Despite the nation’s two biggest entertainment agencies SM and YG dominating Korea’s mainstream music business, Park Jin-young, founder and CEO of JYP Entertainment, has topped the annual royalty rankings for the second straight year, according to Korea Music Copyright Association. He earned approximately 1.2 billion won ($1.1 million) last year.

With the Wonder Girls’ lackluster comeback last year leading to the group’s hiatus as well as the less-than-impressive debut of JYP’s rookie duo 15& with “K-pop Star” winner Park Ji-min, JYPE seemed as though it was starting to slip between the cracks compared to SM and YG. However, thanks to the producer’s past megahits including tracks by popular K-pop idol groups including g.o.d and 2PM, Park finds himself sitting comfortably on his digital sales royalties.

He has produced nearly 500 songs in his nearly two-decade career in the music industry, securing his spot in first place followed by famed local songwriter Cho Young-soo.

Cho, who had dominated the royalty earnings ranks for four consecutive years from 2007 to 2010, sits in second place with over 973 million won last year. He is best known for composing the majority of SG Wannabe’s hit tracks including “I Love You,” “Sunflower” and “Kwang” as well as singles for popular girl groups T-ara and Orange Caramel.

Coming in third and fourth places, respectively, are YG’s exclusive composer Teddy Park and SM’s chief producer Yoo Young-jin.

Korean-American rapper and producer Teddy ― who was behind Big Bang’s “Fantastic Baby,” “Blue” and “Sunset Glow” and 2NE1’s “Can’t Nobody” and “Go Away” ― made about 900 million won in royalty earnings, while Yoo earned around 840 million won.

G-Dragon finds himself in fifth place with approximately 800 million won in digital singles income last year. The entertainer is well known for composing tracks as part of his solo career as well as leading popular idol group Big Bang. He recently released his second solo album, “Coup D’etat,” containing 12 self-written tracks.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)