C9 Entertainment

Lore & Background

C9 Entertainment originated in 2012 as a one-man agency for singer Younha named Wealive, which later partnered with hip-hop label Alive. In July 2015, Wealive-Alive merged with indie label Realive and officially launched as C9 Entertainment. In 2016, the company merged with GG Entertainment and signed a partnership with Benq Korea on its gaming brand Zowie. That same year, soloist Juniel signed with the agency. In March 2017, C9 moved its office from Gangnam to a new building in Mapo. In August 2017, C9 debuted its first girl group Good Day, whose members (except Chaesol) had been introduced during a 2016 trainees showcase. On November 2, 2018, CI Entertainment's CEO acquired a 100 percent stake in C9, though both companies continued to operate separately and CI Ent moved to the same building as C9. In January 2019, SG Wannabe member Lee Seok-hoon signed with C9, and on July 23, 2019, C9 debuted its first boy group CIX. In November 2019, C9 began introducing a new seven-member girl group as C9 Girlz, including five former Good Day members (Jeewon, Chaesol, Sunn, Belle, YeAh) and two trainees (Seline and Semi). On January 14, 2020, the group was named Cignature and placed under C9's new label J9 Entertainment, debuting on February 4, 2020, with the single 'Nun Nu Nan Na'. In March 2021, C9 introduced members for an eight-member boy group initially called C9 Rookies, later renamed Epex, which debuted on June 8, 2021, with the EP 'Bipolar Pt.1: Prelude of Anxiety'. In June 2025, C9 introduced a pre-debut multinational seven-member boy group under the name C9 Rookies, later revealed as Naze, with plans to debut in 2026.

Reader's Guide

C9 Entertainment emerged from a series of mergers and partnerships, beginning as a one-man agency for Younha and evolving into a multi-label company. Its significance lies in its role in debuting several K-pop groups, including Good Day, CIX, Cignature, Epex, and Naze, and in managing established soloists like Younha and Lee Seok-hoon. The agency's history reflects common industry practices of consolidation and rebranding, such as the 2018 acquisition by CI Entertainment's CEO while maintaining separate operations. C9 also demonstrated adaptability by forming Cignature from former Good Day members and launching a multinational group in 2025. Its legacy includes contributions to the K-pop landscape through diverse artist rosters and its ability to navigate mergers, label launches, and group reformations over more than a decade.

Did You Know?

• C9 Entertainment was originally founded as a one-man agency for singer Younha named Wealive in 2012.
• C9 debuted its first girl group Good Day in August 2017, with all members except Chaesol introduced during a 2016 trainees showcase.
• Cignature, formed from five former Good Day members and two trainees, debuted under C9's new label J9 Entertainment on February 4, 2020.

From a One-Person Label to a Full-Service Agency

C9 Entertainment traces its roots to a far more modest beginning. In 2012, singer Younha launched a one-man agency called Wealive, a small operation built entirely around her own career. That solo-focused label soon entered a partnership with the hip-hop imprint Alive, widening its musical scope well beyond a single artist. The next defining step arrived in July 2015, when Wealive-Alive merged with the independent label Realive. Out of that consolidation, C9 Entertainment was officially launched under a fresh name and identity, with Kim Dae-soon credited as the founding figure. Rather than confining itself to a single function, the new company was structured from day one to operate simultaneously as a record label, a talent agency, a music production house, and an event management firm. That deliberately broad operational model gave the young label the flexibility to nurture artists across several dimensions of the entertainment industry, a foundational choice that would shape every strategic move the company made in the years that followed.

Mergers, Partnerships, and Corporate Realignment

Within a couple of years of its 2015 launch, C9 executed a rapid series of moves that dramatically expanded its reach. In 2016, the company merged with GG Entertainment, a talent management firm representing actors Eugene, Lee See Eun, and Jung Ui Chul, instantly bolting a substantial acting roster onto its portfolio. That same year, C9 struck a partnership with Benq Korea's gaming brand Zowie, signaling an interest in the esports and gaming world, and also brought soloist Juniel under its wing. In March 2017, the company relocated its headquarters from Gangnam to a new building in Mapo, a physical expansion that mirrored its growing ambitions. A pivotal corporate shift then arrived on November 2, 2018, when CI Entertainment's CEO acquired a full 100 percent stake in C9. Despite the ownership change, the two entities continued to operate independently, with CI Entertainment simply moving its own office into the same building. This arrangement let C9 preserve its creative identity while gaining the backing of a larger corporate parent.

A Rolling Pipeline of Group Debut

C9 developed a distinctive, rolling strategy for building and launching groups in successive waves. In August 2017, the company debuted Good Day, its first girl group, drawing most of its members from a 2016 trainee showcase. Two years later, on July 23, 2019, C9 introduced its first boy group, CIX. The company then cycled five former Good Day members—Jeewon, Chaesol, Sunn, Belle, and YeAh—together with two new trainees, Seline and Semi, into a seven-member girl group initially billed as C9 Girlz. On January 14, 2020, the group's official name was revealed as Cignature, and it would be managed under C9's newly created sub-label, J9 Entertainment. Cignature made its debut on February 4, 2020, with the single "Nun Nu Nan Na." The pipeline kept turning: in March 2021, C9 began introducing an eight-member boy group called C9 Rookies, later renamed Epex, which debuted on June 8, 2021, with the EP Bipolar Pt.1: Prelude of Anxiety. By June 2025, the company had already unveiled another multinational seven-member boy group under the pre-debut name C9 Rookies, later revealed as Naze, with a 2026 debut on the horizon.

A Roster in Constant Motion

C9's artist lineup has been remarkably fluid, reflecting both the natural turnover of the K-pop industry and the company's ongoing reinvention. Its current roster includes soloists Younha and Lee Seok-hoon (who joined from SG Wannabe in January 2019), the duo Poetic Narrator, and the boy group Epex. Behind that present-day core sits a long trail of former artists spanning solo singers, groups, and actors. Groups that have passed through the label include Good Day, Cignature, Cheetah, Drug Restaurant, and CIX, while soloists such as Juniel, Olltii, Pia, and ByeBye Badman all spent time under C9's umbrella at various points. On the acting side, names like Eugene, Han Eunseo, and Kim Chae-yoon were part of the roster during the GG Entertainment merger period. The company's history of signing, developing, and eventually releasing artists across multiple genres and formats—hip-hop, ballad, girl groups, boy groups, and acting—paints a picture of an agency that has consistently pushed to diversify its creative output, even as individual projects have cycled in and out over more than a decade of operation.