TOP Media
TOP Media is a South Korean entertainment company founded by Shinhwa member Andy that manages musical artists and develops idol groups.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
TOP Media is a South Korean artist-management and music-entertainment company. It was established in 2005 under the name ND Entertainment, also rendered as New Dream Entertainment, by Andy, a member of the Korean pop group Shinhwa, together with Lee Jae-hong, Andy’s former long-time manager at SM Entertainment. The company later adopted the TOP Media name and built its business around the development, management, promotion, and commercial distribution of recording artists. The company’s early attempt to establish a group came with Jumper, a male pop duo that debuted in 2009 and released the singles “Yes!” and “Dazzling.” Jumper ended its activities soon after its second single, but the project established TOP Media’s role as an agency focused on launching idol acts. In 2010, the company debuted Teen Top, a boy group that became one of its most visible acts. Teen Top’s activities helped give TOP Media a recognizable position in the competitive South Korean idol market and expanded the company’s experience in group production, promotions, fan engagement, and touring. TOP Media subsequently introduced 100% in 2012 and Up10tion in 2015. These groups extended the company’s roster and reinforced its emphasis on male vocal and performance groups. The agency later launched MCND, its newest boy group at the time, on February 27, 2020. MCND debuted with the extended play Into the Ice Age. In November 2024, TOP Media debuted Odd Youth, its first girl group, marking a broader direction for the company’s artist portfolio. The company’s business includes artist representation, music recording, release promotion, entertainment content, and the management of idol-group activities. TOP Media has generally worked with Sony Music Entertainment Korea for distribution of its musical releases. This relationship connects the agency’s artist-development activities with a larger music-distribution network, while TOP Media remains responsible for managing and promoting its contracted talent. The company’s roster has changed substantially over time. Jumper disbanded shortly after its second single. 100% ended its activities with TOP Media in 2021 after the remaining members’ contracts expired and they departed. Teen Top experienced a series of contract changes: Niel and Changjo left after their contracts expired in January 2022, C.A.P. terminated his contract on May 11, 2023, and several other members subsequently departed. Several Up10tion members also saw their contracts expire in March 2023. Kim Woo-seok’s contract expired on March 5, 2024. These departures reduced the number of long-running groups attached to the company, while MCND, Odd Youth, and soloist Andy represent the company’s continuing or newer activities in the supplied reference material. TOP Media is therefore best understood as a South Korean talent agency and record-label-style entertainment company whose identity has been shaped by the launch of idol groups, the career management of individual performers, and the cyclical renewal of artist contracts. Its history reflects both the opportunities and turnover typical of the Korean pop agency system.
History
TOP Media was founded in 2005 as ND Entertainment, also known as New Dream Entertainment. Its founder was Andy, a member of the South Korean pop group Shinhwa, who established the company with Lee Jae-hong, his former long-time manager at SM Entertainment. The agency was created to manage and develop musical artists, with its activities centered on artist representation, idol-group production, music releases, and promotions. The company’s first group project was Jumper, a male pop duo that debuted in 2009. Jumper released two singles, “Yes!” and “Dazzling,” before disbanding soon after the release of the second single. Although the duo’s run was brief, the project preceded a more sustained period of group development for the company. Teen Top debuted in 2010 and became one of TOP Media’s principal early acts. The group’s career gave the agency a prominent presence in the Korean idol industry and established a foundation for subsequent group launches. TOP Media debuted 100% in 2012, followed by Up10tion in 2015. Through these releases, the company expanded its roster and continued to focus heavily on male vocal and performance groups. TOP Media later introduced MCND, which debuted on February 27, 2020, with the extended play Into the Ice Age. MCND became the company’s newest boy group at the time and represented a new generation of TOP Media’s artist-development strategy. The company has generally worked with Sony Music Entertainment Korea for distribution of its musical releases, combining in-house artist management and promotion with an external music-distribution relationship. The agency’s roster changed during the early 2020s as contracts expired and artists departed. On October 9, 2021, 100% disbanded after the remaining members’ contracts expired and they left TOP Media. In January 2022, Teen Top members Niel and Changjo ended their contracts. Several Up10tion members’ contracts expired in March 2023. On May 11, 2023, C.A.P. left Teen Top and terminated his contract with the company. The supplied artist history also records the departure of other Teen Top and Up10tion members during this period. Kim Woo-seok’s contract expired on March 5, 2024. The company broadened its group portfolio in 2024 by debuting Odd Youth on November 1. Odd Youth was identified as TOP Media’s first girl group, distinguishing the launch from the agency’s earlier emphasis on male groups. The supplied roster also identifies Andy as a soloist and MCND and Odd Youth as current groups, while listing a number of former artists and former group members. Across its history, TOP Media has operated as a talent-management and music-entertainment company rather than as a conventional consumer-products brand. Its main activities are the discovery and training of performers, management of contracted artists, production and promotion of recorded music, and organization of the public activities associated with idol groups and soloists. The company’s development has been shaped by successive group debuts, artist-contract cycles, and efforts to refresh its roster with newer acts.
- 2024
Odd Youth debuts
[1]TOP Media debuted Odd Youth, its first girl group, on November 1.
- 2021
100% disbands
[1]100% disbanded after the remaining members’ contracts expired and they left TOP Media.
- 2020
MCND debuts
[1]MCND debuted on February 27 with Into the Ice Age.
- 2015
Up10tion debuts
[1]TOP Media debuted Up10tion as another major male idol group.
- 2012
100% debuts
[1]The company debuted the boy group 100%.
- 2010
Teen Top debuts
[1]TOP Media launched Teen Top, one of the company’s most prominent early idol groups.
- 2009
Jumper debuts
[1]The male duo Jumper debuted and released the singles “Yes!” and “Dazzling.”
- 2005
Company founded as ND Entertainment
[1]Andy and Lee Jae-hong founded ND Entertainment, also known as New Dream Entertainment.
Products and positioning
A South Korean artist-management and music-entertainment company focused on developing idol groups, representing performers, and coordinating music releases and promotional activities.
Male pop duo · 2009
Jumper
Jumper was TOP Media’s first recorded group project. The male duo debuted in 2009 and released the singles “Yes!” and “Dazzling.” The group disbanded soon after its second single.
Boy group · 2010
Teen Top
Teen Top debuted in 2010 and became one of TOP Media’s best-known groups. The group’s members experienced multiple contract departures during the early 2020s, including Niel, Changjo, and C.A.P.
Boy group · 2012
100%
100% debuted in 2012 as a TOP Media boy group. The group disbanded on October 9, 2021, after the remaining members’ contracts expired and they left the company.
Boy group · 2015
Up10tion
Up10tion debuted in 2015 and formed part of TOP Media’s successive generation of male idol groups. Several members’ contracts expired in March 2023, followed by departures recorded in the company’s former-artist history.
Boy group · 2020
MCND
MCND is a boy group launched by TOP Media on February 27, 2020. Its debut extended play was Into the Ice Age, introducing a newer generation of the company’s artist roster.
Girl group · 2024
Odd Youth
Odd Youth debuted on November 1, 2024, as TOP Media’s first girl group. The launch broadened the company’s group portfolio beyond its historically male-focused idol roster.
Brand decisions
2024
Launch of Odd YouthProduct launchBackground
TOP Media had historically focused much of its group-development activity on male idol groups.
Action taken
The company debuted Odd Youth on November 1, 2024, its first girl group.
Aftermath
The debut expanded TOP Media’s artist portfolio into girl-group management.
2020
Launch of MCNDProduct launchBackground
TOP Media was continuing to refresh its roster after earlier groups such as Teen Top, 100%, and Up10tion.
Action taken
The company debuted MCND on February 27, 2020, with the extended play Into the Ice Age.
Aftermath
MCND became the company’s principal newer-generation boy group in the supplied reference material.
Recent events
- 2024
Kim Woo-seok’s contract with TOP Media expires[1]
Leadership change
Kim Woo-seok’s contract with TOP Media expired on March 5, 2024.
- 2024
TOP Media debuts Odd Youth[1]
Product launch
TOP Media debuted Odd Youth on November 1, 2024, introducing the company’s first girl group.
- 2023
Several Up10tion contracts expire[1]
Leadership change
The contracts of several Up10tion members expired in March 2023, changing the composition of TOP Media’s artist roster.
- 2023
C.A.P. leaves Teen Top and terminates TOP Media contract[1]
Leadership change
On May 11, 2023, C.A.P. left Teen Top and terminated his contract with TOP Media.
- 2022
Niel and Changjo depart after contracts expire[1]
Leadership change
Teen Top members Niel and Changjo ended their contracts with TOP Media in January 2022.
- 2021
100% members leave TOP Media after contract expiration[1]
Leadership change
100% disbanded on October 9, 2021, after the remaining members’ contracts expired and they departed from the company.
- 2020
TOP Media debuts MCND with Into the Ice Age[1]
Product launch
TOP Media launched the boy group MCND on February 27, 2020, with the extended play Into the Ice Age.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/top-media · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled