Hyundai Card Understage Reshapes K POP Ecosystem with New Curators

Hyundai Card has appointed singer Park Hyo shin and hip hop producer Code Kunst as new curators for its Seoul performance venue, Hyundai Card Understage. This move highlights the venue「s evolving role as a multidimensional cultural platform dedicated to expanding diversity in Korea」s music scene and broadening the foundations of K POP consumption.

The curators are responsible for selecting artists and shaping performance directions at the Itaewon based venue. The addition of Park Hyo shin, a renowned vocalist, and Code Kunst, known for bridging hip hop and mainstream music, signals Understage「s commitment to nurturing a more varied musical landscape.

Photo courtesy of Hyundai Card Newsroom.

A Platform for Emerging Talent

Since opening in 2015, Understage has operated as an intimate venue with fewer than 200 seats. Despite its scale, it has hosted established artists like Taeyang of BIGBANG, Lee Hyori, and Hwasa. However, Hyundai Card intentionally designed it as a platform to spotlight emerging talent. For performances curated directly by Hyundai Card, artists are not charged rental fees, allowing them to focus solely on their music.

Ted Chung, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Card, emphasized that Understage is more than a commercial venue. He noted that the venue」s value lies in working with talented artists and creating meaningful experiences, reflecting a core philosophy of discovering artists and expanding audience opportunities over profit.

Singer songwriter Yoo Hee yeol, speaking at last year「s Hyundai Card Da Vinci Motel festival, likened Understage」s role to 「a small pond in an ecosystem」 that nurtures young musicians. He stated that supporting emerging artists weekly can be more meaningful than large scale annual events.

Photo courtesy of Hyundai Card Newsroom.

Photo courtesy of Hyundai Card Newsroom.

A Stepping Stone to Success

The venue「s impact is demonstrated by artists like the band Jannabi. Beginning as street buskers in 2014, they gained recognition through performances at Understage, including solo concerts. This foundation helped them eventually perform at Seoul」s KSPO Dome, a rare achievement for indie bands.

Understage has elevated its stature with top tier sound and lighting systems and a roster of influential curators, including Yoo Hee yeol, Son Min soo, Kim Soo ro, Jang Kiha, Jay Park, and Wave to Earth. Hyundai Card and its curators actively propose which artists and genres deserve attention, functioning as a gateway for audiences to discover future music.

Singer HWASA performs on the Understage at the “2025 Hyundai Card Da Vinci Motel,” held in Itaewon Seoul, in September last year. Photo courtesy of Hyundai Card Newsroom.

A Foundational Layer of K POP

While global K POP success is often attributed to major entertainment companies, a rich ecosystem of live performance culture and creative networks forms another crucial foundation. Hyundai Card Understage exemplifies how a corporation can contribute by opening its stage to lesser known artists and encouraging diverse audience engagement.

A Hyundai Card official stated, 「Understage is a space where emerging artists first connect with audiences and where new music reach more people. We will continue to focus on musical potential and diversity, establishing the space as a meaningful platform within Korea’s music ecosystem.」

HONG KONG and HANGZHOU, China, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hangzhou Diagens Biotech Co., Ltd. (HKEX: 2526, "Diagens"), a pioneer in medical imaging foundation models, today announced its first annual results since its listing. The report marks a pivotal milestone in the company's transition from technical validation to large-scale commercialization, with annual revenue reaching RMB 164 million, a year-on-year increase of 133.7%.

Driven by the rapid adoption of its proprietary iMedImage^® foundation model, Diagens saw its technology licensing revenue soar by 331.7% to RMB 84.34 million, officially becoming the company's primary growth engine. Gross profit reached RMB 118 million, with a robust margin of 71.8%, reflecting a high-value business model built on "Model-as-a-Service" (MaaS).

The Industrialization of Medical AI: From "Bespoke Projects" to "Mass Production"

The medical imaging sector accounts for approximately 80% of global clinical data, yet traditional AI has long struggled with "point solutions"—developing one model for one disease in a single modality. This fragmented approach results in long R&D cycles and high costs, covering only a tiny fraction of the thousands of potential clinical applications.

Diagens is disrupting this legacy paradigm. Its iMedImage^® foundation model, boasting 104 billion parameters, covers 19 imaging modalities and 26 clinical specialties. By providing a standardized technological bedrock, Diagens has reduced the cost and time of developing high-quality specialized models by over 90%.

"We are witnessing a systemic restructuring of clinical capabilities," said a representative of Diagens' cross-disciplinary expert team, which comprises veterans from basic medicine, clinical practice, and advanced AI. "Our goal is to break the cost-efficiency barrier of medical AI, moving from 'craftsman-style' development to an industrial-scale deployment that can fill the widening global gap in healthcare resources."

MaaS Ecosystem: Accelerating Global Healthcare Infrastructure

Within just six months of launching the iMed MaaS^® (Model-as-a-Service) platform in 2025, Diagens partnered with 65 top-tier hospitals to incubate 92 specialized models. This ecosystem allows healthcare institutions to rapidly deploy AI capabilities tailored to specific clinical needs, effectively turning sophisticated diagnostic expertise into a scalable digital utility.

Diagens' reach now extends to over 400 medical institutions across China, including adoption by 40% of the nation's top ten hospitals. Beyond China, the company is positioning itself as a global healthcare AI infrastructure provider, aiming to lower the threshold for high-quality diagnostics worldwide.

Strategic Outlook: Scaling the New Productive Force

Looking ahead, Diagens plans to deepen its strategic collaboration with ecosystem partners, including technology giants like Tencent, to build a "Device + Service + Data" hub. By integrating the iMedImage^® foundation model into the global healthcare value chain, Diagens seeks to address the existential challenges of aging populations and physician shortages.

"This is not just a leap in tool efficiency; it is a fundamental shift in how medical services are produced and delivered," stated Dr. Ning Song, Chairman of Diagens. "Standing at this historical inflection point, we are committed to working with global stakeholders to ensure that truly clinical-grade AI is accessible, reliable, and safe for every patient, everywhere."

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Diagens Annual Results: 100B-Parameter Model Reshapes Medical AI Landscape; Licensing Revenue Becomes Primary Growth Engine