K Wave Media to Acquire Controlling Stake in KOSDAQ-Listed AI and ICT Company Hansol Inticube

NEW YORK and SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K Wave Media Ltd. (Nasdaq: "KWM"), a global entertainment and media company, today announced that it has entered into a binding share purchase agreement to acquire 42.25% of Hansol Inticube Co., Ltd. ("Hansol Inticube"), a KOSDAQ-listed AI language and software development company, including managerial control, through K Wave Media's wholly owned subsidiary, Play Company Co., Ltd. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

This strategic acquisition combines K Wave Media's deep expertise in global entertainment IP and fandom-driven business models with Hansol Inticube's advanced AI, cloud, and ICT solutions, positioning K Wave Media to fundamentally transform how millions of global K-culture fans engage with artists and content. The transaction represents a key milestone in K Wave Media's evolution into an EnterTech company, integrating entertainment and technology to deliver highly personalized, data-driven fan experiences.

Hansol Inticube is a well-established provider of B2B ICT infrastructure, with core capabilities in AI contact centers, voice recognition, chatbots, smart solutions, and platform technologies. The company has built a stable technology foundation and customer base through large-scale deployments across the financial services, public sector, and telecommunications industries. When integrated with K Wave Media's global entertainment platforms, Hansol Inticube's AI and data capabilities are expected to drive significant innovation in customer experience, fan engagement, and IP monetization within the content and entertainment industry.

For the first nine months of 2025, Hansol Inticube reported KRW 51 billion (approximately USD $35 million) in revenue, which K Wave Media expects will meaningfully contribute to its consolidated financial performance and support its goal of doubling its revenue in 2026 following the transaction's completion.

K Wave Media's wholly owned subsidiary, Play Company, has executed a wide range of projects across the domestic and international entertainment markets over the past decade. Leveraging its proven track record in artist IP management, global K-pop and K-content production and distribution, and large-scale retail collaborations, K Wave Media plans to develop new content-centric AI service models and interactive communication platforms as part of the post-acquisition integration strategy.

Ted Kim, Chief Executive Officer of K Wave Media, commented:

"Play Company has built a strong record of commercial success in global markets such as Southeast Asia, the United States, and Japan, extending well beyond the Korean entertainment industry. By combining this practical experience and IP-driven business model with Hansol Inticube's advanced technological capabilities, we believe K Wave Media can evolve into a new type of global platform company centered on enhanced customer experience."

Mr. Kim added:

"This acquisition is more than a business combination, it is a strategic steppingstone to accelerate the digital transformation and global expansion of the K-culture industry. We anticipate meaningful synergies across new business areas, including AI-powered fan communities, customer-specific data analytics, and IP-based commerce monetization. We also expect this transaction to support K Wave Media's return to profitability in 2026 and mark our full transition into an EnterTech company."

Following the completion of the transaction, K Wave Media plans to expand its business scope to include AI solutions, fandom-based community platforms, chatbot applications, IP monetization, data-driven content distribution, and related services, further strengthening the global competitiveness and technology-driven value chain of the K-culture ecosystem.

About K Wave Media

K Wave Media (KWM) is a publicly listed entertainment and Bitcoin treasury company dedicated to creating, distributing, and monetizing high-quality content across multiple platforms. Since going public in 2025, KWM has focused on strategic growth initiatives, including acquisitions, digital platforms, and digital asset treasury management.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "would," "plan," "future," "outlook," and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding estimates and forecasts of other performance metrics and projections of market opportunity. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this communication and on the current expectations of K Wave Media's management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of K Wave Media. Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements could include changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions.

If any of these risks materialize or K Wave Media's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that K Wave Media does not presently know, or that K Wave Media currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect K Wave Media's current expectations, plans and forecasts of future events and views as of the date hereof. Nothing in this communication should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved.

You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements in this communication, which speak only as of the date they are made and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the cautionary statements herein and the risk factors of K Wave Media described in K Wave Media's Form 20-F initially filed with the SEC on May 14, 2025, as amended, including those under "Risk Factors" therein. K Wave Media anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its assessments to change. However, while K Wave Media may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, K Wave Media specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing K Wave Media's assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

Media Contact:

Investor Relations: [email protected]

Evan Sneider: [email protected]