Hive, the agency for the Korean pop group BTS, launched a new label, NAECO, as a subsidiary of Hive Japan, a Japanese corporation, and began expanding its local operations.
Hive announced on the 21st that Japanese actress Hirate Yurina had been hired as NAECO's first artist.
Hirate Yurina was a former member of the popular Japanese girl group Keyakizaka46 who served as the group's center.
Hirate Yurina demonstrated her presence by taking the center position in eight works, from her debut single to her final single before leaving the group, in contrast to the usual multi-member Japanese girl group center position, which changes with each new song.
She was also an actress, appearing in a number of films and dramas. In 2019, she also won the New Actor Award at the 42nd Japan Academy Awards for the movie 'Hibiki'. She recently appeared in the Japanese version of the drama 'Itaewon Class'.
"I decided to work with Hive's new label, NAECO," Hirate Yurina said, adding, "I will work hard while discussing with various creators so that I can present better works."
NAECO is a reversed spelling of 'OCEAN,' which means aiming for a global company for entertainers who do not settle for one location and seek challenges.