. In its beginning stages, the agency did not have management premises, only a practice room. In January 2009, Pledis debuted its first girl group, After School. A sub-unit of After School called Orange Caramel was formed in 2010, consisting of members Nana, Lizzy, and Raina.
In December 2010, Pledis released Happy Pledis 1st Album, featuring After School, which included the tracks "Love Love Love" and "Someone Is You". Happy Pledis was a series of albums to be released annually, featuring Pledis artists, with proceeds going to charity. Proceeds from the first album were donated to Save the Children.
In July 2011, two further sub-units of After School were created, A.S. Red and A.S. Blue. Happy Pledis 2nd Album, featuring Son Dam-bi, After School, Pledis Boys, and Yoo Ara, was released in December, with proceeds going to UNICEF.
2012–present: Artist changes and development
On March 15, 2012, Pledis debuted their first boy band NU’EST with the single "Face". On May 9, Pledis debuted its second girl group, Hello Venus, in partnership with Fantagio.
In June 2012, Kahi "graduated" from After School, but remained signed under Pledis to launch her solo career.
On November 11, 2013, Pledis Entertainment and Chinese agency Yuehua Entertainment held a press conference titled "Yuehua Entertainment X Pledis" at the Beijing Banquet Hall, marking the start of a collaboration under which the sub-unit NU'EST-M was formed with the addition of Chinese member Jason Fulong Fei, known as JA. The six-member team performed for the first time at the press event.
On July 21, 2014, the partnership between Pledis and Fantagio was dissolved. The two members under Pledis, Yoo Ara and Yoonjo, left Hello Venus while the four members under Fantagio continued as a group under the same name. Yoo Ara later left the company and joined Urbanworks Entertainment.
In December 2014, Jooyeon "graduated" from After School and signed with Better Ent as an actress in January 2015. That month, Kahi also left the agency.
On May 26, 2015, thirteen-member boy group Seventeen debuted under Pledis, after training under the company for several years. In June 2015, Son Dam-bi left the agency after ten years.
On June 26, 2016, the agency's upcoming third girl group (following After School and Hello Venus), Pristin, released their pre-debut single titled "WE" under the name "Pledis Girlz". Some of the members had previously competed in the talent show Produce 101; however, Pledis trainees and I.O.I members Im Na-young and Zhou Jieqiong were absent from the music video as they were promoting with the Produce 101 project girl group I.O.I.
Happy Pledis
All artists under Pledis Entertainment are collectively known as Happy Pledis, similar to SM Town, YG Family or JYP Nation.