The K-pop agency that's become a humanoid robot unicorn

A Korean talent agency brought 16 humanoid robots to Times Square on September 21, danced them to BTS's "Dynamite" and Kpop Demon Hunters' "Golden," and called it a peace event.

But what it's actually building is a lot more interesting than a flash mob.

Galaxy Corporation staged the Times Square performance alongside a secondary event at Rockefeller Center's 610 Loft and Garden, where CEO Choi Yong-ho held a live dialogue with "Schofield Stein," a custom humanoid robot designed to resemble Choi himself, with Albert Einstein visual elements. The robot told the crowd it is "not here to replace you" and asked to be called a "Soul AI" rather than a "Physical AI."

Galaxy Corporation is not a robotics company. It is a Korean entertainment agency ... the company that signed G-Dragon in 2023, brought on SHINee's Taemin in March 2026, and represents actor Song Kang-ho and MLB outfielder Lee Jung-hoo. Galaxy was founded in 2019 with roughly $700 in initial capital by CEO Choi and eight school friends. By fiscal year 2025 it had KRW 298.8 billion in revenue: approximately $215 million, up 619% year over year, with KRW 12.5 billion in operating profit. It is profitable. Its pre-IPO valuation is approximately KRW 1 trillion, or about $720 million.

What Galaxy actually built

The robots in Times Square were not Galaxy's hardware. 

They were Unitree G1 units, third-party humanoids Galaxy operated using its own software layer: a proprietary operating system called Soulware.

Soulware is the actual product. It ingests choreography video, builds a 3D virtual simulation, applies reinforcement learning to replicate the movements, and then issues synchronized commands across multiple robots simultaneously. It handles foot grip correction in real time, manages joint tremor, and coordinates group timing across units. The system is being designed for multi-manufacturer compatibility: the same OS should eventually run on different humanoid hardware from different vendors.

That's intentional. 

Galaxy is not betting on any single robot platform. It is betting on the software layer that turns humanoid hardware into a performance medium.

The robot park

The Times Square event was publicity for an operating business. 

Galaxy Robot Park opened in Seoul's Godeok neighborhood (Gangdong-gu) in July 2026, with a grand opening on August 21. It is a 16,500 square meter facility: the company's own description is "the world's first Physical AI theme park." Robots make pizza, draw self-portraits, play piano, and perform K-pop choreography. The soft opening drew 8,000 pre-bookings and sold out sessions, and daily attendance is roughly 1,000 visitors. 

Galaxy targets 1,000 or more shows annually from the Seoul facility alone.

A second Robot Park is in development in Dubai. Galaxy established Galaxy ME in the UAE in April 2026. U.S. and Japan venues are planned three to six months after Dubai opens.

What's coming

Two announcements from Galaxy's 2027 pipeline are worth tracking. 

First: a humanoid robot K-pop idol, planned for release in the first half of 2027. That's a physical humanoid designed specifically for commercial performance, like with some kind of personality and customization. Second: a 100-country humanoid robot world tour, planned for the second half of 2027. Both are pre-announcement-stage claims from the company, not confirmed productions.

The U.S. IPO timeline is more concrete. 

Galaxy abandoned a planned KOSDAQ listing in August 2026. The company has been in active conversations with both Nasdaq and NYSE, with both exchanges' vice presidents visiting Galaxy's offices in the first half of 2026. CEO Choi has stated underwriters will be announced "late this year or early next year." 

Korean depositary receipts are planned for domestic listing after the U.S. IPO completes.

Entertainment is a real vertical for humanoid robots

We've just seen Lumos stage what it called the world's first fully autonomous robot theater.

Entertainment is increasingly becoming a real vertical with real revenue for robot companies.

The question for Galaxy specifically is whether Soulware can become a genuine platform business. A talent agency and theme park operator at $215M in revenue is not a robotics company. If the OS licensing story develops and the robot idol goes to market, that may change.

Sources

• Robotics and Automation News — Galaxy Corporation stages 16-robot K-pop performance in New York
• Hoodline — Seventeen K-Pop robots take over Rockefeller Center
• AM New York — Galaxy Corporation brings humanoid robots to Rockefeller Center
• Asia Business Daily — 16 humanoid robots dance to K-pop in New York
• Seoul Economic Daily — K-pop robots wow New York children as Galaxy Corporation eyes IPO
• Galaxy Corporation — Official company facts database
• Outlook India — G-Dragon's agency debuts world's first robot theme park