KQ Entertainment
South Korean entertainment company home to Ateez and Xikers.
KQ Entertainment (Korean: KQ엔터테인먼트) is a South Korean entertainment company that started out as Seven Seasons. Founded by Kim Kyu-wook in 2016, it now manages the K-pop groups Ateez and Xikers. The company operates two labels: Seven Seasons, which handles Block B, and KQ Produce, which focuses on singer-songwriters and producers.
The company’s roots go back to 2013, when Block B left Stardom Entertainment. Kim Kyu-wook then created the label Seven Seasons specifically for the group—its name reflecting the seven members. In June 2016, Seven Seasons rebranded as KQ Entertainment to expand its roster and improve management. Seven Seasons continued as a subsidiary alongside the newly formed KQ Produce.
In November 2017, Sony Music Korea made a strategic equity investment in KQ Entertainment, later revealed to be a 33% stake. Ateez debuted under KQ Entertainment in October 2018. The label has since focused on international markets to promote the group. In September 2021, Seven Seasons announced that Block B member P.O would not renew his contract. In January 2023, Block B members Jaehyo, B-Bomb, and U-Kwon also left KQ Entertainment after their contracts expired. A new boy group, Xikers, debuted on March 30, 2023. KQ Entertainment launched a fan app for Ateez and Xikers, and from April 10 to June 10, 2024, it hosted a Grammy Museum pop-up in partnership with the museum. On January 20, 2025, the company signed an exclusive contract with singer Sohyang.
KQ Entertainment’s partnerships include Sony Music, CJ E&M, My Music Taste, and RCA Records. Former artists include Zico, Lucy, HBL, Heo Young-saeng, Babylon, Score, P.O, B-Bomb, Jaehyo, and U-Kwon.
Quick Facts
- Native Name
- KQ엔터테인먼트
- Former Name
- Seven Seasons Entertainment
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Genre
- K-pop · Hip hop · R&B
- Founder
- Kim Kyu-wook
- Hq Location
- Mapo-gu
- Hq Location City
- Seoul
- Hq Location Country
- South Korea
- Key People
- Kim Kyu-wook (founder and CEO)
- Subsidiaries
- Seven Seasons · KQ Produce
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
After Block B left Stardom Entertainment in 2013, Kim Kyu-wook founded the label Seven Seasons specifically for the group, the name representing the seven members. In June 2016, Seven Seasons changed its name to KQ Entertainment in order to branch out, develop and support a bigger variety of artists and improve management through structural changes. Seven Seasons has operated since then as one of two subsidiaries along the label KQ Produce. In November 2017, Sony Music Korea struck a strategic partnership through equity investment with KQ Entertainment; it was later revealed they own 33%.
Reader's Guide
KQ Entertainment began as Seven Seasons, a label created solely for Block B after their departure from Stardom Entertainment. The company rebranded in 2016 to expand its artist roster and management structure, leading to the debut of Ateez in October 2018 and Xikers in March 2023. KQ has focused on international markets to promote Ateez, and in 2024 partnered with the Grammy Museum for a pop-up exhibit. The company has also seen artist departures, including Block B members P.O in 2021 and Jaehyo, B-Bomb, and U-Kwon in 2023. In January 2025, KQ signed an exclusive contract with singer Sohyang. Its significance lies in its role in launching globally recognized K-pop acts and maintaining legacy acts through its subsidiary labels.
Did You Know?
- KQ Entertainment was originally named Seven Seasons, representing the seven members of Block B.
- Sony Music Korea owns 33% of KQ Entertainment through a strategic partnership announced in November 2017.
- KQ Entertainment held a pop-up exhibit with the Grammy Museum from April 10 to June 10, 2024.
- In January 2025, KQ announced an exclusive contract with singer Sohyang.
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