P Nation

P Nation is a South Korean entertainment company and music label established in 2018 by singer and performer Psy after his departure from YG Entertainment. Based in Seoul's Gangnam area, the company combines record-label operations, artist management, music production, live-event activity, and entertainment development. Its roster has included prominent solo performers such as Jessi, Hyuna, Dawn, Crush, Heize, Hwasa, Swings, Penomeco, and Psy himself, as well as the boy group TNX. The company drew early attention for recruiting artists with established identities rather than building its business solely around newly trained acts. Its first announced signing was rapper and singer Jessi in January 2019. Later that month it signed Hyuna and Dawn following their departures from Cube Entertainment. Crush joined in June 2019, expanding the label's reach into Korean R&B and pop. Heize was added in 2020, and the label subsequently signed or developed additional hip-hop and vocal artists, including D.Ark, Penomeco, Swings, Hwasa, An Shin-ae, and Daniel Jikal at different points in its history. P Nation also pursued structured idol development. In partnership with JYP Entertainment, it participated in the 2021 survival program Loud, which was designed to create new boy groups for the two companies. P Nation's resulting group, TNX, debuted in May 2022 with six members. The group represented an expansion from a label centered mainly on solo artists into the conventional Korean idol-group system. The company has also been associated with the group Baby Dont Cry. Artist contracts and roster changes have been an important part of P Nation's development. Jessi left the company in 2022 after three years, while Hyuna and Dawn also departed that year. D.Ark left in 2021, and Penomeco and TNX member Kyungjun were later listed among former artists. At the same time, P Nation continued to add performers, including Hwasa, who signed with the company in 2023 during an appearance at Psy's Summer Swag concert, and An Shin-ae, who officially joined later that year. Beyond recorded music, P Nation has been involved in concert production and large-scale live entertainment through Psy's performances, including the Summer Swag concert series. Its live-event activities also brought regulatory and public scrutiny in 2022 following reports of possible COVID-19 transmission after water-spraying concerts and an investigation into the death of a construction worker during the dismantling of a concert venue. These incidents form part of the company's documented public record but do not by themselves establish wrongdoing by the company. P Nation has additionally experimented with digital fan engagement. In October 2022 it launched SoPSYety, an online fan forum connected with non-fungible-token technology. Overall, the company is positioned as a personality-led Korean entertainment house built around artist individuality, Psy's public profile, music releases, talent management, live shows, and selective expansion into new artist formats.

P Nation was founded in 2018 by Psy after he left YG Entertainment. The company was conceived as a vehicle for music releases, artist representation, and live entertainment under the direction of one of South Korea's most internationally recognized pop performers. Its first major roster announcement came in January 2019, when Jessi became the label's first announced artist. Later that month, P Nation signed Hyuna and Dawn after their departures from Cube Entertainment. Their recruitment established an early pattern of signing artists with strong existing public identities and recognizable creative styles. In 2019, P Nation expanded its musical range by signing Crush. The company also attracted outside investment when SK Telecom invested 5 billion won as part of its content strategy, reportedly acquiring a 10 percent shareholding. In 2020, the roster grew again with the signing of Heize. P Nation also recruited D.Ark in December of that year, although he left the company in 2021. Penomeco and Swings joined in 2021, reinforcing the label's presence in Korean hip-hop and contemporary popular music. The company moved into formal idol-group development through its collaboration with JYP Entertainment on Loud. The survival program aired in 2021 after global auditions and was intended to produce one boy group for each participating company. P Nation's group, TNX, debuted in May 2022 with six members and became the company's first boy group. This marked a significant expansion from a roster primarily built around established solo performers. The same period brought several changes to P Nation's artist lineup. Jessi left in July 2022 after three years with the company, and Hyuna and Dawn departed in August. In October 2022, P Nation launched SoPSYety, an online fan forum associated with NFT technology, reflecting an attempt to develop a digitally mediated relationship with fans beyond conventional music releases and concerts. P Nation's concert activities became the subject of public and official scrutiny in 2022. Reports emerged from attendees who believed they had contracted COVID-19 after Psy's Summer Swag concerts, which use water sprays as part of the event experience. In August, authorities raided the company's offices while examining the death of a construction worker who fell during the dismantling of a concert venue. The available reference material describes investigations and reports rather than a final legal finding. In 2023, Hwasa joined P Nation during a stage appearance at Psy's Summer Swag concert. The company subsequently announced the signing of An Shin-ae of The Barberettes. Later roster listings also identify Penomeco and TNX member Kyungjun among former artists. P Nation's continuing activities span recorded music, artist management, concerts, entertainment production, and group development. Its business identity remains closely associated with Psy, while its roster and projects show a broader ambition to operate as a multi-artist Korean entertainment company.

• 2023

  Hwasa and An Shin-ae join

  [1]P Nationen.wikipedia.org

  Hwasa signed in June and An Shin-ae was officially announced in September.

• 2022

  TNX debuts

  [1]P Nationen.wikipedia.org

  P Nation debuted TNX, its first boy group, in May.

• 2021

  Loud partnership produces a new group

  [1]P Nationen.wikipedia.org

  P Nation and JYP Entertainment aired the Loud survival program to develop new boy groups.

• 2020

  Heize joins the roster

  [1]P Nationen.wikipedia.org

  Heize signed with P Nation in September.

• 2019

  First artists join the label

  [1]P Nationen.wikipedia.org

  Jessi became the first announced signing, followed by Hyuna and Dawn.

• 2019

  SK Telecom invests in P Nation

  [1]P Nationen.wikipedia.org

  SK Telecom invested 5 billion won and reportedly took a 10 percent shareholding.

• 2019

  Crush signs with P Nation

  [1]P Nationen.wikipedia.org

  The singer joined the label in June.

• 2018

  P Nation is founded

  [1]P Nationen.wikipedia.org

  Psy established P Nation after leaving YG Entertainment.

A creator-led Korean entertainment company emphasizing distinctive artists, pop and hip-hop music, live performance, and flexible artist development.

• Music releases · 2018

  Recorded music

  P Nation releases and promotes singles, albums, and other recorded works by its signed artists. Its catalog has covered Korean pop, hip-hop, R&B, and related contemporary styles, with releases built around both established soloists and newer acts.

• Entertainment agency services · 2018

  Artist management

  The company represents performers and supports their music activities, public appearances, promotions, and related commercial work. The roster has changed over time and has included solo artists as well as group performers.

• K-pop boy group · 2022

  TNX

  TNX is P Nation's first boy group. It emerged from the company's collaboration with JYP Entertainment on the Loud survival program and debuted in May 2022 with six members.

• Live entertainment · 2018

  Concert production

  P Nation produces or is associated with live entertainment, including Psy's large-scale Summer Swag concerts. These events combine musical performance with substantial staging and water effects.

• Digital fan community · 2022

  SoPSYety

  SoPSYety is an online fan forum launched by P Nation in 2022. The service was presented in connection with non-fungible-token technology and digital fan participation.

• 2022

  COVID-19 reports after Summer Swag concerts

  South Korean authorities received reports from attendees who said they contracted COVID-19 after Psy's water-spraying Summer Swag concerts. The matter was investigated in the context of public-health concerns surrounding large live events.

  Source

• 2022

  Worker death during concert-site dismantling

  Authorities raided P Nation's offices while investigating the death of a construction worker who fell during the dismantling of a Summer Swag concert venue. The cited material reports an investigation and does not provide a final adjudication.

  Source

Read more

• 2022

  Launch SoPSYetyProduct launch

  Background

  P Nation sought to extend fan engagement into a digital community and explore NFT-linked participation.

  Action taken

  The company launched the SoPSYety online fan forum in October.

  Aftermath

  The service became part of P Nation's documented digital fan-engagement initiatives; longer-term performance is not established by the available material.

  Source

• 2020

  Enter formal idol-group developmentStrategy

  Background

  P Nation had primarily built its identity around solo artists and sought to broaden its entertainment-development model.

  Action taken

  The company partnered with JYP Entertainment on the Loud survival program, which was designed to produce new boy groups.

  Aftermath

  The partnership led to TNX, P Nation's first boy group, which debuted in 2022.

  Source

• 2019

  Accept strategic investment from SK TelecomStrategy

  Background

  P Nation was expanding its entertainment operations and attracted investment from SK Telecom through the telecommunications company's content-investment strategy.

  Action taken

  SK Telecom invested 5 billion won and reportedly obtained a 10 percent shareholding.

  Aftermath

  The investment gave P Nation an institutional strategic investor during its early expansion.

  Investment amount. 5 billion South Korean won invested; reported 10 percent shareholding (2019)

  Source

1. 1P Nationen.wikipedia.org