BILLIONS
A South Korean entertainment agency and film and television production company.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
BILLIONS, also written as Billions and known in Korean as 빌리언스, is a South Korean entertainment agency and film and drama production company. The business operates in actor and musician management while also pursuing audiovisual production. Its current identity emerged from a long corporate transformation that began with a manufacturing company rather than with a conventional entertainment start-up. The corporate predecessor was founded in 1973 as Seohung Industrial Company, a latex-rubber manufacturer. It later became associated with condoms and surgical gloves, received Korean Industrial Standards certification for those products in 1988, and developed the Million and Ecstasy condom brands. The company changed its name to Unidus in 2000 and was listed on KOSDAQ the following year. As the domestic market for locally produced condoms weakened amid growing competition from imported products, the business explored new sectors and underwent several ownership and naming changes. In 2017, after Kim Sung-hoon sold his shares, it became Biogenetics. Following the acquisition of Gyeongnam Pharmaceutical in 2019, it adopted the name Gyeongnam Biopharma, and from 2021 it used the name Blueberry NFT. These earlier corporate identities remain part of the legal and historical lineage associated with the current business, but they are not entertainment brands. The decisive shift toward entertainment began in December 2022, when the company redirected its strategic focus toward the entertainment industry and adopted the name Blade Entertainment. In March 2023, it acquired and merged with Star Village Entertainment, strengthening its actor-management activities. In July 2023, Shim Hwa-seok became chief executive, and the company acquired J-Flex Entertainment. That transaction was followed by a merger with J-Flex in September 2023. In June 2024, Blade Entertainment consolidated its subsidiaries Blade Music, Blade Creative, and Blade Media and changed its name to BILLIONS. The reorganization positioned the company as an integrated entertainment platform rather than solely as a talent agency. BILLIONS represents actors and musicians active in South Korea, with publicly associated artists including Lee Jun-young, Jung Sung-il, Jo Bo-ah, Ko Chang-seok, Kim Sung-kyu, Nam Woo-hyun, Kim Ha-neul, Son Hyun-joo, and Jung Eun-ji. The company has also been associated with production activities and with XYG Studio, a subsidiary that was later absorbed into the parent company according to the reference material. Because the available reference material does not provide a complete corporate website roster, detailed financial disclosures, or a fully documented current management list, this dossier focuses on the documented changes in corporate identity, acquisitions, mergers, and business scope.
History
BILLIONS is the entertainment-industry identity of a company whose corporate history extends back to Seohung Industrial Company, founded by Kim Deok-seong in 1973 as a latex-rubber manufacturer. The predecessor developed products including condoms and surgical gloves. In 1988, it reportedly became the first domestic company in its category to receive a Korean Industrial Standards certification mark for those products. Its condom brands included Million and Ecstasy. During the 1990s, the company faced a changing market as imported condoms gained ground and demand for domestically manufactured products declined. In 1997, the Korea Federation for HIV/AIDS Prevention criticized domestically produced condoms, including products associated with the company, as failing to meet international standards. During the Asian financial crisis, Seohung nevertheless entered export contracts involving the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund. The company changed its name to Unidus in May 2000 and was listed on KOSDAQ in 2001. The business subsequently pursued diversification and experienced repeated changes in corporate identity. In 2017, Kim Sung-hoon, then CEO and largest shareholder, sold his shares, and the company became Biogenetics. After acquiring Gyeongnam Pharmaceutical in 2019, it changed its name to Gyeongnam Biopharma. From April 2021, it used the name Blueberry NFT. These phases represented the corporate predecessor's successive attempts to adapt its business and ownership structure; they were not yet the BILLIONS entertainment brand. The transition into entertainment started in December 2022, when the company shifted its strategic focus toward entertainment and changed its name to Blade Entertainment. The new direction included artist management and production activities. In March 2023, Blade Entertainment acquired Star Village Entertainment and merged it into the business, adding a group of actors and strengthening the company's talent-management platform. In July 2023, Shim Hwa-seok became CEO. The company also acquired J-Flex Entertainment that month and completed its merger with J-Flex in September. These transactions broadened the roster and organizational base of the entertainment operation. In June 2024, Blade Entertainment merged with its subsidiaries Blade Music, Blade Creative, and Blade Media. The same reorganization was accompanied by the adoption of the BILLIONS name. BILLIONS therefore represents a consolidated entertainment structure spanning agency services and production-related activities. Its publicly associated talent has included actors and musicians such as Lee Jun-young, Jung Sung-il, Jo Bo-ah, Ko Chang-seok, Kim Sung-kyu, Nam Woo-hyun, Kim Ha-neul, Son Hyun-joo, and Jung Eun-ji. The company has also been linked with XYG Studio, a subsidiary that the reference material says had been absorbed by the parent company by November 2025. The available sources do not establish a separate founding date for the BILLIONS brand, a definitive current headquarters address, a complete roster of active artists, or a detailed list of released productions. Those points should be verified against current corporate and artist-management records.
- 2024
BILLIONS name adopted
[1]Blade Entertainment consolidated Blade Music, Blade Creative, and Blade Media and changed its name to BILLIONS.
- 2023
Star Village Entertainment acquisition and merger
[1]Blade Entertainment acquired Star Village Entertainment in March and merged it into the business.
- 2023
J-Flex acquisition and merger
[1]The company acquired J-Flex in July and completed a merger with it in September.
- 2022
Entry into entertainment under Blade Entertainment
[1]The company shifted its strategic emphasis to entertainment and changed its name to Blade Entertainment.
- 2021
Blueberry NFT identity begins
[1]From April, the company began using the Blueberry NFT name.
- 2019
Name changes to Gyeongnam Biopharma
[1]The company adopted the Gyeongnam Biopharma name after acquiring Gyeongnam Pharmaceutical.
- 2017
Name changes to Biogenetics
[1]Following the sale of Kim Sung-hoon's shares, the company changed its name from Unidus to Biogenetics.
- 2001
KOSDAQ listing
[1]The corporate predecessor was listed on KOSDAQ.
- 2000
Corporate name changes to Unidus
[1]Seohung Industrial Company adopted the Unidus name.
- 1988
Industrial standards certification for rubber products
[1]The predecessor received Korean Industrial Standards certification for condoms and surgical gloves.
Products and positioning
An integrated South Korean entertainment company combining artist management with film, drama, music, creative, and media production capabilities.
Talent agency · 2022
Artist management
BILLIONS represents actors and musicians working in South Korea. Its publicly associated roster has included performers such as Lee Jun-young, Jung Sung-il, Jo Bo-ah, Ko Chang-seok, Kim Sung-kyu, Nam Woo-hyun, Kim Ha-neul, Son Hyun-joo, and Jung Eun-ji. The company expanded this activity through the Star Village Entertainment and J-Flex transactions.
Production · 2022
Film and drama production
The company describes its entertainment scope as including film and drama production in addition to talent representation. The available reference material confirms the production function but does not provide a sufficiently documented catalogue of individual released titles for inclusion here.
Entertainment production services · 2024
Music, creative, and media operations
The consolidation of Blade Music, Blade Creative, and Blade Media into the renamed BILLIONS organization indicates an integrated operating model covering music, creative development, and media activities alongside artist management and audiovisual production.
Controversies
1997
Criticism of condom quality standards
The Korea Federation for HIV/AIDS Prevention reported that domestically produced condoms, including the predecessor company's Million and Ecstasy brands, were substandard and did not meet international standards. This matter concerns the company's pre-entertainment manufacturing history rather than the current BILLIONS agency.
Brand decisions
2024
Consolidation and rebranding as BILLIONSStrategyBackground
The business had developed multiple entertainment subsidiaries and operated under the Blade Entertainment identity.
Action taken
In June, it merged Blade Music, Blade Creative, and Blade Media into the company and changed its name to BILLIONS.
Aftermath
The reorganization established BILLIONS as the consolidated brand for the agency's management and production activities.
2023
Star Village Entertainment acquisition and mergerM&ABackground
Blade Entertainment sought to build its artist-management business after entering the entertainment sector.
Action taken
It acquired Star Village Entertainment in March and merged the company into its operations.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded the company's actor roster and agency capabilities.
2023
J-Flex acquisition and mergerM&ABackground
The company continued consolidating entertainment assets and appointed Shim Hwa-seok as CEO.
Action taken
Blade Entertainment acquired J-Flex in July and completed its merger with the company in September.
Aftermath
The deal further broadened the business's talent and entertainment-management base.
2022
Strategic shift into entertainmentStrategyBackground
The corporate predecessor had undergone several identity and business changes after its original rubber-products business faced market pressure and diversification needs.
Action taken
Beginning in December, the company redirected its focus toward entertainment and adopted the Blade Entertainment name.
Aftermath
The change created the platform that later expanded through talent-agency acquisitions and was ultimately renamed BILLIONS.
Sources2 sources
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