廣告

BTS fans pine for shares of group's record label

51-year-old Kim Eun-hee is just one of millions of fans of Korean pop sensation BTS, which has shattered music industry records and spearheaded the K-pop wave across the globe.

Kim runs her very own BTS-themed cafe in South Korea's capital Seoul, complete with giant posters, tiny trinkets and other branded merchandise adorning the cafe's walls.

And soon, Kim and other loyal fans of all ages, hope to get their hands on another prized possession; shares of BTS' label, Big Hit Entertainment, as the private company prepares to go public on the Korean stock exchange.

"I'm eager to pick up one or two shares even if it's just one, so I pooled my money and plan to put in over $120,000 (150 million won). I want to get closer to BTS as one team and help them."

Big Hit Entertainment is betting that going public will be a smash hit riding on the success of the seven-member band, which recently became the first South Korean act to reach No.1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with their song "Dynamite."

With their initial public offering, Big Hit is seeking to raise more than $800 million (962.9 billion won) -- South Korea's largest IPO in three years.

Shares are currently set to sell at $115 (135,000 won) a piece, and competition for them is expected to be fierce.

But even that isn't stopping BTS' youngest fans like 12-year-old Kim Seo-hyeon from pining for a cut of the deal.

"I just want my dad to buy shares and allow us to meet BTS at the shareholders meeting... If I could be a shareholder, and the BTS members buy something nice to wear with my money, then I will be so happy."

But the biggest beneficiaries of Big Hit's listing will still be BTS themselves.

Last month Big Hit CEO Bang Si-hyuk gave each band member over 68,000 shares, an enormous cut which will only add to the group's billionaire status.