SM, YG, and JYP Entertainment are undoubtedly the most influential and powerful players in the Korean music industry today, and it's no wonder -- with acts like�SNSD, Super Junior, Big Bang, 2NE1, 2PM, and the Wonder Girls under their umbrellas, these agencies have garnered substantial fan support and sales figures not just in Korea, but all over the world. Yet there are three other entertainment companies who are just under the radar, but have a considerable following and influence in the entertainment world. Who are they? Read below to find out! - "The 'SM of Trot', Inwoo Entertainment" Inwoo Entertainment's biggest asset is the "Queen of Trot",�Jang Yoon Jung, who has stayed with the same company for 11 years now since her debut. Besides Jang Yoon Jung,�other well-known trot singers such as�Park Hyun Bin and�Wink make up the Inwoo Entertainment family. With its stellar trot singer line-up, Inwoo Entertainment is known for being the "King of Events" in the entertainment industry. According to a source, Jang Yoon Jung's average appearance fee easily exceeds 18,000 USD. Park Hyun Bin's appearance fee runs to about 14,000 USD, and these singers each attend 20 to 30 events a month. Do the math, and it's a no brainer as to why Inwoo Entertainment carries the "King of Events" moniker. Although trot music controls only a small portion of the music market, when one compares it to the short one-to-two month life span of idol songs, trot tracks maintain popularity for a longer period of time. With trot music alone, Inwoo Entertainment rakes in about 3 million USD a year, and most of the revenue is invested back into the company. Inwoo Entertainment is currently training Choi Young Chul, Hong Won Bin, and "Trot Genius" Yang Gi Won, so the possibilities for this rising company are endless. - "The Treasure of Indie Music, Mirror Ball Music" Mirror Ball Music has become the leader of indie music at the Hongdae scene with its different musical style. They are the masterminds behind orchestrating the rising fame of top A-class indie artists like�10cm, Attic Moonlight,�Haji and Aeri, and more. Interestingly enough, Mirror Ball Music is a distribution company, not a management company, and yet they've incorporated a management system into their business, thus successfully attracting the attention of many fans and indie singers alike.�The company was established back in 2007 by former Mnet employee, Lee Chang Hee, and it was able to raise its annual sales figures by 1,000% in just two years time.�The staff grew from one to twelve employees and the number of distributed albums rose from 300 to nearly 1,500.�Indie bands who lacked access to managers or a marketing team before are now flocking to Mirror Ball Music because of its organized and reliable system. CEO Lee Chang Hee, who was ranked #77 amongst the top 100 powerful individuals leading the Korean music industry, stated, "My great love for indie music is my greatest strength," and expressed his passion for his field of expertise. He hopes to produce real artists, as opposed to "manufactured" ones, and dreams of making a creative�environment�for artists starving in today's capitalized society. - "The Giant of Hip-Hop Music, Jungle Entertainment" Jungle Entertainment is probably the better known company out of the three we have introduced thus far. Housing famous hip-hop artists like�Tiger JK, Yoon Mirae, Leessang, Jo Moon Geun, and Jung In, Jungle Entertainment is a label that specializes in soul and hip hop.�It was established just back in 2006, but its influence over the Korean hip-hop scene is enormous. In fact, Jungle Entertainment is receiving praise for transcending hip-hop music into the mainstream genre. Recently, every song off of Leessang's 7th album topped the charts, and their songs "Turned Off the TV" and "You're the Answer to a Guy Like Me" managed to all-kill the charts for two weeks straight. Jungle Entertainment's artists shine even brighter in the concert market. The leaders of hip-hop, Tiger JK and Yoon Mirae, as well as Leessang have a loyal fanbase that is comparable to that of an idol star's. Not to mention, their concerts are almost always sold out. --- Source + Photo: E Daily via Naver