Former iKON leader B.I or Kim Hanbin just made a huge comeback. The former YG artist was recently appointed as the executive director of IOK Company, one of Korea's leading artist agencies.
According to a report by All Kpop, IOK made the official announcement on their website that Kim Hanbin has been appointed as the agency's new executive director.
The announcement did not come as a big surprise since rumors have been floating about B.I's upcoming appointment at the agency. It can be recalled that a document from the company was leaked to show Kim Hanbin's name as one of the candidates for the position.
At the time of the leak, netizens were intrigued by an entry in B.I's resume, which indicated that he was an artist under 131 Label. This led many fans to speculate that B.I started his record label while he was on hiatus.
It can be recalled that publicly, B.I was last associated with YG Entertainment as the leader of Kpop group iKON. However, a drug scandal involving him in allegations of purchasing marijuana and LSD from a YG trainee in 2016 was revealed to the press, causing a massive backlash.
B.I chose to step down from iKON to protect his members from criticism and opted to terminate his exclusive contract with YG Entertainment as he cooperated with a police investigation into the matter. The investigation was concluded by police after B.I tested the negative for illegal drugs in February, Newsweek reported.
What piqued fans' interest about Kim Hanbin's comeback was his choice of agency to partner with. IOK Company is the agency in charge of big-name actors such as Jo In Sung, Moon Soo Bin, Go Hyung Jung, Jung Eun Chae, Kim Na Young, and Kim Sook.
However, the company's roster of talents is noticeably stronger on the acting side, while B.I's background is focused on producing music.
This led to some theories that IOK is hoping to beef up its artist roster with musicians. With B.I's strong connections to the music industry, it is possible for him to invite more kpop artists and rappers to join IOK Company.
IOK has yet to comment on their plans but fans have welcomed B.I's comeback after a long wait.
Some said that joining IOK Company was a bit random but they are happy to see B.I back in the entertainment industry again. Meanwhile, some supporters still can't believe this turn of events and said that this twist in B.I's career was something similar to a Korean drama.
