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On January 26, 2024, news broke online about Pdogg reportedly not being a part of HYBE's staff anymore. A Twitter user, @diorparkmin, posted a screenshot from the Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) that showed Pdogg's name without any Music Publisher tag.
As per the information circulating online, Park Jimin of BTS was credited as a lyricist and a composer on the said list under HYBE Co. Ltd. as his "Music Publisher." However, the same couldn't be seen for Pdogg, which raised a lot of queries among fans.
A fan, @jiminsthiri, tweeted on the social media platform, stating how enthusiastically they are looking forward to hearing the music producer launching his own label and BTS member Jimin joining it. Meanwhile, others are sure it is a result of a temporary technical glitch. It is important to note that all the commotion on the topic on social media is based merely on speculation.
Kang Hyo-won, better known by his stage name Pdogg, is HYBE's (formerly BigHit Music) composer, songwriter, and record producer. He has worked behind notable international hits including Butter, Spring Day, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Fake Love, and Dynamite by BTS.
"It could be a mistake": Fans argue whether Pdogg has left HYBE or it is a glitch on the KOMCA website
During his 2022 interview with The Korea Herald, the music producer pointed out that in an effort to create a connection with fans, regardless of their location in Korea, BTS wanted to incorporate the narratives, feelings, and ideas of its members into their songs. He even claimed BTS' The Most Beautiful Moment in Life trilogy, their third album, from 2015–2016, was the piece closest to his heart.
In the same interview, Kang Hyo-won—better known by his stage name, Pdogg— also said that he had previously confided something in Bang Si-hyuk after seeing BTS' historic rise to success. He had revealed to the HYBE founder that the day he left the company would be the day he would retire from the music world. As reported by The Korea Herald, he explained:
“The time I leave Hybe will be my retirement as a musician.”
Several fans appreciated his encouragement of Jimin's artistic ideas, his guidance, and his consistent efforts behind FACE and also in other BTS group projects over the years. Meanwhile, others pondered whether Pdogg is really retiring or just has a different music publisher set for royalty earnings.
Pdogg started creating music for HYBE, formerly known as BigHit Entertainment (now HYBE), in 2007. Bang Si-hyuk, the chairman and founder of the billion-dollar organization, saw the producer's potential after perusing some of the pieces he created on an online composing community site. Back in 2007, HYBE was on the verge of bankruptcy and was reportedly barely able to debut BTS.
Despite all that, the music producer joined the company after being inspired by Bang Si-hyuk's determination and vision to create a better music company. Together, they transcended K-pop music with BTS' talent and devotion to music, spreading it outside the borders of Korea.
After almost two decades of being with HYBE and Bang Si-hyuk, the KOMCA credits have stunned the fandom. Meanwhile, some fans noted that Pdogg said in his Instagram post, "Jimin will end K-pop in 2023" before the release of FACE. Since BTS' debut in 2013, he has produced the biggest songs for them and has extensively worked on Jimin's solo album FACE.
In other news, Pdogg received the Best Producer Award from the 2018 Asia Artist Awards and the Composer of the Year Award from the 2017 Gaon Chart Music Awards. He received a nomination for Album of the Year (Producer) at the 2023 Grammy Awards for Music of the Spheres.
Additionally, he has won the Mnet Asian Music Awards Best Producer of the Year from 2017 to 2020 and the Grand Prize at the Korea Music Copyright Awards from 2019 to 2023.
