Entering Korea and APAC,
Backed by Data

Global companies entering Korea and the wider APAC region usually have two gaps: local customers are hard to read from abroad, and headquarters cannot see what is happening on the ground. I have spent my career closing both gaps with data.

At Warner Music Korea I built Korean go-to-market plans for global artists such as Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Christopher and Charlie Puth, and reported the market to regional teams in English.

Artists and platforms whose data I analyzed

Bruno Mars·Ed Sheeran·Christopher·Charlie Puth·FIFTY FIFTY

YouTube · Spotify · TikTok · Instagram · Luminate · Melon · Genie · FLO · VIBE · Circle Chart

The Five-Step Playbook

Five steps I use to take a product into Korea and the wider APAC market. Each one is powered by data, and each one is backed by a real project below.

Validate

Investment & Partnership Review

Is the buzz behind this deal real and lasting?

Investment Review OutputsDurability check
Peer benchmarks
Investment scenarios

Key caseBillboard artist: invest or pass? →

Grow

Revenue & Profitability Diagnosis

Where should we focus to grow revenue?

Growth Analysis OutputsMarket reaction tracking
Growth drivers
Timing triggers

Key caseWeekly UGC read & weather →

Localize

Korea Market Entry & Growth

Who do we sell to in Korea, and through which channels?

Market Entry OutputsCompetitor map
Channel priorities
Market test plan

Key caseReading the Korean market →

Reconcile

Settlement & Contract Review

Do partner statements match usage? What if terms change?

Settlement Review OutputsStatement reconciliation
Gap analysis
Contract scenarios

Key caseStatements & contract options →

Report

Reporting Automation

Can HQ see the market every week?

Reporting OutputsAutomated pipeline
KPI dashboard
Weekly routine

Key caseWeekly report, automated →

Playbook 03 · Localize

Reading the Korean Market

The groundwork behind every Korean launch plan I built for global artists.

In-Flight Music Market Sizing

Korean Air · Asiana

Is a new B2B channel worth entering?

Estimated monthly licensing revenue across Korean Air (~160 aircraft) and Asiana (~80), using fleet data, Warner's average share across five platforms and the domestic/international repertoire split.

fee per aircraft × fleet × market share × settlement rate

Monthly Subscription Tracker

Korean streaming market

Subscribers & share, every month

Tracked Korean streaming subscribers and label share by platform with year-over-year change, giving the team a monthly read on market size and share.

Pop vs K-pop Label Share

Circle Chart Top 200 · 2023

Market share from chart data

Converted ~10K rows of 2023 Circle Chart Top 200 into estimated sales and compared major-label share separately for pop and K-pop repertoire.

Entering Korea or APAC? Let's talk.

Open to Korea & APAC Market Entry and Strategy roles, and advisory projects.

jihunlee@berkeley.eduAbout Jihun →