View source for K-pop

{{Short description|South Korean popular music genre}}
{{Redirect|KPOP}}
{{Pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Unreliable sources|reason=Article contains multiple unreliable sources as per [[WP:KO/RS]], with 14 references alone to Allkpop|date=March 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox music genre
| image             = 
| caption           = 
| stylistic_origins = {{flatlist|
* [[Trot (music)|Trot]] 
* [[pop music|pop]]
* [[dance music|dance]]
* [[contemporary R&B]]
* [[hip-hop]]
* [[rock music|rock]]
}}
| cultural_origins  = 1990s, South Korea
| derivatives       = 
| subgenrelist      = 
| subgenres         = 
| fusiongenres      = 
| regional_scenes   = 
| local_scenes      = 
| other_topics      = 
| name              = K-pop
}}

'''K-pop''' ({{Korean/auto|hangul=^케이팝|rr=yes}}; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music"<ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ko:케이팝 |url=https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?cid=46662&docId=2458624&categoryId=46662 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113083215/https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?cid=46662&docId=2458624&categoryId=46662 |archive-date=January 13, 2022 |access-date=January 13, 2022 |language=ko}}</ref>) is a form of [[popular music]] originating in South Korea.<ref name="Hartong 20063">{{cite book |last=Hartong |first=Jan Laurens |url=https://archive.org/details/musicaltermsworl0000hart |title=Musical terms worldwide: a companion for the musical explorer |publisher=Semar Publishers |year=2006 |isbn=978-88-7778-090-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/musicaltermsworl0000hart/page/15 15] |quote=Since the 1990s, popular genres like rap, rock and techno house have been incorporated into Korean popular music, setting the trend for the present generation of K-pop, which often emulates American models. |access-date=December 5, 2011 |url-access=registration}}</ref> The music genre that the term is used to refer to colloquially emerged in the 1990s as a form of [[youth subculture]], with Korean musicians taking influence from Western [[Electronic dance music|dance music]], [[hip-hop]], [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] and [[Rock music|rock]].<ref name="Laurie 2016 214–2312">{{Citation |last=Laurie |first=Timothy |title=Toward a Gendered Aesthetics of K-Pop |journal=Global Glam and Popular Music: Style and Spectacle from the 1970s to the 2000s |pages=214–231 |year=2016 |url=https://www.academia.edu/12328829 |access-date=April 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126033309/https://www.academia.edu/12328829 |archive-date=November 26, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-root-of-k-pop-the-influences-of-todays-biggest-acts-5638224/|title=The Root of K-Pop: The Influences of Today's Biggest Acts|magazine=Billboard|access-date=July 16, 2017|archive-date=July 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170716191300/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/5638224/the-root-of-k-pop-the-influences-of-todays-biggest-acts|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=South Korea's pop-cultural exports: Hallyu, yeah! |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2010/01/25/hallyu-yeah |access-date=March 23, 2019 |newspaper=The Economist |date=January 25, 2010 |archive-date=November 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105223138/https://www.economist.com/asia/2010/01/25/hallyu-yeah |url-status=live }}</ref> Today, K-pop commonly refers to the musical output of [[teen idol]] acts, chiefly [[girl group]]s and [[boy band]]s, who emphasize [[Visual communication|visual appeal]] and [[Performing arts|performance]].<ref name="seouleconomy2">{{cite web |last=Park |first=Jun-ho |date=February 9, 2022 |script-title=ko:3월1일 열리는 19회 한국대중음악상, 에스파·아이유·악뮤 4개부문 후보 |trans-title=19th Korean Music Awards to be held on March 1 |url=https://news.naver.com/main/read.naver?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=103&oid=011&aid=0004016954 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226150640/https://news.naver.com/main/read.naver?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=103&oid=011&aid=0004016954 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |access-date=February 21, 2022 |work=Seoul Economy |language=ko |via=[[Naver]]}}</ref> As a [[Pop music|pop]] genre, K-pop is characterized by its [[Melody|melodic]] quality and cultural hybridity.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sherman |first=Maria |date=2020-07-13 |title=Start Here: Your Guide To Getting Into K-Pop |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/07/13/888933244/start-here-your-guide-to-getting-into-k-pop |access-date=2025-04-11 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Miroudot |first=Sébastien |date=2024-10-02 |title=What's behind the 'K'? Common audio features of Korean popular music before and after the rise of K-POP |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/popular-music/article/whats-behind-the-k-common-audio-features-of-korean-popular-music-before-and-after-the-rise-of-kpop/E0A20BDA5FD01DD9FB6F65BC7A6EE172 |journal=Popular Music |volume=43 |issue=2 |language=en |pages=123–144 |doi=10.1017/S0261143024000187 |issn=0261-1430|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Park |first=Jun-hee |date=2022-09-14 |title=[Feature] What's behind the 'K' in Korean popular music? |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/article/2957436 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=[[The Korea Herald]] |language=en}}</ref>

K-pop can trace its origins to "rap dance", a fusion of hip-hop, [[techno]] and rock popularized by the group [[Seo Taiji and Boys]], whose experimentation helped to modernize South Korea's contemporary music scene in the early 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cho |first=Chung-un |date=March 23, 2012 |title=K-pop still feels impact of Seo Taiji & Boys |url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20120323001104 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201202043/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20120323001104 |archive-date=February 1, 2014 |access-date=April 12, 2016 |website=[[The Korea Herald]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yoo |first=Noah |title=Seo Taiji and Boys: Seo Taiji and Boys |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/seo-taiji-and-boys-seo-taiji-and-boys/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New Music Friday: Listen To Releases From j-hope, Doja Cat & Jack Harlow, Stray Kids, And More {{!}} GRAMMY.com |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/new-music-friday-j-hope-doja-cat-jack-harlow-stray-kids-songs |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=grammy.com}}</ref> Their popularity with teenagers incentivized the music industry to focus on this demographic, with [[Lee Soo-man]] of [[SM Entertainment]] developing the [[Korean idol]] system in the late 1990s and creating acts like [[H.O.T.]] and [[S.E.S. (group)|S.E.S.]], which marked the "first generation" of K-pop.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Lee Soo-man's idol system at SM paved the way for K-pop as we know it |url=https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/1084898.html |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=[[The Hankyoreh]] |language=ko}}</ref> By the early 2000s, [[TVXQ]] and [[BoA]] achieved success in Japan and gained traction for the genre overseas.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Choi |first=JungBong |title=K-pop – The International Rise of the Korean Music Industry. |date=2014 |publisher=Taylor and Francis |others=Maliangkay, Roald. |isbn=9781317681809 |location=Hoboken |pages=66–80 |oclc=890981690}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Song |first=Cheol-min |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j8lxCwAAQBAJ |title=K-pop Beyond Asia |publisher=길잡이미디어 |year=2016 |isbn=9788973755981 |location=Korea |pages=37–46 |access-date=July 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020163406/https://books.google.com/books?id=j8lxCwAAQBAJ |archive-date=October 20, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

As a component of the [[Korean Wave]], the international popularity of K-pop by the 2010s can be attributed to the rise of [[social media]]. In 2019, South Korea ranked sixth among the top ten music markets worldwide, with artists [[BTS]] and [[Blackpink]] leading the growth.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/caitlinkelley/2019/04/03/kpop-global-bts-blackpink-grow/#7893c0e324e2 |title=K-Pop Is More Global Than Ever, Helping South Korea's Music Market Grow Into A 'Power Player' |last=Kelley |first=Caitlin |date=April 3, 2019 |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=August 24, 2020 |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403101033/https://www.forbes.com/sites/caitlinkelley/2019/04/03/kpop-global-bts-blackpink-grow/#7893c0e324e2 |url-status=live}}</ref> 2020 was a record-breaking year for South Korea when it experienced a 44.8% growth and became the fastest-growing major market of the year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ifpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/GMR2021_STATE_OF_THE_INDUSTRY.pdf|title=2021 State of the Industry|last=|first=|date=March 23, 2021|website=[[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry]]|access-date=March 23, 2021|archive-date=March 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325211040/https://ifpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/GMR2021_STATE_OF_THE_INDUSTRY.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Despite heavy influence from [[American popular music|American pop music]], some have argued that K-pop maintains a distinctness in mood and energy.<ref name=":3" /> The "Koreanness" of K-pop has been debated in recent years, with an increasing share of Western songwriters, non-Korean artists, songs in English and marketing for a global audience.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ahn |first=Ji-Hyun |date=2022-12-29 |title=Theorizing the Korean Wave{{!}} K-Pop Without Koreans: Racial Imagination and Boundary Making in K-Pop |url=https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/18461 |journal=International Journal of Communication |language=en |volume=17 |pages=20 |issn=1932-8036}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pearce |first=Sheldon |date=2024-12-23 |title=K-pop's uncertain English-language future |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/12/23/g-s1-37886/k-pop-english-language-rose-twice |access-date=2025-04-11 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref> Some authors have theorized K-pop as a new kind of "transnational culture" with "global dissemination".<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jin |first1=Dal Yong |last2=Yi |first2=Hyangsoon |date=March 2020 |title=[On This Topic] Transnationality of Popular Culture in the Korean Wave |url=https://doi.org/10.25024/KJ.2020.60.1.5 |journal=[[Korea Journal]] |volume=60 |issue=1 |pages=5–16 |doi=10.25024/KJ.2020.60.1.5}}</ref>

K-pop is known for its tight managerial control. It has been criticized for its [[commercialism]] and treatment of artists.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tai |first=Crystal |date=2020-03-29 |title=Exploding the myths behind K-pop |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/2020/mar/29/behind-k-pops-perfect-smiles-and-dance-routines-are-tales-of-sexism-and-abuse |access-date=2025-04-11 |work=The Observer |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-20 |title=[CRITICALLY SPEAKING: K-POP] 'Suffocating' side of the K-pop industry and its harms to artists |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/07/20/business/industry/Korea-critic-Seo-Jeong-Mingap/20220720185709927.html |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=[[Korea JoongAng Daily]] |language=en}}</ref> The industry is dominated by four major companies—[[SM Entertainment|SM]], [[YG Entertainment|YG]], [[JYP Entertainment|JYP]] and [[Hybe Corporation|Hybe]]. In the 2020s, the genre has been marked by greater artist autonomy and companies localizing their production methods overseas; groups like [[JO1]] and [[Katseye]] have resulted from this [[globalization]].{{TOC limit|3}}

== Etymology ==
The term "K-pop" is the South Korean equivalent of the Japanese "[[J-pop]],"<ref>{{cite book|editor-last1=Tay|editor-first1=Jinna|editor-last2=Turner|editor-first2=Graeme|last=Jung|first=Sun|date=2017|chapter=Shifts in Korean television music programmes: Democratization, transnationalization, digitalization|title=Television Histories in Asia: Issues and Contexts|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_xQ-CgAAQBAJ|publisher=[[Routledge]]|isbn=978-0815355205|access-date=September 6, 2023|archive-date=October 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020163436/https://books.google.com/books?id=_xQ-CgAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> The first known use of the term occurred in [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] in the October 9, 1999 edition at the end of an article titled "S. Korea To Allow Some Japanese Live Acts" by Cho Hyun-jin, then a South Korea correspondent for the magazine, which used it as a broad term for South Korean pop music. Cho himself, however, is not sure if he coined the term, since some articles stated that the word 'K-pop' was already being used by music industry insiders, even though he had never heard it personally.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/k-pop-billboard-20-years-8532755/|title=20 Years of K-Pop at Billboard|date=October 11, 2019|magazine=Billboard|access-date=April 18, 2020|archive-date=April 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427190745/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8532755/k-pop-billboard-20-years|url-status=live}}</ref>

The term K-pop became popular in the 2000s, especially in an international context. In South Korea, domestic pop music is referred to as '''''gayo''''' ({{Korean|hangul=가요|labels=no}}), which is still widely used within the country.<ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ko:정보길잡이 상세보기 &#124; 국립중앙도서관 |url=http://www.nl.go.kr/ask/infoguide/view.jsp?recKey=5563739 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602193923/http://www.nl.go.kr/ask/infoguide/view.jsp%3FrecKey%3D5563739 |archive-date=June 2, 2017 |access-date=November 3, 2018 |website=[[National Library of Korea]]}}</ref> In 2022, the [[Korean Music Awards]] established a separate genre-specific field for K-pop, defining its "distinct aesthetic tendencies" as [[dance-pop]] music originating from the [[Korean idol]] system with a focus on performance.<ref name="seouleconomy2" />

== Characteristics ==

=== Audiovisual content ===
Although K-pop generally refers to South Korean popular music and the associated industry, some consider it to be an all-encompassing genre exhibiting a wide spectrum of musical and visual elements.<ref name="music_for_eyes2">{{cite web|url=http://seoulbeats.com/2011/10/k-pop-music-for-the-eyes-or-for-the-ears/|title=K-pop Music: For the Eyes or For the Ears?|date=October 1, 2011|publisher=Seoulbeats|access-date=March 27, 2012|archive-date=April 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412091354/http://seoulbeats.com/2011/10/k-pop-music-for-the-eyes-or-for-the-ears/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|reason=Seoulbeats is a fan-created kpop blog site and an URS per [[WP:KO/RS]]|date=March 2021}} The French [[Institut national de l'audiovisuel]] defines K-pop as a "fusion of synthesized music, sharp dance routines and fashionable, colorful outfits."<ref name="ina2">{{cite news|url=http://www.inaglobal.fr/en/music/article/k-pop-story-well-oiled-industry-standardized-catchy-tunes#intertitre-3|title=K-pop: the story of the well-oiled industry of standardized catchy tunes|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103182155/http://www.inaglobal.fr/en/music/article/k-pop-story-well-oiled-industry-standardized-catchy-tunes|date=November 29, 2012|archive-date=November 3, 2013|last=Rousee-Marquet|first=Jennifer|newspaper=La Revue des Médias |publisher=[[Institut national de l'audiovisuel]]|quote=K-pop is a fusion of synthesized music, sharp dance routines and fashionable and colorful outfits.|access-date=January 25, 2013}}</ref> Songs typically consist of one or a mixture of [[Pop music|pop]], [[Rock music|rock]], [[Hip hop music|hip hop]], [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], and [[electronic music]] genres.

=== Idol trainee ===
{{See also|#Industry}}
The mainstream method is to become an idol trainee through agency auditions, online auditions, or street casting.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Process Of Becoming A K-Pop Idol |url=https://creatrip.com/en/blog/11280 |website=creatrip}}</ref>

South Korean management agencies<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Big 4 K-Pop Agencies in Korea  |url=https://triple.global/en/articles/edcd9885-30cc-47bb-8eb0-d7636d436505 |website=TRIPLE Korea}}</ref> offer binding contracts to potential artists, sometimes at a young age. Trainees live together in a regulated environment and spend many hours a day learning how to sing, dance, speak foreign languages, and gain other skills in preparation for their debut. This "robotic" system of training is often criticized by Western media outlets.<ref name="Chosun Ilbo">{{cite web|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/10/27/2011102700691.html|title=NYT Draws Attention to K-Pop Idol-Making Factories|work=[[The Chosun Ilbo]]|access-date=December 28, 2012|archive-date=October 29, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111029001354/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/10/27/2011102700691.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2012, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that the cost of training one [[Korean idol]] under [[SM Entertainment]] averaged US$3 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/02/06/can-girls-generation-break-through-in-america/|title=Can Girls' Generation Break Through in America?|last=Yang|first=Jeff|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|quote=The management firms pay for everything; leading talent house S.M. Entertainment has pegged the cost of rearing a single idol at around $3 million, which for Girls' Generation would be multiplied by nine.|access-date=January 25, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102315/http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/02/06/can-girls-generation-break-through-in-america/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Hybrid genre and transnational values ===
[[File:Search volume for kpop.svg|300px|thumb|Search volume for K-pop for the period 2008–2012 according to [[Google Trends]].]]
K-pop is a cultural product that features "values, identity and meanings that go beyond their strictly commercial value."<ref>{{Cite book|title=K-pop – The International Rise of the Korean Music Industry|last=Choi|first=JungBong and Roald Maliangkay|publisher=Routledge|year=2015|isbn=9781138775961|location=New York|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ggSNoAEACAAJ|access-date=July 24, 2018|archive-date=October 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020163403/https://books.google.com/books?id=ggSNoAEACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> It is characterized by a mixture of modern Western sounds and African-American influences (including sounds from Hip-hop, R&B, Jazz, black pop, soul, funk, techno, disco, house, and [[Afrobeats]]) with a Korean aspect of performance (including synchronized dance moves, formation changes and the so-called "point choreography" consisting of hooking and repetitive key movements). It has been remarked that there is a "vision of modernization" inherent in Korean pop culture.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Hybridity and the rise of Korean popular culture in Asia|volume=28|pages=25–44|year=2005|author=Doboo Shim|journal=National University of Singapore|issue=1 |doi=10.1177/0163443706059278|citeseerx=10.1.1.489.921|s2cid=204327176| issn = 0163-4437 }}</ref> For some, the transnational values of K-pop are responsible for its success. A commentator at the [[University of California, San Diego]] has said that "contemporary Korean pop culture is built on ... transnational flows ... taking place across, beyond, and outside national and institutional boundaries."<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.uky.edu/Centers/Asia/SECAAS/Seras/2009/06_Jung_2009.pdf|url-status=dead|title=Transnational Korea: A Critical Assessment of the Korean Wave in Asia and the United States|journal=Southeast Review of Asian Studies|volume=31|pages=69–80|year=2009|author=Eun-Young Jung|location=University of California, San Diego|citeseerx=10.1.1.458.9491|issn=1083-074X|access-date=April 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413221501/http://www.uky.edu/Centers/Asia/SECAAS/Seras/2009/06_Jung_2009.pdf|archive-date=April 13, 2014}}</ref> Some examples of the transnational values inherent in K-pop that may appeal to those from different ethnic, national, and religious backgrounds include a dedication to high-quality output and presentation of idols, as well as their work ethic and polite social demeanor, made possible by the training period.<ref name="Lyan, Irina3">{{Cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/5737750|title=Hallyu across the Desert: K-pop Fandom in Israel and Palestine|journal=Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review|access-date=January 19, 2015|author=Lyan, Irina|date=January 2014 |archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112141828/https://www.academia.edu/5737750/Hallyu_across_the_Desert_K_pop_Fandom_in_Israel_and_Palestine|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Use of English phrases ====
[[File:Yoon Mi Rae and Tiger JK.jpg|thumb|alt=A woman and a man holding microphones. The man is gesturing to one side.|Hip-hop artist [[Yoon Mi-rae]] and her husband, rapper [[Tiger JK]] of [[Drunken Tiger]], are credited with popularizing American-style hip hop in Korea.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Park |first1=T. K. |last2=Kim |first2=Youngdae |title=A Brief History of Korean Hip-hop |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/a-brief-history-of-korean-hip-hop.html |access-date=February 25, 2019 |work=[[Vulture (magazine)|Vulture]] |date=January 15, 2019 |archive-date=February 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226172704/https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/a-brief-history-of-korean-hip-hop.html |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
Modern K-pop is marked by its use of English phrases. Jin Dal Yong of ''Popular Music and Society'' wrote that the usage may be influenced by "Korean-Americans and/or Koreans who studied in the U.S. [who] take full advantage of their English fluency and cultural resources that are not found commonly among those who were raised and educated in Korea."<ref name="Jin 113–1312">{{Cite journal|last1=Jin|first1=Dal Yong|last2=Ryoo|first2=Woongjae|date=December 13, 2012|title=Critical Interpretation of Hybrid K-Pop: The Global-Local Paradigm of English Mixing in Lyrics|journal=Popular Music and Society|volume=37|issue=2|pages=113–131|doi=10.1080/03007766.2012.731721|s2cid=143689845|issn=0300-7766}}</ref> Korean pop music from singers or groups who are Korean-American such as [[Fly to the Sky]], [[g.o.d]], Rich, [[Yoo Seung-jun]], and [[Drunken Tiger]] has both American style and English lyrics. These Korean-American singers' music has a different style from common Korean music, which attracts the interest of young people.<ref name="Jin 113–1312"/> Increasingly, foreign songwriters and producers are employed to work on songs for K-pop idols, such as [[will.i.am]] and [[Sean Garrett]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2011/apr/20/k-pop-sweden-pelle-lidell|title=Behind the music: What is K-Pop and why are the Swedish getting involved?|last=Lindvall|first=Helienne|date=April 20, 2011|work=The Guardian|location=London|access-date=March 27, 2012|archive-date=September 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930040839/http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2011/apr/20/k-pop-sweden-pelle-lidell|url-status=live}}</ref> Foreign musicians, including rappers such as [[Akon]], [[Kanye West]], [[Ludacris]], and [[Snoop Dogg]], have also featured on K-pop songs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fuse.tv/2013/02/kpop-connections-infographic|title=The K-Pop/U.S. Music Connections You Never Knew Existed|last=Xu|first=Tina|publisher=[[Fuse (TV channel)|Fuse]]|access-date=March 7, 2013|archive-date=July 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715235752/https://www.fuse.tv/2013/02/kpop-connections-infographic|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/global/1098373/secrets-behind-k-pops-global-success-explored-at-sxsw-panel|title=Secrets Behind K-Pop's Global Success Explored at SXSW Panel|last=Hampp|first=Andrew|quote=The American hip-hop community's recent interest in K-pop has helped open a lot of doors for other artists and managers Stateside, too.|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=March 28, 2013|date=March 16, 2012|archive-date=July 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704234020/http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/global/1098373/secrets-behind-k-pops-global-success-explored-at-sxsw-panel|url-status=live}}</ref>

Entertainment companies help to expand K-pop to other parts of the world through a number of different methods. Singers need to use English since the companies want to occupy markets in the other parts of Asia, which enables them to open the Western market in the end. Most K-pop singers learn English because it is a common language in the world of music, but some singers also learn other foreign languages such as Japanese to approach the Japanese market.<ref name="Jin 113–1312"/> Similarly, increasing numbers of K-pop bands use English names rather than Korean ones. This allows songs and artists to be marketed to a wider audience around the world.<ref name="Jin 113–1312" />

<!--I think the source for this is describing J-pop-->
However, the use of English has not guaranteed the popularity of K-pop in the North American market. For some commentators, the reason for this is because the genre can be seen as a distilled version of Western music, making it difficult for K-pop to find acceptance in these markets.<ref name="Jin 113–1312" /> Furthermore, Western audiences tend to place emphasis on authenticity and individual expression in music, which the idol system can be seen as suppressing.<ref name="Chosun Ilbo"/> 
According to Elaine W. Chun's research, even though [[hybridity]] appears more and more often in K-pop, and sometimes may even make fans admire K-pop stars more because it is fresh, new and interesting, it is hard to change those who believe in a perfect ideal for pure linguistic. This means that the original form of language is still difficult to alter.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Chun|first=Elaine W.|date=February 2017|title=How to drop a name: Hybridity, purity, and the K-pop fan|journal=Language in Society|language=en|volume=46|issue=1|pages=57–76|doi=10.1017/S0047404516000828|issn=0047-4045|doi-access=free}}</ref>
[[File:T-ara in Cyworld Dream Music Festival.jpg|thumb|alt=Seven women, the members of T-ara, facing an audience in bright retro outfits.|[[T-ara]] at the "Cyworld Dream Music Festival", 2011]] 
Artist names, song titles, and lyrics have exhibited significant growth in the usage of English words. No singers in the top fifty charts in 1990 had English in their names: people who worked in the Korean music industry viewed using Korean names as standard. In 1995, most popular singers such as [[Kim Gun-mo]], Park Mi-kyung, [[Park Jin-young]], [[Lee Seung-chul]], and [[Byun Jin-sub]] still used Korean names, but fourteen of the singers and groups in the top fifty used English names, including [[DJ DOC]], [[015B]], Piano, and [[Solid (band)|Solid]]. After the 1997 financial crisis, the government stopped censoring English lyrics and Korea started to have a boom in English. Since the late 1990s, English usage in singers' names, song titles, and lyrics has grown quickly. Seventeen singers in the top fifty charts used English names in 2000, and thirty-one did so in 2005. In 2010, forty-one singers used English names among the top fifty songs, but usually, three or four singers and groups had more than one or two songs on the chart simultaneously. Korean names (e.g. [[Baek Ji-young]], [[Seo In-young]], and [[Huh Gak]]) are seen less frequently, and many K-pop singers have English names (e.g. [[IU (singer)|IU]], [[Sistar]], [[T-ara]], [[GD & TOP]], [[Beast (South Korean band)|Beast]], and [[After School (group)|After School]]). Notably, until the early 1990s, musicians with English names would [[transliterate]] them into [[hangul]], but now singers would use English names written with the [[Latin script|Roman alphabet]].<ref name="Jin 113–1312"/> In 1995, the percentage of song titles using English in the top 50 charts was 8%. This fluctuated between 30% in 2000, 18% in 2005, and 44% in 2010. An example of a Korean song with a large proportion of English lyrics is [[Kara (South Korean group)|Kara]]'s "[[Jumping (Kara song)|Jumping]]," which was released at the same time in both Korea and Japan to much success.<ref name="Jin 113–1312" />

=== Marketing ===
<!-- Comeback (K-pop) redirects here, this is why that term is bolded -->
Many agencies have presented new idol groups to an audience through a "debut showcase" which consists of online marketing and television broadcast promotions as opposed to radio.<ref name="npr 20121012">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2012/10/12/162740623/gangnam-style-three-reasons-k-pop-is-taking-over-the-world|title=Gangnam Style: Three Reasons K-Pop Is Taking Over The World|last=Chace|first=Zoe|publisher=NPR|date=October 12, 2012|access-date=December 26, 2012|archive-date=September 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929100810/https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2012/10/12/162740623/gangnam-style-three-reasons-k-pop-is-taking-over-the-world|url-status=live}}</ref> Groups are given a name and a "concept" along with a marketing hook. These concepts are the type of visual and musical theme that idol groups utilize during their debut or comeback.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} Concepts can change between debuts and fans often distinguish between boy group concepts and girl group concepts. Concepts can also be divided between general concepts and theme concepts, such as cute or fantasy. New idol groups will often debut with a concept well known to the market to secure a successful debut. Sometimes sub-units or sub-groups are formed among existing members. Two example subgroups are [[Super Junior-K.R.Y.]], which consists of [[Super Junior]] members [[Cho Kyu-hyun|Kyuhyun]], [[Kim Ryeo-wook|Ryeowook]], and [[Yesung]], and [[Super Junior-M]], which became one of the best-selling K-pop subgroups in China.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/kpopkoreasmusica0000kall | url-access=registration | title=K-Pop: Korea's Musical Explosion | last=Kallen | first=Stuart A. | publisher=Twenty-First Century Books | year=2014 | isbn= 9781467720427 | page=[https://archive.org/details/kpopkoreasmusica0000kall/page/37 37]–38 }}</ref>

Online marketing includes music videos posted to YouTube in order to reach a worldwide audience.<ref name="npr 20121012"/> Prior to the actual video, the group releases teaser photos and trailers. Promotional cycles of subsequent singles are called comebacks even when the musician or group in question did not go on hiatus.<ref name="ramstadwsj2">{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2012/12/31/korea-counts-down-not-just-to-new-year-but-to-new-girls-album/|title=Korea Counts Down Not Just To New Year, But to New Girls' Album|last=Ramstad|first=Evan|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|quote=K-pop news sites for the past couple of weeks have seemed to have some new video or bit of Girls-related gossip to chew over once or twice a day. There's been a "drama" teaser and a "dance" teaser (that's the one above) and countdown videos from each of the group's nine members... One of the unique things about album releases by K-pop artists is that they are routinely called 'comebacks' even when there's been no evidence that the musician or group went away or, in the conventional sports usage of the term, experienced a setback or loss.|access-date=January 5, 2013|archive-date=June 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606142118/https://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2012/12/31/korea-counts-down-not-just-to-new-year-but-to-new-girls-album/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Dance ===
[[File:'강렬한 데뷔' 느와르, 한편의 느와르 영화 같은 격렬한 사운드 -NOIR (디패짤).webm|thumb|start=60|end=130|The dance for "Gangsta", an electronic dance track by [[Noir (band)|Noir]], includes point choreography.<ref>{{cite news |last=정 |first=준화 |title=[SC현장] "롤모델은 방탄소년단"...느와르, 벌써 '핫' 한 9인조 (종합) |url=http://sports.chosun.com/news/ntype.htm?id=201804100100075380005500&servicedate=20180409 |access-date=March 9, 2019 |work=[[Sports Chosun]] |date=April 9, 2018 |language=ko |archive-date=August 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813220108/https://sports.chosun.com/news/ntype.htm?id=201804100100075380005500&servicedate=20180409 |url-status=live }}</ref> ]]
Dance is an integral part of K-pop. When combining multiple singers, the singers often switch their positions while singing and dancing by making prompt movements in synchrony, a strategy called "formation changing" ({{Korean|hangul=자리바꿈|rr=jaribakkum|labels=no}}).<ref name="Groove Nation">{{cite web|script-title=ko:유튜브 센세이션, 그루브네이션(Groove Nation)과 인터뷰|url=https://kpopalltime.wordpress.com/tag/%EA%B7%B8%EB%A3%A8%EB%B8%8C%EB%84%A4%EC%9D%B4%EC%85%98/|access-date=December 27, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000717/https://kpopalltime.wordpress.com/tag/%EA%B7%B8%EB%A3%A8%EB%B8%8C%EB%84%A4%EC%9D%B4%EC%85%98/|archive-date=December 28, 2017}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=See unreliable sources list on [[WP:KO/RS]]|date=November 2024}} The K-pop [[choreography]] ({{Korean|안무|按舞|rr=anmu|labels=no}}) often includes the so-called "point dance" ({{Korean|포인트 안무|rr=pointeu anmu|labels=no}}), referring to a dance made up of hooking and repetitive movements within the choreography that matches the characteristics of the lyrics of the song.<ref name="asiaone">{{cite web|title=K-pop's second wave|url=http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20110822-295555.html|access-date=December 27, 2017|archive-date=September 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923214705/http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20110822-295555.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="K-Pop success">{{cite web |title=K-Pop success for easy choreography |url=http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2013041629988 |access-date=December 27, 2017 |archive-date=October 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011015954/http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2013041629988 |url-status=live }}</ref> Super Junior's "[[Sorry, Sorry (Super Junior song)|Sorry Sorry]]" and [[Brown Eyed Girls]]' "[[Abracadabra (Brown Eyed Girls song)|Abracadabra]]" are examples of songs with notable "point" choreography. To choreograph a dance for a song requires the writers to take the tempo into account.<ref name="the verge">{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/10/18/3516562/k-pop-invades-america-south-korea-pop-music-factory|title=K-Pop takes America: how South Korea's music machine is conquering the world|date=October 18, 2012|access-date=December 27, 2017|website=The Verge|archive-date=October 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020230840/http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/18/3516562/k-pop-invades-america-south-korea-pop-music-factory|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Ellen Kim, a Los Angeles dancer and choreographer, a fan's ability to do the same steps must also be considered. Consequently, K-pop choreographers have to simplify movements.<ref name="the verge" />

[[File:(24K(투포케이)) 4집 날라리(Superfly) 안무 영상 (사복ver.).jpg|thumb|alt=Seven young men performing synchronised dance moves, wearing casual clothing. Some of them have dyed hair.|[[24K (band)|24K]] performing choreography in a practice studio]]
The training and preparation necessary for K-pop idols to succeed in the industry and dance successfully are intense. Training centers like Seoul's Def Dance Skool develop the dance skills of youth in order to give them a shot at becoming an idol.<ref name="Broadly-2016">{{Cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/inside-k-pop-training-centers-korea/|title=Inside the Intense Training Centers Where Young Girls Compete to Be K-Pop Stars|date=October 5, 2016|work=Broadly|access-date=October 15, 2018|language=en-us|archive-date=November 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107104303/https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/8x49y3/inside-k-pop-training-centers-korea|url-status=live}}</ref> Physical training is one of the largest focuses at the school, as much of a student's schedule is based around dance and exercise.<ref name="Broadly-2016" /> The entertainment labels are highly selective, so few make it to fame. Students at the school must dedicate their lives to the mastery of dance in order to prepare for the vigorous routines performed by K-pop groups. This, of course, means that the training must continue if they are signed. Companies house much larger training centers for those who are chosen.<ref name="Broadly-2016" />

An interview with K-pop choreographer [[Rino Nakasone]] lends insight into the process of creating routines. According to Nakasone, her focus is to make dance routines that are flattering for the dancers but also complementary to the music.<ref name="Beyond Hallyu-2013">{{Cite news|url=http://beyondhallyu.com/k-pop/behind-the-scenes-in-k-pop-interview-with-sm-choreographer-rino-nakasone/|title=Behind the Scenes in K-pop: Interview with SM Choreographer Rino Nakasone – Beyond Hallyu|date=April 26, 2013|work=Beyond Hallyu|access-date=October 15, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=August 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819085554/http://beyondhallyu.com/k-pop/behind-the-scenes-in-k-pop-interview-with-sm-choreographer-rino-nakasone/|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Her ideas are submitted to the entertainment company as video recordings done by professional dancers.<ref name="Beyond Hallyu-2013" /> Nakasone mentions that the company and the K-pop artists themselves have input on a song's choreography.<ref name="Beyond Hallyu-2013" /> Choreographer May J. Lee gives another perspective, telling that her choreography often starts out as expressing the feeling or the meaning of the lyrics.<ref name="Video-2018">{{Cite news|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180130001007|title=[Video] Exploring the art of K-pop dance|date=January 30, 2018|access-date=October 17, 2018|archive-date=January 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200117000800/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180130001007|url-status=live}}</ref> What starts out as small movements turns into a full dance that is better able to portray the message of the song.<ref name="Video-2018" />

=== Fashion ===
{{See also|Fashion in South Korea}}
The emergence of [[Seo Taiji and Boys]] in 1992 paved the way for the development of contemporary K-pop groups.<ref name="Jin-2017">{{Cite book|last=Jin|first=Dal Yong|date=April 20, 2017|title=Critical Discourse of K-pop within Globalization|url=http://illinois.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.5406/illinois/9780252039973.001.0001/upso-9780252039973-chapter-006|volume=1|language=en|doi=10.5406/illinois/9780252039973.003.0006|isbn=9780252098147|publisher=University of Illinois Press|access-date=May 7, 2018|archive-date=May 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507154457/http://illinois.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.5406/illinois/9780252039973.001.0001/upso-9780252039973-chapter-006|url-status=live}}</ref> The group revolutionized the Korean music scene by incorporating [[Rapping|rap]] and American [[Hip hop|hip-hop]] conventions into their music.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lie|first=John|date=2012|title=What Is the K in K-pop? South Korean Popular Music, the Culture Industry, and National Identity|journal=Korea Observer|volume=43|pages=339–63}}</ref> This adoption of Western style extended to the fashions worn by the boy band: the members adopted a hip-hop aesthetic.<ref name="Lie-2014">{{Cite book|title=K-pop: popular music, cultural amnesia, and economic innovation in South Korea|first=John|last=Lie|isbn=9780520958944|location=Oakland, California|publisher=University of California Press |oclc=893686334|date=November 24, 2014}}</ref> [[Seo Taiji|Seo]] and bandmates' outfits for the promotional cycle of "[[I Know (Seo Taiji and Boys song)|I Know]]" included vibrant streetwear such as oversized T-shirts and sweatshirts, [[windbreaker]]s, overalls worn with one strap, overalls worn with one pant leg rolled up, and American sports team jerseys.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} Accessories included baseball caps worn backwards, [[bucket hat]]s, and [[do-rag]]s.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

As K-pop "was born of post-Seo trends,"<ref name="Lie-2014" /> many acts that followed Seo Taiji and Boys adopted the same fashion style. [[Deux (band)|Deux]] and [[DJ Doc|DJ DOC]] can also be seen wearing on-trend hip-hop fashions such as [[Sagging (fashion)|sagging]] baggy pants, sportswear, and [[Kerchief|bandanas]] in their performances.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} With Korean popular music transforming into youth-dominated media, manufactured teenage idol groups began debuting in the mid and late 1990s,<ref name="Jin-2017" /> wearing coordinated costumes<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20171018000840|title=[Herald Interview] Girls' Generation's stylist caps K-pop fashion industry over years|date=October 18, 2017|access-date=May 7, 2018|language=en|archive-date=May 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507002308/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20171018000840|url-status=live}}</ref> that reflected the popular fashion trends among youth at the time. Hip-hop fashion, considered the most popular style in the late '90s,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.retrowaste.com/1990s/fashion-in-the-1990s/|title=1990s Fashion: Styles, Trends, History & Pictures|website=www.retrowaste.com|language=en-US|access-date=May 7, 2018|archive-date=July 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720051721/https://www.retrowaste.com/1990s/fashion-in-the-1990s/|url-status=live}}</ref> remained, with idol groups [[H.O.T. (band)|H.O.T.]] and [[Sechs Kies]] wearing the style for their debut songs. The use of accessories elevated the idol's style from everyday fashion to performance costume, like ski goggles (worn either around the head or neck), headphones worn around the neck, and oversized gloves worn to accentuate choreography moves were widely used.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} H.O.T.'s 1996 hit "[[Candy (H.O.T. song)|Candy]]" exemplifies the level of coordination taken into account for idol's costumes, as each member wore a designated color and accessorized with face paint, fuzzy oversized mittens, visors, bucket hats, and earmuffs, and used stuffed animals, backpacks, and messenger bags as props.

[[File:BBV7.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Two women dancing, wearing colourful, trendy clothing and with exposed midriffs|Members of [[Baby Vox]] performing in 2004]]
While male idol groups' costumes were constructed with similar color schemes, fabrics, and styles, the outfits worn by each member still maintained individuality.<ref name="Kwak-2015">{{Cite book|jstor=10.3998/mpub.7651262|title=Hallyu 2.0: The Korean Wave in the Age of Social Media|last1=Kwak|first1=Nojin|last2=Ryu|first2=Youngju|date=2015|publisher=University of Michigan Press|isbn=9780472072521|editor-last=Lee|editor-first=Sangjoon|doi=10.3998/mpub.7651262|hdl=10356/143911|editor2-last=Nornes|editor2-first=Abé Mark|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z0r8rQEACAAJ|access-date=July 24, 2018|archive-date=October 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020163400/https://books.google.com/books?id=z0r8rQEACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> On the other hand, female idol groups of the '90s wore homogeneous costumes, often styled identically.<ref name="Kwak-2015" /> The costumes for female idols during their early promotions often focused on portraying an innocent, youthful image.<ref name="Shim-2006">{{Cite journal|last=Shim|first=Doobo|date=2006|title=Hybridity and the Rise of Korean Popular Culture in Asia|journal=Media, Culture & Society|volume=28|issue=1 |pages=29|doi=10.1177/0163443706059278|s2cid=204327176}}</ref> [[S.E.S. (group)|S.E.S.]]'s debut in 1997, "[[('Cause) I'm Your Girl]]", and [[Baby Vox]]'s second album 1998 hit, "[[Ya Ya Ya]]," featured the girls dressed in white outfits, "[[To My Boyfriend]]" by [[Fin.K.L]] shows idols in pink schoolgirl costumes, and "One" and "End" of Chakra presented Hindu and African style costumes. To portray a natural and somewhat saccharine image, the accessories were limited to large bows, pompom hair ornaments and hair bands. With the maturation of female idol groups and the removal of bubblegum pop in the late 1990s, the sets of female idol groups focused on following the fashion trends of the time, many of which were revealing pieces. The latest promotions of the girl groups Baby Vox and [[Jewelry (group)|Jewelry]] exemplify these trends of hot pants, micro-miniskirts, crop tops, peasant blouses, transparent garments and blouses on the upper part of the torso.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}

As K-pop became a modern hybrid of Western and Asian cultures starting from the late 2000s,<ref>{{Cite book|jstor=10.5406/j.ctt18j8wkv.9|title=New Korean Wave|date=2016|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=9780252039973|editor-last=Jin|editor-first=Dal Yong|series=Transnational Cultural Power in the Age of Social Media|pages=111–130|doi=10.5406/illinois/9780252039973.001.0001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_IWjjgEACAAJ|last1=Jin|first1=Dal Yong|chapter=Critical Discourse of K-pop within Globalization|access-date=July 24, 2018|archive-date=October 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020163401/https://books.google.com/books?id=_IWjjgEACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> fashion trends within K-pop reflected diversity and distinction as well. Fashion trends from the late 2000s to early 2010s can largely be categorized under the following:<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kim|first=Yun|date=Spring 2012|title=K-pop 스타의 패션에 관한 연구|url=http://www.ksfd.co.kr/neowiz/board/up_files/files_1/2012_vol12no2_02_ky.pdf|journal=Journal of the Korean Society of Fashion Design|volume=12|issue=2|pages=17–37|access-date=March 16, 2018|archive-date=August 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826054914/http://www.ksfd.co.kr/neowiz/board/up_files/files_1/2012_vol12no2_02_ky.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
*Street: focuses on individuality; features bright colors, mix-and-match styling, graphic prints, and sports brands such as Adidas and Reebok.
* Retro: aims to bring back "nostalgia" from the 1960s to 1980s; features dot prints and detailed patterns. Common clothing items include denim jackets, boot-cut pants, wide pants, hair bands, scarves, and sunglasses.
* Sexy: highlights femininity and masculinity; features revealing outfits made of satin, lace, fur, and leather. Common clothing items include mini skirts, corsets, net stockings, high heels, sleeveless vests, and see-through shirts.
*Black & White: emphasizes modern and chic, symbolizes elegance and charisma, mostly applied to formal wear.
* Futurism: commonly worn with electronic and hip-hop genres; features popping color items, metallic details and prints; promotes a futuristic outlook.
{{multiple image
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 | image1            = 2NE1 2009 MAMA.jpg 
|alt1=Four women wearing colourful, mismatched casual clothing and trendy sneakers
 | caption1          =[[2NE1]] performing [[I Don't Care (2NE1 song)|"I Don't Care"]]—an instance of street style
 | image2            = Wonder Girls from acrofan cropped.jpg
|alt2=Five women with beehive hairstyles wearing matching golden sheath dresses and elbow-length gloves
 | caption2          = [[Wonder Girls]] performing [[Nobody (Wonder Girls song)|"Nobody"]]—an instance of retro style
|image3=2PM,a Korean boy band - 5865346497 (cropped).jpg
|alt3=Six men wearing form-fitting black sleeveless shirts, leather pants, and combat boots. They have prominent eye makeup and each has a different gelled hairstyle.
|caption3= A publicity shot of [[2PM]]—an instance of sexy style
 |image4=MBLAQ_in_2010_(cropped).jpg
|alt4=Five men with bowl haircuts and eyeliner wearing close-fitting, shiny suits—some black with white embellishment, others white with black embellishment.
|caption4=[[MBLAQ]] performing "Y"—an instance of black & white style
 | footer            = 
}}
{{clear}}
K-pop has a significant influence on fashion in Asia, where trends started by idols are followed by young audiences.<ref name="inquirer2">{{cite web|url=http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/14895/k-pops-slick-productions-win-fans-across-asia|title=K-pop's slick productions win fans across Asia|date=September 21, 2011|publisher=Inquirer|access-date=April 2, 2012|archive-date=December 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230131917/http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/14895/k-pops-slick-productions-win-fans-across-asia|url-status=live}}</ref> Some idols have established status as fashion icons, such as [[G-Dragon]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/12/25/2012122500365.html|title=G-Dragon Voted Best-Dressed Celebrity of the Year|work=[[The Chosun Ilbo]]|date=December 25, 2012|access-date=March 2, 2017|archive-date=January 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126152326/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/12/25/2012122500365.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[CL (singer)|CL]], who has repeatedly worked with fashion designer [[Jeremy Scott]], being labeled his "muse."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.papermag.com/jeremy-scott-and-cl-on-moschino-pop-culture-and-the-power-of-girls-1427634656.html|title=Jeremy Scott and CL On Moschino, Pop Culture and the Power Of Girls|website=Papermag|access-date=April 12, 2016|date=August 26, 2015|archive-date=April 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407204513/http://www.papermag.com/jeremy-scott-and-cl-on-moschino-pop-culture-and-the-power-of-girls-1427634656.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2253244/jeremy-scott-cl-paper-mag/|title=Bow Down To The Ultimate Besties Jeremy Scott And CL In 'Paper' Mag|website=[[MTV News]]|access-date=April 12, 2016|archive-date=April 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423153209/http://www.mtv.com/news/2253244/jeremy-scott-cl-paper-mag/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

According to professor Ingyu Oh, "K-pop emphasizes thin, tall, and feminine looks with adolescent or sometimes very cute facial expressions, regardless of whether they're male or female singers."<ref>{{Cite journal|first=Ingyu|last=Oh|title=The Globalization of K-pop: Korea's Place in the Global Music Industry|access-date=January 15, 2020|url=https://www.academia.edu/4732546 |journal=Korea Observer |page=402|archive-date=September 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928105040/https://www.academia.edu/4732546|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Government support ===
[[File:South Korean exports of cultural products and services.jpg|thumb|The [[Bank of Korea]] has attributed the rapid surge in cultural exports since 1997 to the increased worldwide popularity of K-pop.<ref>{{cite web|title=K-Pop Leads Record Earnings from Cultural Exports|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/02/07/2012020700892.html|work=[[The Chosun Ilbo]]|access-date=January 26, 2013|quote=A BOK official said the increase "is related to a surge in exports of cultural products amid the rising popularity of K-pop in Europe and the U.S. as well as in Asia."|archive-date=October 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002222746/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/02/07/2012020700892.html|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
The [[Government of South Korea|South Korean government]] has acknowledged benefits to the country's export sector as a result of the [[Korean Wave]] (it was estimated in 2011 that a US$100 increase in the export of cultural products resulted in a US$412 increase in exports of other consumer goods including food, clothes, cosmetics and IT products<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/05/31/2012053101166.html|title=Korean Wave Gives Exports a Boost|quote=But for every $100 increase in exports of cultural products themselves, outbound shipments of processed food, clothes, cosmetics and IT products also grew $412 on average.|work=[[The Chosun Ilbo]]|access-date=January 26, 2013|archive-date=March 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130301044015/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/05/31/2012053101166.html|url-status=live}}</ref>) and thus have subsidized certain endeavours.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inaglobal.fr/en/music/article/k-pop-story-well-oiled-industry-standardized-catchy-tunes|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103182155/http://www.inaglobal.fr/en/music/article/k-pop-story-well-oiled-industry-standardized-catchy-tunes|date=November 29, 2012|archive-date=November 3, 2013|title=K-pop: the story of the well-oiled industry of standardized catchy tunes|last=Rousee-Marquet|first=Jennifer|publisher=[[Institut national de l'audiovisuel]]|quote="The government then identified the cultural industry as the next growth driver. Numerous state research agencies were created and some projects were subsidised in an attempt to boost the nation's cultural industry."|access-date=January 25, 2013}}</ref> Government initiatives to expand the popularity of K-pop are mostly undertaken by the [[Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (South Korea)|Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]], which is responsible for the worldwide establishment of [[Korean Cultural Center]]s. South Korean embassies and consulates have also organized K-pop concerts outside the country,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/05/hallyu-highlight-korea-indonesia-ties-march.html|title='Hallyu' to highlight Korea-Indonesia ties in March|work=Jakarta Post|access-date=January 26, 2013|archive-date=January 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106230006/http://www2.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/05/hallyu-highlight-korea-indonesia-ties-march.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (South Korea)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] regularly invites overseas [[K-pop fans]] to attend the annual [[K-Pop World Festival]] in South Korea.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_2_1.jsp?cid=2415772|title=K-POP World Festival (케이팝월드페스티벌)|website=[[VisitKorea.or.kr]]|access-date=March 2, 2017|publisher=[[Korea Tourism Organization]]|archive-date=March 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303122643/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_2_1.jsp?cid=2415772|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In addition to reaping economic benefits from the popularity of K-pop, the South Korean government has been taking advantage of the influence of K-pop in diplomacy. In an age of mass communication, [[soft power]] (pursuing one's goals by persuading stakeholders using cultural and ideological power) is regarded as a more effective and pragmatic diplomatic tactic than the traditional diplomatic strategy [[hard power]] (obtaining what one wants from stakeholders through direct intimidation such as military threat and economic sanctions).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wagner |first1=Jan-Philipp |title=The Effectiveness of Soft & Hard Power in Contemporary International Relations |url=https://www.e-ir.info/2014/05/14/the-effectiveness-of-soft-hard-power-in-contemporary-international-relations/ |website=E-International Relations |date=May 14, 2014 |access-date=May 14, 2014 |archive-date=May 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517141555/http://www.e-ir.info/2014/05/14/the-effectiveness-of-soft-hard-power-in-contemporary-international-relations/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Cultural diplomacy through K-pop is a form of soft power.<ref name="culturaldiplomacy">{{cite journal |last1=Kim |first1=Tae Young |last2=Jin |first2=Dal Young |title=Cultural Policy in the Korean Wave: An Analysis of Cultural Diplomacy Embedded in Presidential Speeches |journal=International Journal of Communication |date=2016 |volume=10 |pages=5514–5534 |url=https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/download/5128/1838 |format=PDF |access-date=November 17, 2018 |archive-date=April 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430113656/http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/download/5128/1838 |url-status=live }}</ref>

An example of the South Korean government effort in diplomacy through K-pop is the [[MAMA Awards|Mnet Asian Music Awards]] (MAMA), a K-pop music award ceremony. [[Park Geun-hye]] (the Korean president at the time) delivered the opening statement at the [[2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards|2014 MAMA]], which was held in Hong Kong and sponsored by the Korean Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA). This event was considered a deliberate endeavor by the Korean government to support Korean cultural industries in order to strengthen the nation's international reputation and political influence.<ref name="culturaldiplomacy"/>

Another example of cultural diplomacy is K-pop performances in North Korea. Prior to 2005, South Korean pop singers occasionally gave performances in North Korea.<ref>{{cite web|agency=Associated Press |title=Red Velvet Perform for North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un in Rare Pyongyang Concert |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/red-velvet-perform-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-pyongyang-8280163/ |magazine=Billboard |date=April 2, 2018 |access-date=April 2, 2018 |archive-date=April 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402193844/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8280163/red-velvet-perform-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-pyongyang |url-status=live }}</ref> After an interval of more than a decade, approximately 190 South Korean performers, including well-known musicians [[Red Velvet (group)|Red Velvet]], [[Lee Sun-hee (singer)|Lee Sun-hee]], [[Cho Yong-pil]], and [[Yoon Do-hyun]], performed in Pyongyang, North Korea, on March 31 and April 3, 2018. [[Kim Jong Un]] was present in the audience.<ref>{{cite web |last=Baynes |first=Chris |title=South Korean pop stars perform first concert in North Korea for more than a decade |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/k-pop-diplomacy-south-korea-north-pyongyang-red-velvet-kim-jong-un-moon-jae-in-a8283901.html |website=The Independent |publisher=Independent |access-date=April 1, 2018 |date=April 2018 |archive-date=April 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401182532/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/k-pop-diplomacy-south-korea-north-pyongyang-red-velvet-kim-jong-un-moon-jae-in-a8283901.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==

===Origins of Korean popular music===
{{Listen
|filename    = Park_Hyang-rim_-_Oppaneun_punggakjaeng-i.ogg
|title       = ''Oppaneun punggakjaengi''<br/>(오빠는 풍각쟁이; lit. Older brother is a street musician)
|description = A 1938 trot song by Kim Song-gyu and Park Yeong-ho. Sung by Park Hyang-rim.
|format      = [[Ogg]]
}}

The history of Korean popular music can be traced back to 1885 when an American missionary, [[Henry Appenzeller]], began teaching American and British folk songs at a school. These songs were called ''changga'' ({{Korean|창가|唱歌|labels=no}}), and they were typically based on a popular Western melody sung with Korean lyrics. For example, the song "Oh My Darling, Clementine" became known as ''Simcheongga'' ({{Korean|심청가|沈淸歌|labels=no}}).<ref group="note">Not to be confused with the [[pansori]] story [[Simcheongga|of the same name]].</ref> During the [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japanese colonial period]] (1910–1945), the popularity of ''changga'' songs rose as Koreans expressed their feelings against Japanese oppression through music. One of the most popular songs was ''Huimangga'' ({{Korean|희망가|希望歌|labels=no}}). The Japanese confiscated the existing ''changga'' collections and published lyrics books of their own.<ref name="newforce47-492">{{Cite book |last=Kim |first=Yoon-mi |title=K-Pop: A New Force in Pop Music |date= |publisher=[[Korean Culture and Information Service]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-89-7375-166-2 |series=Korean Culture |location=Seoul}}</ref>{{third-party inline|date=March 2013}}

K-pop was represented by H.O.T in the early days, and it was mostly fanatical, flashy, and showed the rebellious psychology of young people in the emotional aspects. Most of the songs are relatively fast-paced and have a strong sense of rhythm, which is suitable for dancing. They often sing and dance when they perform, and the choreography urbanance is a very important factor in popularity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shin |first1=Solee I. |last2=Kim |first2=Lanu |date=December 1, 2013 |title=Organizing K-Pop: Emergence and Market Making of Large Korean Entertainment Houses, 1980–2010 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s12140-013-9200-0 |journal=East Asia |language=en |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=255–272 |doi=10.1007/s12140-013-9200-0 |s2cid=153779858 |issn=1874-6284 |access-date=April 30, 2022 |archive-date=October 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020163405/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12140-013-9200-0 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The first known Korean pop album was ''I Pungjin Sewol'' ({{Korean|이 풍진 세월|이 風塵 歲月|labels=no|lit=This Tumultuous Time}}), by Park Chae-seon and Lee Ryu-saek in 1925, which contained popular songs translated from Japanese. The first pop song written by a Korean composer is thought to be ''Nakhwayusu'' ({{Korean|낙화유수|落花流水|labels=no|lit=Fallen Blossoms on Running Water}}) sung by Lee Jeong-suk in 1929.<ref name="newforce47-492" /> In the mid-1920s, Japanese composer [[Masao Koga]] mixed traditional Korean music with Gospel music that American Evangelists introduced in the 1870s. This type of music became known as [[Enka]] in Japan, and later in Korea developed into [[Trot (music)|Trot]] ({{Korean|트로트|mr=t'ŭrot'ŭ|labels=no|rr=teuroteu}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jpnews.kr/sub_read.html?uid=8082&section=sc1&section2=%C0%CE%B9%B0|title=JPNews 일본이 보인다! 일본뉴스포털!|date=December 30, 2010|publisher=Jpnews.kr|access-date=January 13, 2012|archive-date=October 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013093237/http://jpnews.kr/sub_read.html?uid=8082&section=sc1&section2=%C0%CE%B9%B0|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|script-title=ko:고가마사오|encyclopedia=[[Doosan Encyclopedia]]|url=http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?cid=200000000&docId=1164528&mobile&categoryId=200001546|access-date=January 13, 2012|archive-date=October 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020163409/https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=1164528&mobile&cid=40942&categoryId=39990|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 1930s singers such as [[Wang Su-bok]], [[Lee Eun-pa]] and the [[Jeogori Sisters]] popularised folk music further.<ref name="KTimes-2018">{{Cite web |date=May 23, 2018 |title=Why Korean girl groups conquering music charts are nothing new |url=https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2147420/k-pop-icons-now-and-then-where-it-all-began-todays-girl-groups |access-date=January 22, 2023 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en |archive-date=January 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122173329/https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2147420/k-pop-icons-now-and-then-where-it-all-began-todays-girl-groups |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1940s–1960s: Arrival of Western culture===
[[File:Marilyn Monroe.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Marilyn Monroe poses as a crowd of soldiers photograph her|[[Marilyn Monroe]] entertaining American soldiers in Korea in 1954]]
After the [[Korean Peninsula]] was partitioned into North and South following its liberation in 1945 from Japanese occupation, [[Western culture]] was introduced into South Korea on a small scale, with a few Western-styled bars and clubs playing Western music. After the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953) U.S. troops remained in South Korea, causing American and world culture to spread in South Korea and Western music to gradually become more accepted.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 10, 2021|title=The History Of K-Pop Has A Lot To Do With Politics|url=https://one.npr.org/i/1014914854:1014914855|access-date=July 10, 2021|website=NPR News|language=en-US|archive-date=October 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020163404/https://one.npr.org/?sharedMediaId=1014914854:1014914855?sharedMediaId=1014914854:1014914855|url-status=live}}</ref> Prominent figures of American entertainment like [[Nat King Cole]], [[Marilyn Monroe]] and [[Louis Armstrong]] held [[United Service Organizations|USO]] shows in South Korea for the U.S. Army.<ref name="A.Side-2022">{{Cite news|url=https://ontheaside.com/music/a-brief-history-of-k-pop/|title=A brief history of K-Pop|work=A.Side|access-date=November 6, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=November 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113194050/https://ontheaside.com/music/a-brief-history-of-k-pop/|url-status=dead}}</ref> These visits prompted attention from the Korean public. In 1957, the American Forces Korea Network radio started its broadcast, spreading the popularity of Western music. American music started influencing Korean music, as [[Pentatonic scale|pentatony]] was gradually replaced by [[Set (music)|heptachords]] and popular songs started to be modeled after American ones.<ref name="newforce50-542">''K-Pop: A New Force in Pop Music'', pp. 50–54</ref>

In the 1960s, the development of [[LP record]]s and improvements in recording technology led to the pursuit of diverse voice tones.<ref name="encykorea3">{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]]|publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]]|url=http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Index?contents_id=E0014802|access-date=December 7, 2012|language=ko|script-title=ko:대중가요|archive-date=March 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302203202/http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Index?contents_id=E0014802|url-status=live}}</ref> Open auditions were also held to recruit musicians to perform at the U.S. army clubs. Since South Korea was impoverished after the Korean War, skilled Korean singers regarded performing for the U.S. troops as a good means to earn money. Many singers sang for the American troops, usually in dedicated clubs, the number of which rose to 264. They performed various genres like country music, blues, jazz and rock & roll. The [[Economy of South Korea|South Korean economy]] started blooming and popular music followed the trend, spread by the first commercial radio stations. [[Cinema of Korea|Korean cinema]] also began to develop and Korean musicians began performing to wider audiences.<ref name="A.Side-2022"/>

When [[Beatlemania]] reached the shores of Korea the first local rock bands appeared, the first of which is said to be [[Add 4|Add4]], a band founded in 1962.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.psychemusic.org/Add4.html|title=ADD4 & KOREAN PSYCH-ROCK & FOLK-POP reissues: ADD 4|publisher=psychemusic.org|access-date=February 27, 2012|archive-date=July 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728123636/http://www.psychemusic.org/Add4.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The first talent contest for rock bands in Seoul was organized in 1968.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

Some Korean singers gained international popularity. In 1959, [[the Kim Sisters]] went to Las Vegas and became the first Korean artist to release an album in the U.S. pop market. Their cover of "Charlie Brown" reached No.7 on the Billboard Single Chart. The Kim Sisters also appeared on TV programs and radio programs and held tours in the U.S. and Europe. They made 25 appearances on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show (radio program)|The Ed Sullivan Show]]''—more than American stars like [[Patti Page]] and Louis Armstrong (who appeared 18 times each).<ref name="A.Side-2022"/> The Kim Sisters, [[Yoon Bok-hee]] and [[Patti Kim (singer)|Patti Kim]] were the first singers to debut in such countries as Vietnam and the United States. The Kim Sisters became the first Korean group to release an album in the United States. They also performed in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://quart.hu/cikk.php?id=6625|title="Csomagolhattok és mehettek vissza Szöulba." Mia Kim a Quartnak|date=September 12, 2011|publisher=Quart.hu|language=hu|access-date=February 27, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308023613/http://quart.hu/cikk.php?id=6625|archive-date=March 8, 2012}}</ref> {{ill|Han Myeong-suk (singer)|lt=Han Myeong-suk|ko|한명숙 (가수)}}'s 1961 song "The Boy in The Yellow Shirt" was covered by French singer [[Yvette Giraud]] and was also popular in Japan.<ref name="newforce50-542" />

In the 1960s, the Korean artists such as [[Shin Joong-hyun]], {{ill|Pearl Sisters|ko|펄 시스터즈}} and Patti Kim who previously performed for the U.S. army clubs reached out to the Korean public. In the mid-1960s, due to the influence of the legendary British group [[The Beatles]], there was a rise of "group sound" in South Korea, for example, Add4 and the {{ill|Key Boys|ko|키보이스}}.&nbsp; Add4, Korea's first rock group, was formed by Shin Joong-hyun in 1962 and produced Korea's first rock song, "The Woman in the Rain," which is a form of light rock reminiscent of the early Beatles. Shin Joong-hyun was so instrumental in the development of Korean rock music that he is regarded as the "godfather of Korean rock" in South Korea.

During this period, with the rise of Western pop music and Korean rock music, trot was no longer predominant in South Korea. However, trot singers like [[Lee Mi-ja]] still managed to attract a certain level of popularity, with famous songs like "Camellia Lady" ({{Korean|동백 아가씨|冬柏 아가씨|mr=dongbaek agassi|labels=no}}).

During the 1950s and 60s, Western pop music, Korean rock music, and trot co-existed in South Korea.<ref name="A.Side-2022"/>

=== Late 1960s and 1970s: Hippie and folk influences ===
At the end of the 1960s Korean pop music underwent another transformation. More and more musicians were university students and graduates who were heavily influenced by American culture and lifestyle (including the [[hippie]] movement of the 1960s) and made lighthearted music unlike their predecessors, who were influenced by war and Japanese oppression.<ref name="encykorea3"/> The younger generation opposed the [[Vietnam War]] as much as American hippies did, which resulted in the Korean government banning songs with more liberal lyrics. In spite of this, folk-influenced pop remained popular among the youth, and local television channel [[Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation|MBC]] organized a music contest for university students in 1977. This was the foundation of several modern music festivals.<ref name="newforce54-572">''K-Pop: A New Force in Pop Music'', pp. 54–57</ref> The younger generation born after the 1950s had grown up under the U.S. influence and preferred the U.S. lifestyle, giving rise to the "youth culture" which was expressed through long hair, jeans, acoustic guitars and folk music. &nbsp;The folk music of that time is made up of melodies sung plainly, with the singing accompanied by a guitar or two. A majority of the folk music at that time was initiated by elite university students and those who graduated from prestigious schools. Like the activists of the U.S. student movement, they turned to folk music as the preferred music of politicized youth, who staged demonstrations against the authoritarian government. &nbsp;In turn, the government banned folk music due to its association with the students' anti-government movements. In the 1970s, the [[Park Chung Hee]] government banned American pop music and Korean rock music for their association with sex and drugs. Shin Joong-hyun, the "godfather of Korean rock music," was imprisoned in 1975 due to a marijuana scandal.&nbsp;In order to bolster its anti-Japanese credentials, the government also banned trot songs because of its "Japanese style" ({{Korean|왜색|倭色|rr=waesaek|labels=no}}) given the influence of Japanese enka songs on trot. However, President Park actually embraced trot.

One of the leading figures of the era was [[Hahn Dae-soo]], who was raised in the United States and influenced by [[Bob Dylan]], [[Leonard Cohen]] and [[John Lennon]]. Han's song ''Mul jom juso'' ({{Korean|물 좀 주소|lit=Give me water}}) became iconic among young people in Korea. His daring performances and unique singing style often shocked the public and later he was banned from performing in Korea. Han moved to [[New York City]] and pursued his musical career there, only returning to his home country in the 1990s.<ref name="newforce54-572" /> Other notable singers of the period include [[Song Chang-sik]], [[Jo Young-nam]], and [[Yang Hee-eun]].<ref name="A.Side-2022"/>{{failed verification|date=February 2019}}

In the 1970s, [[Disc jockey|DJs]] also started to become popular.<ref name="encykorea3" />

===1980s: The era of ballads===
{{Main|Korean ballad}}
The 1980s saw the rise of [[Pop ballad|ballad]] singers after {{ill|Lee Gwang-jo|ko|이광조 (가수)}}'s 1985 album "You're Too Far Away to Get Close to" ({{Korean|가까이 하기엔 너무 먼 당신|labels=no}}) sold more than 300,000 copies. Other popular ballad singers included [[Lee Moon-se]] ({{Korean|hangul=이문세|labels=no}}) and [[Byun Jin-sub]] ({{Korean|hangul=변진섭|labels=no}}), nicknamed the "Prince of Ballads". One of the most sought-after ballad composers of the era was [[Lee Young-hoon (composer)|Lee Young-hoon]] ({{Korean|hangul=이영훈|labels=no}}), whose songs were compiled into a modern musical in 2011 titled ''[[Gwanghwamun]] Yeonga'' ({{Korean|광화문 연가|labels=no|lit=''Gwanghwamun'' sonata}}).<ref name="newforce60-612">''K-Pop: A New Force in Pop Music'', pp. 60–61</ref>

The Asia Music Forum was launched in 1980, with representatives from five different Asian countries competing in the event. Korean singer [[Cho Yong-pil]] won first place and went on to have a successful career, performing in Hong Kong and Japan. His first album ''Chang bakkui yeoja'' ({{Korean|창 밖의 여자|labels=no|lit=Woman Outside the Window}}) was a hit and he became the first Korean singer to take to the stage at [[Carnegie Hall]] in New York. Cho's musical repertoire included rock, dance, trot and folk-pop.<ref name="newforce60-612" /> Despite his early association with rock music as an electric guitarist in a rock band, Cho Yong-pil's initial popularity came from his trot songs which were popular in both South Korea and Japan. For example, in 1976, his trot song, "Please Return to Pusan Port" ({{Korean|돌아와요 부산항에|labels=no}}) was a great hit.&nbsp;Despite the temporary setback due to his involvement in a marijuana incident in 1977, he managed to bounce back with the song "The Woman Outside the Window" which reached a record-breaking sales of 1 million in 1980.&nbsp;In 1988, he sang "Seoul Seoul Seoul" in three languages (Korean, English and Japanese) to celebrate the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.<ref name="A.Side-2022"/>

===1990s: Development of modern K-pop===
[[File:DJ DOC @ Cyworld Dream Music Festival 싸이월드 드림 뮤직 페스티벌 36.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Three men performing on stage with upraised arms, wearing matching neon-orange shorts and polo shirts|[[DJ DOC]], one of the popular hip hop trios of the 1990s<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rki.kbs.co.kr/english/program/program_artist_detail.htm?No=10198|title=DJ DOC|publisher=[[KBS World]]|access-date=December 10, 2012|archive-date=January 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107041107/http://rki.kbs.co.kr/english/program/program_artist_detail.htm?No=10198|url-status=dead}}</ref>]]
In the 1990s, Korean pop musicians incorporated partially [[Europop]] and mostly [[American popular music]] styles such as hip hop, rock, jazz, and electronic dance in their music.<ref name="Hartong 20062">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/musicaltermsworl0000hart|url-access=registration|title=Musical terms worldwide: a companion for the musical explorer|last=Hartong|first=Jan Laurens|publisher=Semar Publishers|year=2006|isbn=978-88-7778-090-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/musicaltermsworl0000hart/page/15 15]|quote=Since the 1990s, popular genres like rap, rock and techno house have been incorporated into Korean popular music... which often emulates American models.}}</ref> In 1992, the emergence of [[Seo Taiji and Boys]] marked a revolutionary moment in the history of K-pop. The trio debuted on [[Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation|MBC]]'s talent show on April 11, 1992, with their song "[[I Know (Seo Taiji and Boys song)|I Know]]" and got the lowest rating from the jury;<ref name="newforce63-662">''K-Pop: A New Force in Pop Music'', pp. 63–66</ref> however, the song and [[Seo Taiji and Boys (album)|their self-titled debut album]] became so successful that it paved the way for other songs of the same format. The song's success was attributed to its [[new jack swing]]-inspired beats and memorable chorus, as well as innovative lyrics which dealt with the problems of Korean society. A wave of successful hip hop and R&B artists followed in their footsteps, including [[Yoo Seung-jun]], [[Jinusean]], [[Solid (band)|Solid]], [[Deux (band)|Deux]], [[1TYM]] and [[Drunken Tiger]].<ref name="newforce63-662" />

In 1995, South Korean record producer [[Lee Soo-man]], who was educated in the U.S. and was exposed to the trends in American music, founded the entertainment company [[SM Entertainment]]. Former Seo Taiji & Boys' member [[Yang Hyun-suk]] formed [[YG Entertainment]] in 1996, and [[Park Jin-young]] established [[JYP Entertainment]] in 1997.

The huge popularity of Seo Taiji & Boys among teenagers shifted the focus of the Korean music industry to teen-centred pop music. [[Korean idol|Idol bands]] of young boys or girls were formed to cater to a growing teenage audience.<ref name="newforce63-662" /> H.O.T. was one of the first idol boybands, debuting in 1996 after rigorous training encompassing not only singing and dancing skills but also etiquette, attitude, language and the ability to deal with the media.<ref name="A.Side-2022"/> Their song "[[Candy (H.O.T. song)|Candy]]" presented a softer and gentler form of pop music with upbeat and cheerful melodies accompanied by energetic dance steps – a formula adopted by many subsequent idol groups. The group was hugely successful, with many fans copying the group members' hairstyles and fashion. Merchandise affiliated with the group ranging from candy to perfume were sold as well. Their success was followed by that of young male and female idol groups like [[Sechs Kies]], [[S.E.S. (group)|S.E.S.]], [[Fin.K.L]], [[NRG (South Korean band)|NRG]], [[Baby Vox]], [[Diva (South Korean group)|Diva]], [[Shinhwa]] and [[g.o.d]], which also became popular among the younger generation.<ref name="A.Side-2022"/><ref name="autogenerated12">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/1101020729/story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020728111457/http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/1101020729/story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 28, 2002|title=Flying Too High?|date=July 29, 2002|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|first=Donald|last=MacIntyre|access-date=July 3, 2012}}</ref>

During the late 1990s, talent agencies began to market K-pop stars by implementing an [[Japanese idol|idol]] business model used in [[J-pop]],<ref>{{cite news | first=Naomi | last=Gingold | url=https://www.npr.org/2019/01/08/683339743/why-the-blueprint-for-k-pop-actually-came-from-japan | title=Why The Blueprint For K-Pop Actually Came From Japan | work=[[National Public Radio]] | date=January 8, 2019 | access-date=March 22, 2020 | archive-date=May 13, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513065437/https://www.npr.org/2019/01/08/683339743/why-the-blueprint-for-k-pop-actually-came-from-japan | url-status=live }}</ref> where talents are selected and trained to appeal to a global audience through formal lessons or through residency programs.<ref name="shim" /><ref name="oh">{{Cite journal|last=Oh|first=Ingyu|date=2013|title=The Globalization of K-pop: Korea's Place in the Global Music Industry|url=https://www.academia.edu/4732546|journal=Korea Observer|volume=44|issue=3|pages=389–409|access-date=July 4, 2018|archive-date=September 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928105040/https://www.academia.edu/4732546|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title=Critical Interpretation of Hybrid K-Pop: The Global-Local Paradigm of English Mixing in Lyrics|journal=Popular Music & Society|volume=37|pages=120}}</ref> The extensive and intensive process includes physical and language training (a program sometimes called abusive), and potential talents are also selected for height, being much taller on average than their Japanese counterparts. Sociology professor Ingyu Oh has explained regarding looks, "K-pop emphasizes thin, tall, and feminine looks with
adolescent or sometimes very cute facial expressions, regardless of whether they're male or female singers."<ref name="oh" /> Over time, Korean-American artists have become successful due to their fluency.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Critical Interpretation of Hybrid K-Pop: The Global-Local Paradigm of English Mixing in Lyrics|journal=Popular Music & Society|volume=37|pages=119}}</ref> These efforts increase the marketability of K-pop while also increasing South Korean soft power, which has become an important part of official policy.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Korean Wave|last=Walsh|first=John|pages=20–21}}</ref>

The 1990s saw a reactionary movement against mainstream popular culture with the rise of illegal [[underground music]] clubs and [[punk rock]] bands such as [[Crying Nut]].<ref name="newforce63-662" /> The [[1997 Asian financial crisis]] not only prompted South Korean entertainers to look for new markets, with H.O.T. releasing a Mandarin-language album<ref name="newforce63-662" /> and Diva releasing an English-language album in Taiwan,<ref name="shim">{{Cite journal|last=Shim|first=Doobo|title=Hybridity and the rise of Korean popular culture in Asia|journal=Media, Culture & Society|pages=29}}</ref> but also prompted South Korea's leaders to focus on building the nation's cultural influence through music.<ref name="Hong-2014">{{Cite book |last=Hong |first=Euny |title=The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture |date=August 5, 2014 |publisher=Picador |isbn=978-1-250-04511-9 |edition=1st |location=New York |language=en |oclc=881387185}}</ref> The government poured millions into building infrastructure, technology, and a specific department within its [[Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (South Korea)|Ministry of Culture]] for K-pop. Regulations were passed on karaoke bars, for example, to protect the interests of idols.<ref name="Hong-2014" />

=== 21st century ===
{{Main|Impact and popularity of K-pop}}
{{See also|Korean Wave}}

==Industry==

===Agencies===
K-pop has spawned an entire industry encompassing [[music production]] houses, [[event management]] companies, [[music distributor]]s, and other merchandise and service providers. The three biggest companies in terms of sales and revenue are [[SM Entertainment]], [[YG Entertainment]] and [[JYP Entertainment]], often referred to as the 'Big Three.'<ref name="big32">{{cite web|url=http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2011072657978|title=The big 3 of Korean pop music and entertainment|date=July 26, 2011|publisher=[[The Dong-A Ilbo]]|access-date=February 5, 2012|archive-date=October 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011025811/http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2011072657978|url-status=live}}</ref> These [[record label]]s also function as representative [[Talent agent|agencies]] for their artists. They are responsible for recruiting, financing, training, and marketing new artists as well as managing their musical activities and public relations. Currently, the agency with the greatest market share is S.M. Entertainment.<ref name="big32" /> In 2011, together with Star J Entertainment, AM Entertainment, and Key East, the Big Three companies founded the joint management company United Asia Management.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allkpop.com/2011/09/united-asia-management-to-hold-a-talent-meeting-at-the-16th-busan-international-film-festival|title=United Asia Management to hold a 'talent meeting' at the 16th 'Busan International Film Festival'|date=September 8, 2011|publisher=[[Allkpop]]|access-date=March 1, 2012|archive-date=January 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120102045001/http://www.allkpop.com/2011/09/united-asia-management-to-hold-a-talent-meeting-at-the-16th-busan-international-film-festival|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=See unreliable sources list on [[WP:KO/RS]]|date=November 2024}}<ref name="UAM2">{{cite web|url=http://www.hancinema.net/global-star-agency-united-asia-management-29846.html|title=Global Star Agency, United Asia Management|work=HanCinema |date=May 6, 2011|publisher=[[HanCinema]]|access-date=March 1, 2012|archive-date=August 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826032956/http://www.hancinema.net/global-star-agency-united-asia-management-29846.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uam.asia/|title=UAM -United Asia Management|website=uam.asia|access-date=April 12, 2016|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313204038/http://uam.asia/|archive-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Total revenues of K-pop record labels (in USD million)
|-
! Year of<br/>establishment
! Record label
! 2008
! 2010
! 2011
! 2012
! 2013
! 2014
! 2015
! 2016
! 2017
! 2018
! 2019
! 2020
! Source
|-
| 1995
| [[SM Entertainment]]
| 42.5
| 87.1
| 129
| 241
| 268
| 286.9
| 290
| 314
| 329
| 551
| 592
| 521
| <ref name="smbillion">{{cite magazine|title=S.M. Entertainment (041510:KOSDAQ): Financial Statements|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/financials/financials.asp?ticker=041510:KS|magazine=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]|access-date=March 29, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100302142038/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/financials/financials.asp?ticker=041510:KS|archive-date=March 2, 2010}}</ref>
|-
| 1996
| [[YG Entertainment]]
| 16.5
| 51.8
| 70.3
| 96.9
| 116.6
| 156.3
| 170
| 286.4
| 321.5
| 242
| 228
| 229
| <ref>{{cite magazine|title=YG Entertainment (122870:KOSDAQ): Financial Statements|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/financials/financials.asp?ticker=122870:KS|magazine=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]|access-date=March 29, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723213322/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/financials/financials.asp?ticker=122870:KS|archive-date=July 23, 2013}}</ref>
|-
| 1997
| [[JYP Entertainment]]
| 3.1
| 9.1
| 17.8
| 13.5
| 21.4
| 48.5
| 50.56
| 69.5
| 94
| 111
| 139
| 129

|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=JYP Entertainment Corp (035900:KOSDAQ): Financial Statements|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/financials/financials.asp?ticker=035900:KS|magazine=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]|access-date=March 29, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723213343/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/financials/financials.asp?ticker=035900:KS|archive-date=July 23, 2013}}</ref>
|-
|}

===Sales and market value===
In 2009, [[DFSB Kollective]] became the first distributor of K-pop on [[ITunes Store|iTunes]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2013227,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829073951/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2013227,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 29, 2010|title=Korean Pop, with Online Help, Goes Global|date=August 26, 2010|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|quote=DFSB Kollective was the first company to begin direct distribution of Korean music acts on iTunes, in 2009. It began with more than 50 Korean artists in the alternative, hip-hop and electronica genres; now there are hundreds of Korean artists available in the online music store.|access-date=April 3, 2013}}</ref> In 2012, the average cost of obtaining a K-pop song in South Korea amounted to US$0.10 for a single download, or $0.002 when streamed online.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/cashing-gangnam-styles-youtube-fame |title=PSY's riches from 'Gangnam Style' not made at home |agency=Associated Press |quote=South Koreans pay less than $10 a month for a subscription to a music service that allows them to download hundreds of songs or have unlimited access to a music streaming service. That makes the cost of a downloaded song about 10 cents on average. The average price for streaming a song is 0.2 cents. |access-date=December 30, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113112915/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/cashing-gangnam-styles-youtube-fame |archive-date=January 13, 2013 }}</ref> According to ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', the Korean music industry grossed nearly US$3.4 billion in the first half of 2012—a 27.8% increase on the previous year—and was recognized by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine as "South Korea's Greatest Export."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://world.time.com/2012/03/07/south-koreas-greatest-export-how-k-pops-rocking-the-world/|title=South Korea's Greatest Export: How K-Pop's Rocking the World|date=March 7, 2012|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=April 28, 2013|archive-date=September 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120916232241/http://world.time.com/2012/03/07/south-koreas-greatest-export-how-k-pops-rocking-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="billboardrevenue3">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/psys-gangnam-style-the-billboard-cover-story-474456/|title=PSY's 'Gangnam Style': The Billboard Cover Story|last=Kwak|first=Donnie|quote=The Korean music industry grossed nearly $3.4 billion in the first half of 2012, according to Billboard estimates, a 27.8% increase from the same period last year.|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 2, 2012|archive-date=February 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218175350/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/474456/psys-gangnam-style-the-billboard-cover-story?page=0%2C1|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, it was estimated that the K-pop music industry had a revenue of US$5 billion.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 30, 2019 |title=BTS tops Billboard 100 list: How K-pop helped Korea improve its economy |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/bts-tops-billboard-100-list-how-k-pop-helped-korea-improve-its-economy/articleshow/65266543.cms |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389 |archive-date=April 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405002802/https://m.economictimes.com/magazines/panache/bts-tops-billboard-100-list-how-k-pop-helped-korea-improve-its-economy/articleshow/65266543.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>

By 2019, the [[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry]] (IFPI) listed South Korea as the 6th largest music market in the world,<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.ifpi.org/media/downloads/GMR2019-en.pdf |title=Global Music Report 2019 State of the Industry |date=2019 |access-date=January 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606022327/https://www.ifpi.org/media/downloads/GMR2019-en.pdf |archive-date=June 6, 2020}}</ref> with BTS alone accounting for $4.65 billion, or 0.3%, of South Korea's GDP.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abramovitch |first=Seth |date=October 2, 2019 |title=BTS Is Back: Music's Billion-Dollar Boy Band Takes the Next Step |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/bts-is-back-musics-billion-dollar-boy-band-takes-next-step-1244580/ |access-date=January 29, 2024 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2024, IFPI declared K-pop the leading global genre in unit sales, across both physical and digital formats. Seventeen of the top twenty albums on the IFPI Global Album Sales Chart that year belonged to the genre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=IFPI |date=2025-02-18 |title=Taylor Swift makes music history as IFPI’s Biggest-Selling Global Recording Artist of the Year for the fifth time |url=https://www.ifpi.org/taylor-swift-makes-music-history-as-ifpis-biggest-selling-global-recording-artist-of-the-year-for-the-fifth-time/ |access-date=2025-09-12 |website=IFPI}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ribeiro |first=Ana Clara |date=April 15, 2025 |title=Beyond music rights: how K‑pop fandoms rally around intellectual property |url=https://www.wipo.int/web/wipo-magazine/article-details/?assetRef=73531&title=beyond-music-rights-how-kpop-fandoms-rally-around-intellectual-property |access-date=2025-09-12 |website=WIPO Magazine |publisher=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Record charts===
{{Main|Circle Digital Chart}}
{{Further|Billboard K-Town}}

Korean record charts include the Circle Digital Chart and the ''Billboard'' [[K-pop Hot 100]]. More recently, K-pop records have appeared on the [[Oricon Albums Chart]] of Japan and the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] of the United States.

The Circle Digital Chart compiles data from South Korea's various platforms, including [[Apple Music]], [[Spotify]], [[MelOn]], [[Bugs! (streaming service)|Bugs]], [[Naver Vibe|Vibe]], [[Genie Music|Genie]], Flo and [[Samsung Music]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://biz.circlechart.kr/main/section/partner/main.circle|script-title=ko: 차트제공업체|publisher=[[Circle Chart]]|language=ko|access-date=March 9, 2024|archive-date=December 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201160249/https://biz.circlechart.kr/main/section/partner/main.circle|url-status=live}}</ref> Some of the platforms release hourly and daily charts, which are compiled by the South Korean company iChart. There are three achievements achievable by iChart: All-Kill, Certified All-Kill, and Perfect All-Kill.<ref name="allkill" />

An All-Kill occurs when a song simultaneously places first on all of South Korea's major music platforms real-time charts,<ref name="r29">{{cite news |last1=Morin |first1=Natalie |title=K-Pop 101: The Terms You Need To Know Before You Stan |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/k-pop-music-fans-terms-meaning |access-date=August 20, 2024 |work=www.refinery29.com |language=en}}</ref> a Certified All-Kill occurs when a song simultaneously places first on all of South Korea's major music platforms real-time and daily charts.<ref name="allkill">{{cite news |title=IU's Song 'Love Wins All' Gets A Certified All-Kill Status; Becomes First Song Of 2024 To Achieve This Feat |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/ius-song-love-wins-all-gets-a-certified-all-kill-status-becomes-first-song-of-2024-to-achieve-this-feat |access-date=August 20, 2024 |work=Outlook India |date=January 28, 2024 |language=en}}</ref> The highest achievement, a [[Perfect All-Kill]] occurs when a song simultaneously places first on South Korea's music platforms real-time, daily and weekly charts.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chin |first1=Carmen |title=(G)I-DLE achieve their first Perfect All-Kill with 'Tomboy' |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/gi-dle-achieve-first-perfect-all-kill-tomboy-3189233 |access-date=August 20, 2024 |work=NME |date=March 24, 2022 |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907142432/https://www.nme.com/news/music/gi-dle-achieve-first-perfect-all-kill-tomboy-3189233 |url-status=live }}</ref>

"Sajaegi" ({{Korean|hangul=사재기|labels=no}}) is the Korean term for chart manipulation by way of [[bulk purchasing]] of albums or using bots to boost streams, which has potential to question to credibility of charts.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kang |first1=Haeryun |title=Inside Sajaegi, K-Pop's Open Secret |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/02/21/808049441/inside-sajaegi-k-pops-open-secret |access-date=August 21, 2024 |work=NPR |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907142314/https://www.npr.org/2020/02/21/808049441/inside-sajaegi-k-pops-open-secret |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Trainee system===
{{See also|Slave contract|label 1=Slave contracts}}
The method of having K-pop trainees go through a rigorous training system for an undetermined amount of time before debut was popularized by [[Lee Soo-man]], founder of SM Entertainment,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/lee-soo-man-taking-korean-pop-culture-global|title=Lee Soo Man: Taking Korean Pop Culture Global|website=Stanford Graduate School of Business|access-date=April 12, 2016|archive-date=April 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412115758/https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/lee-soo-man-taking-korean-pop-culture-global|url-status=live}}</ref> as part of a concept labelled "[[cultural technology]]."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/08/factory-girls-2|title=Factory Girls|last=Seabrook|first=John|date=October 8, 2012|newspaper=The New Yorker|issn=0028-792X|access-date=April 12, 2016|archive-date=July 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724200424/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/08/factory-girls-2|url-status=live}}</ref> Lee Soo-man states that this allows his organization "to move in a systematic way" and that he "decided to codify the entire process of producing culture into a form of technology by creating a formula and manualizing it, while continuously recording its development process along with the knowledge and skills involved."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-24 |title=SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man talks the metaverse and his 'Future Vision of K-Pop' |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sm-entertainment-founder-lee-soo-man-talks-the-metaverse-and-his-future-vision-of-k-pop/ |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[The Verge]]'' described this as an "extreme" system of artist management.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/10/18/3516562/k-pop-invades-america-south-korea-pop-music-factory|title=K-Pop takes America: how South Korea's music machine is conquering the world|last=Flatley|first=Joseph|website=The Verge|access-date=October 19, 2012|date=October 18, 2012|archive-date=October 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020230840/http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/18/3516562/k-pop-invades-america-south-korea-pop-music-factory|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the CEO of [[Universal Music Group|Universal Music]]'s Southeast Asian branch, the Korean idol trainee system is unique in the world.<ref name="newforce392">''K-Pop: A New Force in Pop Music'', p. 39</ref>

Due to the length of the training period, which can extend for multiple years, and the significant financial investment that agencies commit towards their trainees, the industry approaches the launching of new artists with deliberate care. SM Entertainment says that their trainee program states that the trainee period can last at least a year and a maximum of six years. Trainees may enter an agency through auditions or be scouted, and once recruited are given accommodation and classes (commonly singing, dancing, rapping, and foreign languages such as Mandarin, English and Japanese) while they prepare for debut. During their trainee days, they are tested on their vocal skills like voice tone, vocalization, and rhythm that can be adapted to the current trends at a global level. Young trainees sometimes attend school at the same time. There is no age limit to become a trainee and no limit to the duration one can spend as a trainee. There is still a chance the trainee will never make it to debut in a group after the extensive educational program.<ref>{{cite news |last=Leong |first=Melissa |date=August 2, 2014 |title=How Korea became the world's coolest brand |url=http://business.financialpost.com/2014/08/02/how-korea-became-the-worlds-coolest-brand/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108214907/http://business.financialpost.com/2014/08/02/how-korea-became-the-worlds-coolest-brand/ |archive-date=January 8, 2015 |access-date=January 18, 2015 |newspaper=Financial Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Woo |first=Jaeyeon |date=May 3, 2012 |title=Journey to K-Pop Star, 'I Am.' – Korea Real Time |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2012/05/03/journey-to-k-pop-star-i-am |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623023352/http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2012/05/03/journey-to-k-pop-star-i-am/ |archive-date=June 23, 2012 |access-date=September 17, 2012 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=February 7, 2012 |title=KPop's Frontiers: How Does the Big 3 Teach Foreign Languages to Their Trainees? |url=http://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/4143/20120207/yg-jyp-sm.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210222849/http://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/4143/20120207/yg-jyp-sm.htm |archive-date=February 10, 2012 |access-date=March 1, 2012 |publisher=Kpopstarz.com}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=See reliable sources list on [[WP:KO/RS]]|date=May 2025}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lee |first=Jang-woo |title=K-pop innovation: the future of Korean innovation that took the world by storm |date=2024 |publisher=World Scientific |isbn=978-981-12-7172-4 |location=New Jersey |translator-last=Pyun |translator-first=Lynn}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Lee |first=Moonhaeng |title=Star Management of Talent Agencies and Social Media in Korea |date=2013 |work=Handbook of Social Media Management: Value Chain and Business Models in Changing Media Markets |pages=549–564 |editor-last=Friedrichsen |editor-first=Mike |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-28897-5_32 |access-date=2025-02-20 |place=Berlin, Heidelberg |publisher=Springer |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-28897-5_32 |isbn=978-3-642-28897-5 |editor2-last=Mühl-Benninghaus |editor2-first=Wolfgang|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==== Trainee challenges ====
Some young trainees have dropped out of school to start training as K-pop idols, including [[Rosé (singer)|Rosé]] from [[Blackpink]]. In a [[Vogue Australia]] interview, she said, "I decided to drop out of school and all my teachers and friends were like: 'What?! Why are you leaving!? Nobody knew what K-pop was, so nobody understood where I was going."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2021-04-02 |title="I've put everything I've learnt into this": Blackpink's Rosé is Vogue's April cover star |url=https://www.vogue.com.au/culture/features/ive-put-everything-ive-learnt-into-this-blackpinks-ros-is-vogues-april-cover-star/news-story/43c304fb6e9d518ba31a8ec4f5f1e34a |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210162313/https://www.vogue.com.au/culture/features/ive-put-everything-ive-learnt-into-this-blackpinks-ros-is-vogues-april-cover-star/news-story/43c304fb6e9d518ba31a8ec4f5f1e34a |archive-date=December 10, 2021 |access-date=2025-02-02 |work=Vogue Australia |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref> Leaving Melbourne at the age of 16, Rosé trained with [[YG Entertainment]] for four years before debuting with Blackpink. This isn't uncommon—[[Taemin]] from [[Shinee]] entering the industry at 11 years old<ref>{{Cite web |last=Krystal |title=The Damage of Debuting Minors in K-Pop |url=https://fhspost.com/9182/arts-entertainment/the-damage-of-debuting-minors-in-k-pop/#:~:text=Having%20trained%20for%20three%20years,was%20just%2011%20years%20old. |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=The Franklin Post}}</ref>—but Rosé was one of the handful discussed the difficulty of being a trainee openly. Dr. Sarah Keith explained that idols are such a valuable asset to an agency with well rounded talent in singing, rapping, dancing, or songwriting, therefore, face restriction like the limitations of what they can say due to the agencies' significant investment.<ref name=":0" />

In September 2024, [[Hanni (singer)|Hanni]] from [[NewJeans|New Jeans]] testified to Korean lawmakers about the workplace harassment and mistreatment during her time at [[Hybe Corporation|Hybe]]. In her testimony, Hanni describes being ignored by managers and [[sunbae]] (senior) idols within the company.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-15 |title=NewJeans singer Hanni gives tearful testimony on workplace harassment |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyeredgklko |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> She also wishes that younger trainees that will soon debut will not have to suffer through the incidents that the 20-year-old has been through.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wedner |first=Sacha |date=2024-10-18 |title=K-Pop's NewJeans speaks out against workplace harassment |url=https://asamnews.com/2024/10/18/hanni-newjeans-tesifimony-hybe/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=AsAmNews |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== New era of trainee system ====
In the 2020 Netflix documentary, [[Blackpink: Light Up the Sky|BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky]], Blackpink's [[Jennie (singer)|Jennie]] claimed that the trainee system is what defines K-pop.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky {{!}} Netflix Official Site |url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81106901 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250130130021/https://www.netflix.com/title/81106901 |archive-date=January 30, 2025 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=www.netflix.com |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref> According to Hybe and Geffen Records, the comprehensive idol training program that has caught the global eye was Hybe's formation of [[Katseye]], the 2024 global girl group.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KATSEYE's members emerged from 120,000 submissions that were winnowed down to a field of 20 contestants who participated in The Dream Academy, an intensive program developed jointly by HYBE and GEFFEN. |url=https://www.katseye.world/story-of-katseye/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=KATSEYE |language=en-US}}</ref> Katseye is the multiracial, English language girl group that was modeled off of the K-pop principles. Through this global competition reality show in 2023, [[Dream Academy|Debut: Dream Academy]], [[Netflix]] depicted the girls' experiences in the auditions and their trainee journey to becoming an idol in a documentary series, Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-18 |title=Hybe's new girl band 'KATSEYE' unveiled |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/12/732_363454.html |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=[[The Korea Times]] |language=en}}</ref> In the 8 episode series, Mitra, the president of HXG at [[Hybe America]], said, "A survival show is created because there is a section in the K-pop fan base that gets in early with the trainees." The goal of Hybe X [[Geffen Records|Geffen's]] efforts was to take the "K" out of K-pop to build a talent pipeline of diverse skills and cultures as the next step in the evolution of K-pop.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Watch Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE {{!}} Netflix Official Site |url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81587828 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124090132/https://www.netflix.com/title/81587828 |archive-date=January 24, 2025 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=www.netflix.com |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ewe |first=Koh |date=2023-11-29 |title=K-Pop Looks Beyond Korea for Its Next Generation of Idols |url=https://time.com/6339859/k-pop-school-international-singapore-sopa-srmc/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine |last=Burt |first=Kayti |date=2024-08-23 |title=The Story Behind Pop Star Academy: Katseye |url=https://time.com/7014036/pop-star-academy-katseye-explained-netflix/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}</ref> [[Nadia Hallgren]], director of the docuseries, hoped that viewers can learn that "[y]ou can have all the talent in the world, you could have the best training and the fancy schools, if you have access, but can you mentally push through to get to the end?" and she describes the key takeaway is through these trainees, you can understand the lengths that one will go to reach their dream of becoming an artist.<ref name=":1" /> After 120,000 submissions, 20 finalist were narrowed down and viewers got to take part in voting for their favorite trainees. Through different "challenges" the trainees were able to have the opportunity to showcase their personality and talent to the public.

The fan voting system created tension and competition between the girls. Eliminations were significant turning points as contestants aspired to become a popstar by dropping out of high school to participate in this survival show. [[Sophia Laforteza]], one of the members that debuted said, "The whole experience was just so much tension, so much uncertainty, and so much competition and pressure."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Fandom Platform - Weverse |url=https://weverse.io/katseye/notice/16386 |access-date=2025-02-20 |website=weverse.io}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Barasch |first=Alex |date=2024-10-07 |title=The K-Pop King |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/10/14/the-k-pop-king |access-date=2025-02-20 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-24 |title=Watch Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE {{!}} Netflix Official Site |website=[[Netflix]] |url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81587828 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124090132/https://www.netflix.com/title/81587828 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2025-01-24 |access-date=2025-02-20 }}</ref>

==== Trainee system origin ====
In 1959, [[Motown]] was founded by [[Berry Gordy|Berry Gordy Jr]] in Detroit, Michigan. He created Motown artist like [[Martha and the Vandellas]], [[Smokey Robinson and the Miracles]], [[The Temptations]], [[Four Tops|The Four Tops]], [[Diana Ross and the Supremes]], [[Gladys Knight & the Pips|Gladys Knight and the Pips]], [[The Jackson 5]], [[Stevie Wonder]], and [[Marvin Gaye]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Cruz |first=Gilbert |date=2009-01-12 |title=Motown |url=https://time.com/archive/6909596/motown/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}</ref> Gordy would write songs, train them, produce, and work on his artists' individual sound. Motown would guide and direct the artists and groups towards success by overseeing many aspects of career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCann |first=Ian |date=2024-09-10 |title=How Berry Gordy And Motown Pioneered African-American Businesses |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/motown-and-african-american-businesses/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=uDiscover Music |language=en-US}}</ref> [[JYP (singer)|JYP]] referenced Berry Gordy's training system in order to create his own trainee system at [[JYP Entertainment]]. As a guest on YouTube episode talkshow series, Joon & Brian BYOB, JYP said, "I learned it from the US, but US stopped doing it and we kept doing it. That's what happened." He also expressed his thoughts that K-pop could work in America through his trainee system. "And now, we basically casted American talents and made them into a group with our system." (referring to the girl group, [[Vcha|VCHA]])<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=vywGE3IA78_s-68i&v=f1a4OzNGoco&feature=youtu.be |title=JYP is finally here!🔥 How much does K-pop mean to him? {{!}} Joon&Brian BYOB EP.6 #jyp |date=2024-11-07 |last=JohnMaat |access-date=2025-02-02 |via=YouTube}}</ref> JYP told [[CNBC International|CNBC]] that he is looking to move to the next stage by finding foreign talent because the industry can't "keep sending over Korean stars forever..."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chandran |first=Nyshka |date=2016-10-24 |title=JYP thinks foreign talent could find K-pop success |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/24/jyp-wants-multinational-groups-to-be-the-future-of-k-pop.html |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref>

==== Future of trainee systems ====
SM Entertainment launch "[[SM Culture Universe]]" and in 2020 the first metaverse girl group, [[Aespa]], in which real life members correspond to their virtual counterparts. Lee Soo-man believes that this is the future of the industry. Constantly evolving and innovating technology will put SM Entertainment one step ahead of competition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kao |first=Kimberley |date=2022-12-05 |title=Man behind the Korean wave talks about the future of K-pop and what aspiring artistes can do |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/05/sm-entertainment-founder-lee-soo-man-on-k-pop-future-running-business.html |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> More groups like [[Plave]] by VLAST have made a significant impact in the Korean music scene with an all virtual boy group that utilizes the [[metaverse]] and [[Artificial intelligence|AI]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-04 |title=Can virtual idol PLAVE win over global fans? |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20240504/can-virtual-idol-plave-win-over-global-fans |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=[[The Korea Times]] |language=en}}</ref> The future of new idols is tapping into the international music market by incorporating hints of Korean into predominantly English language songs. Examples like "[[Apt. (song)|APT]]." by Rosé and [[Bruno Mars]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pearce |first=Sheldon |date=2024-12-23 |title=K-pop's uncertain English-language future |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/12/23/g-s1-37886/k-pop-english-language-rose-twice |access-date=2025-04-10 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref>

=== Television ===
[[File:20160730-P1000788 (28888844071).jpg|thumb|right|The 11-member temporary girl group [[I.O.I]] was assembled through the reality television program [[Produce 101 (season 1)|Produce 101]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Herman |first1=Tamar |title=Temporary K-Pop Acts Like Wanna One, JBJ & I.O.I Are the New Norm |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/temporary-k-pop-acts-wanna-one-jbj-ioi-new-norm-8454629/ |access-date=March 9, 2019 |magazine=Billboard |date=May 7, 2018 |archive-date=January 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118111317/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8454629/temporary-k-pop-acts-wanna-one-jbj-ioi-new-norm |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
The Korean music industry has spawned numerous related reality TV shows, including [[talent show]]s such as ''[[Superstar K]]'' and ''[[K-pop Star]]'', specialist rap competition ''[[Show Me the Money (South Korean TV series)|Show Me the Money]]'' and its female counterpart ''[[Unpretty Rapstar]],'' and many 'survival' shows, which commonly pit trainees against each other in order to form a new idol group.

Examples of survival shows include [[Jellyfish Entertainment]]'s ''MyDOL'', which formed boy group [[VIXX]];<ref>{{cite web|title=Sung Si Kyung to feature debut process of idol stars through 'Mydol'|url=http://www.allkpop.com/article/2012/03/sung-si-kyung-to-feature-debut-process-of-idol-stars-through-mydol#axzz2r72X3ocq|access-date=March 28, 2012|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174741/http://www.allkpop.com/article/2012/03/sung-si-kyung-to-feature-debut-process-of-idol-stars-through-mydol#axzz2r72X3ocq|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=See unreliable sources list on [[WP:KO/RS]]|date=November 2024}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/5428/my-dols-ten-potential-members-revealed-ahead-of-show-premiere|title=Jellyfish Male Trainees Revealed Ahead of ′My Dol′ Premiere|publisher=CJ E&M enewsWorld|access-date=March 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329114621/http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/5428/my-dols-ten-potential-members-revealed-ahead-of-show-premiere|archive-date=March 29, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Sixteen (TV program)|Sixteen]]'', which formed girl group [[Twice]]; [[Starship Entertainment]]'s ''No.Mercy'', which formed boy group [[Pentagon (South Korean band)|Pentagon]], and Mnet's ''[[Produce 101]]'', which formed girl groups [[I.O.I]] and [[Iz*One]] and boy groups [[Wanna One]] and [[X1 (group)|X1]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sung|first1=So-young|title=TV competition aims to form a K-pop supergroup|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3014227|work=[[JoongAng Ilbo#Korea JoongAng Daily|Korea JoongAng Daily]]|date=January 21, 2016|access-date=January 25, 2016|archive-date=January 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126002240/http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=3014227|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Kim|first1=Ji-young|title=Produce 101' girl group to be named 'IOI'|url=http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201604011905149913238_2|website=[[Kpop Herald]]|date=April 2016 |access-date=April 2, 2016|archive-date=April 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424105227/http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201604011905149913238_2|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Ref1>{{cite web|last1=Ko|first1=Dong-hwan|title=101 girls down to 'I.O.I'|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2016/04/201_201874.html|website=[[The Korea Times]]|access-date=April 7, 2016|date=April 4, 2016|archive-date=August 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804012747/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2016/04/201_201874.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The rise in these shows, which often involves larger agencies contracting smaller agencies' trainees into project groups and taking a larger portion of the revenues, has led to criticisms over the former monopolizing the industry.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/k-pop-audition-shows-produce-big-results-south-korea-music-industry-8031250/|title=K-Pop Audition Shows Produce Big Results, But Cause Concerns Over Industry's Future|last=Herman|first=Tamar|date=December 11, 2017|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=July 20, 2018|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119093705/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8031250/k-pop-audition-shows-produce-big-results-south-korea-music-industry|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20171025000927|title=Yet another idol competition show 'The Unit' unveiled|last=Hong|first=Dam-young|date=October 25, 2017|work=[[The Korea Herald]]|access-date=July 20, 2018|archive-date=July 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720080939/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20171025000927|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Music shows===
{{main|Music programs of South Korea}}
* [[KBS2]]: ''[[Music Bank]]''
* [[Seoul Broadcasting System|SBS]]: ''[[Inkigayo]]''
* [[Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation|MBC]]: ''[[Show! Music Core]]''
* [[Mnet (TV channel)|Mnet]]: ''[[M Countdown]]''
* [[Arirang TV]]: ''[[Pops in Seoul]]''
* Arirang TV: ''[[Simply K-Pop]]'' {{small|(formerly called ''The M-Wave'' and ''Wave K'')}}
* [[JTBC]]: ''[[Music on Top]]''
* JTBC: ''[[Music Universe K-909]]''
* [[MBC M]]: ''[[Show Champion]]''
* [[SBS M]]: ''[[The Show (South Korean TV program)|The Show]]''

=== Criticism of industry practices ===
====Hybrid identity====
There have been critical responses in South Korea regarding the identity of the genre since its ascendance. Some of the notable music critics in the region have criticized K-pop as "an industrial label mainly designed to promote the national brand in the global market from the beginning" and argued that it was "not formed spontaneously as a pop culture but created with the orchestrated plan led by the government with commercial considerations" although in fact "the genre has practically no ties with traditional Korean identity." There is the perspective that the name of the genre was derived from [[J-pop]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://h21.hani.co.kr/arti/culture/culture_general/29888.html|script-title=ko:[레드 기획]케이팝, 진단이 필요해|website=h21.hani.co.kr|access-date=November 3, 2018|archive-date=November 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103210521/http://h21.hani.co.kr/arti/culture/culture_general/29888.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=http://ch.yes24.com/Article/View/24536|script-title=ko:가요, 케이팝 그리고 너머|last=Shin|first=Hyun-joon|access-date=November 3, 2018|archive-date=November 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126033311/http://ch.yes24.com/Article/View/24536|url-status=live}}</ref>

K-pop has at times faced criticisms from journalists who perceive the music to be formulaic and unoriginal.<ref name="fast music2">{{cite web|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2012/02/123_100092.html|title=K-pop grows on disposable 'fast music'|date=April 12, 2011|work=[[The Korea Times]]|access-date=March 27, 2012|archive-date=December 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212093745/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2012/02/123_100092.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://qz.com/725161/kpop-feature/|title=Hallyu, K-pop! Inside the weirdest, most lucrative global frenzy in music|last=Wang|first=Amy X.|date=July 30, 2016|work=QUARTZ|access-date=April 11, 2018|archive-date=April 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411174929/https://qz.com/725161/kpop-feature/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2126242/k-pop-infectious-disease-not-cultural-export-be-proud|title=K-pop is an infectious disease, not a cultural export to be proud of|last=Lhatoo|first=Yonden|date=December 30, 2017|work=South China Morning Post|access-date=April 10, 2018|archive-date=April 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426023533/http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2126242/k-pop-infectious-disease-not-cultural-export-be-proud|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/08/factory-girls-2|title=Factory Girls|last=Seabrook|first=John|date=October 8, 2012|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=April 11, 2018|archive-date=July 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724200424/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/08/factory-girls-2|url-status=live}}</ref> Some K-Pop groups have been accused of plagiarizing Western music acts as well as other musical acts.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 19, 2018|title=Star producer Teddy's plagiarism controversies drag on|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180119000830|access-date=April 25, 2021|website=[[The Korea Herald]]|language=en|archive-date=April 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424153258/https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180119000830|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, K-pop has been criticized for [[#Use of English phrases|its reliance on English phrases]], with critics dubbing the use of English in titles "meaningless."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2011/apr/20/k-pop-sweden-pelle-lidell|title=Behind the music: What is K-Pop and why are the Swedish getting involved?|last=Lindvall|first=Helienne|access-date=December 15, 2016|archive-date=September 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930040839/http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2011/apr/20/k-pop-sweden-pelle-lidell|url-status=live}}</ref>

K-pop groups have been regularly accused of [[cultural appropriation]] of cultures such as [[African-American culture]], especially due to the frequent use of cornrows and bandanas in idol groups' on-stage styling.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/kpop-hip-hop-culture-appropriation/|title=When K-pop culturally appropriates|last=Tucci|first=Sherry|date=April 2, 2016|work=The Daily Dot|access-date=April 10, 2018|archive-date=February 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217212335/https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/kpop-hip-hop-culture-appropriation/|url-status=live}}</ref> Some have used [[blackface]] and [[racial slurs]] as part of their performances.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 15, 2017 |title=We Need to Talk About K-Pop's Race Problem |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/k-pop-idols-accountable-for-racist-actions |access-date=September 21, 2023 |website=Teen Vogue |language=en-US |archive-date=June 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610071421/https://www.teenvogue.com/story/k-pop-idols-accountable-for-racist-actions |url-status=live }}</ref> K-Pop groups have also been accused of appropriating [[Native American cultures in the United States|Native American]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://seoulbeats.com/2012/08/k-pop-and-cultural-appropriation-cool-culture/|title=K-pop and Cultural Appropriation: "Cool" Culture|date=August 24, 2012|work=Seoulbeats|access-date=April 10, 2018|archive-date=March 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303052157/https://seoulbeats.com/2012/08/k-pop-and-cultural-appropriation-cool-culture/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=March 2021}} and [[Culture of India|Indian]] cultures.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/ikrd/omg-ohmygirl|title=This K-Pop Girl Group Is Being Accused Of Appropriating Indian Culture|last=Dahir|first=Ikran|date=July 21, 2016|work=Buzzfeed|access-date=April 10, 2018|archive-date=June 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615135620/https://www.buzzfeed.com/ikrd/omg-ohmygirl|url-status=live}}</ref> However, debate exists about whether the borrowing of cultural elements from cultures outside of Korea indeed constitutes cultural appropriation, or if this cultural appropriation is negative at all. Crystal S. Anderson writes that "appropriating elements of a culture by taking them out of their original context and using them in a completely different way does not automatically constitute negative cultural appropriation."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://highyellow.me/2013/01/12/of-misconceptions-about-cultural-appropriation-in-k-pop/|title=Of Misconceptions About Cultural Appropriation in K-pop|last=Anderson|first=Crystal|date=January 12, 2013|website=High Yellow|access-date=April 10, 2018|archive-date=May 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507142450/https://highyellow.me/2013/01/12/of-misconceptions-about-cultural-appropriation-in-k-pop/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Corruption ====
In 2002, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine reported that Korean television producers such as Hwang Yong-woo and Kim Jong-jin had been arrested for "accepting under-the-table payments guaranteeing TV appearances to aspiring singers and musicians" in a bid to tackle "systemic corruption in South Korea's music business." Companies investigated included [[IHQ (company)|SidusHQ]] and [[SM Entertainment]].<ref name="autogenerated12" />

==== Working conditions ====
K-pop management companies have also been criticized for exploitation of idols through overwork and restrictive contracts, described as "[[slave contract]]s" in a ''[[BBC]]'' report.<ref name="BBCdark4">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13760064|title=The dark side of South Korean pop music|date=June 14, 2011|access-date=January 6, 2012|publisher=BBC|archive-date=December 31, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111231025537/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13760064|url-status=live}}</ref> According to ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', "Korea's entertainment business is notoriously improvisational and unregulated. In-demand K-pop stars – many of whom are teenage 'idols' – have been known to rehearse and perform without sleep."<ref name="Hyo-Won-2014">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/south-korean-law-protect-young-717098|title=South Korean Law to Protect Young K-Pop Stars From Sexualization, Overwork|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=July 8, 2014|access-date=April 13, 2016|archive-date=July 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712134858/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/south-korean-law-protect-young-717098|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2009, SM Entertainment was taken to court by [[TVXQ]] and a [[Super Junior]] member, who alleged that their working conditions had led to adverse health effects.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/contents_view.htm?board_seq=169697|title=Will TVXQ Stay Together?|date=October 28, 2009|work=[[KBS World]]|access-date=October 28, 2009|archive-date=September 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230917181422/https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/contents_view.htm?board_seq=169697|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://star.mt.co.kr/view/stview.php?no=2009122215270135930&type=1&outlink=1 "한경 "SM, 非정상적 활동강요"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722135509/http://star.mt.co.kr/view/stview.php?no=2009122215270135930&type=1&outlink=1 |date=July 22, 2011 }} ''Star News''. December 22, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2012 {{in lang|ko}}</ref> The court decision in the TVXQ lawsuit determined their contract with SM Entertainment [[Void (law)|void]], and resultantly the Fair Trade Commission released contract templates to regulate industry conditions.<ref name="BBCdark4" />

In 2014, South Korea passed a law to regulate its music industry, protecting idols aged under 19 from unhealthy labor practices and overtly sexualized performances<ref name="Parks-2014">[http://www.wonderingsound.com/news/south-korea-passes-law-regulating-k-pop-industry/ South Korea Passes Law Regulating K-Pop Industry] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804122719/http://www.wonderingsound.com/news/south-korea-passes-law-regulating-k-pop-industry/|date=August 4, 2014}} WonderingSound.com (July 8, 2014). Retrieved on August 3, 2014.</ref> and guaranteeing them "the basic rights to learn, rest and sleep."<ref name="Hyo-Won-2014" /> Failure to comply with these regulations may lead to the equivalent of a US$10,000 fine.<ref name="Hyo-Won-2014" />

Industry professionals such as SM Entertainment's CEO Kim Young-min have defended the system, arguing that individuals trained within the system are "no different than {{sic}} typical middle or high school kids, who go to after-school programs to cram for college entrance exams." Kim has also argued that there is a need to consider the expenses incurred by the company during the trainee period, including "facilities, equipment, costumes, and virtually everything the trainees need."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Park|first=Gil-Sung|date=2013|title=Manufacturing Creativity: Production, Performance|journal=[[Korea Journal]]|volume=53|issue=4|pages=14–33|doi=10.25024/kj.2013.53.4.14|doi-access=free}}</ref>

On March 7, 2017, the South Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) passed new regulations in order to protect trainee idols from unfair terms and working conditions. Prior to these regulations, trainee idols at eight idol agencies were not permitted to seek contracts at any other agency while at training. Moreover, agencies were able to terminate a trainee contract at any time for any reason. The Fair Trade Commission states that they believe these changes will "result in a more just contract culture within the entertainment industry between trainee and agency." The Ministry of Culture applied these regulations to all existing agencies throughout 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.koreaboo.com/longform/new-contractual-changes-cause-concern-within-music-industry|title=New contractual changes cause concern within music industry|date=March 9, 2017|website=Korea Boo|access-date=May 6, 2018|archive-date=March 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310111221/https://www.koreaboo.com/longform/new-contractual-changes-cause-concern-within-music-industry|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=See unreliable sources list on [[WP:KO/RS]]|date=November 2024}}

Some of the concerns raised by the idol agencies over these regulations include the risk of a trainee at one agency going undercover at another agency to receive training with the other agency. This introduces the further risk that the idol agencies must take in training new idols. Trainees train for three years on average and the agencies support these trainees with various training programs during this duration, resulting in each trainee being a very large investment for the agency.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.koreaboo.com/news/south-korea-passes-new-regulations-unfair-trainee-contracts/|title=South Korea Passes new regulations for unfair trainee contracts|date=March 7, 2017|website=Korea Boo|access-date=May 6, 2018|archive-date=March 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309165218/https://www.koreaboo.com/news/south-korea-passes-new-regulations-unfair-trainee-contracts/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=See unreliable sources list on [[WP:KO/RS]]|date=November 2024}}

==== Control over public image ====
K-pop management is very strict in terms of regulating the public appearance of their groups, according to Michael Hurt, a lecturer of cultural theory at the [[Korea National University of Arts]]. Therefore, he reasoned, most stars are not allowed to date publicly or have "control of their own lives". Kwon Joon-won, an entertainment management professor at the [[Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts]], said K-pop stars should be expected to lose half of their fandom if they were to make controversial statements. This may explain why K-pop groups are more outspoken about social issues abroad than within South Korea.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=David D. |date=June 17, 2022 |title='No money in it': why has BTS been silent on discrimination in South Korea? |url=https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3182148/south-koreas-bts-band-break-taboos-are-seen-many-doing |website=South China Morning Post |access-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306224727/https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3182148/south-koreas-bts-band-break-taboos-are-seen-many-doing |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Sexualization and pressure on appearance ====
{{Main|Sexualization and sexual exploitation in K-pop}}The industry has been criticized for the sexualization of both male and female idols, with the sexualization of minors in particular being of concern.<ref name="sexualizing">{{Cite news|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20110720000617|title=Should a law ban sexualizing of K-pop teens?|last=Power|first=John|date=July 20, 2011|work=[[The Korea Herald]]|access-date=April 10, 2018|archive-date=April 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411180723/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20110720000617|url-status=live}}</ref> Critics such as James Turnbull of the Korean Pop Culture blog The Grand Narrative have argued young female idols are especially susceptible to pressures to wear revealing clothing or dance provocatively.<ref name="sexualizing" /> However, compared to western popular music, K-pop has little sex, drugs, or aggressive behavior and has a much more parent-friendly branding.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Oakeley|first1=Lucas|title=How K-pop became a propaganda tool|url=https://theoutline.com/post/4269/k-pop-propaganda-south-korea-north-korea-demilitarized-zone?zd=1&zi=nms4d5dz|access-date=April 25, 2018|work=[[The Outline (website)|The Outline]]|date=April 24, 2018|archive-date=April 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426011951/https://theoutline.com/post/4269/k-pop-propaganda-south-korea-north-korea-demilitarized-zone?zd=1&zi=nms4d5dz|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2014, South Korea passed a law to protect idols under the age of 19 from overtly sexualized performances.<ref name="Parks-2014" /><ref name="Hyo-Won-2014" />

Questions have also been raised over K-pop's focus on appearance and its effects on children and teens, especially pressure to obtain [[Cosmetic surgery in South Korea|cosmetic surgeries]].<ref name="Wang-2019">{{Cite magazine |last=Wang |first=Amy X. |date=February 21, 2019 |title=K-Pop Has So Many 'Lookalikes' That the Government Stepped In |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/k-pop-has-so-many-lookalikes-that-its-government-stepped-in-796791/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314200117/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/k-pop-has-so-many-lookalikes-that-its-government-stepped-in-796791/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, the South Korean [[Ministry of Gender Equality and Family]] announced non-mandatory guidelines in an effort to prevent "lookism." One recommendation asked to limit how many idol singers can appear on TV together, saying "most of them are skinny ... with outfits exposing their bodies."<ref name="Kim-2019">{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Jae-heun |date=February 18, 2019 |title=TV guidelines on 'look-alike' K-pop singers spark controversy |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/03/356_263954.html |website=[[The Korea Times]] |access-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314200112/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/03/356_263954.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The concern was that their nearly identical appearances would narrow the standards of beauty. Many young viewers of K-pop are raised in a culture where cosmetic surgery is promoted. Some idols openly document themselves undergoing surgery.<ref name="Wang-2019" /> The government recommendations upset many fans, however, who began circulating an online petition in protest. An opposition politician also compared the guidelines to regulations under the "military dictatorship of [[Chun Doo-hwan]]".<ref name="Kim-2019" />

==== Mental health and suicides ====
Some K-pop artists have suggested that the uncertainty and pressures of their jobs as entertainers may be detrimental to their mental health. According to musician [[Park Kyung]] of [[Block B]], "There are many people who debuted with no sense of self yet, and they come to realize later that every move and every word they say is being observed so they become cautious and lose their freedom."<ref name="kyung">{{cite magazine|last=Herman|first=Tamar|title=2018 Sees K-pop Stars Addressing Mental Health Stressors in Industry|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/k-pop-stars-talk-mental-health-8369832/|date=April 23, 2018|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=December 5, 2019|archive-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725025425/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8369832/k-pop-stars-talk-mental-health|url-status=live}}</ref> In an interview with [[Yonhap News Agency|''Yonhap News'']], [[Suga]] of BTS talked about his own mental health, and said, "Anxiety and loneliness seem to be with me for life...Emotions are so different in every situation and every moment, so I think to agonise every moment is what life is."<ref name="kyung"/>

The suicides of prominent K-pop musicians have drawn attention to both industry and societal pressures.<ref name="variety mental health">{{cite news |last1=Kil |first1=Sonia |title=Jonghyun Suicide Note Points to Brutal Pressure of Korean Spotlight |url=https://variety.com/2017/music/asia/shinee-jonghyun-dies-dead-suicide-note-k-pop-pressure-1202644698/ |access-date=January 27, 2019 |work=Variety |date=December 19, 2017 |language=en |archive-date=May 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528022223/https://variety.com/2017/music/asia/shinee-jonghyun-dies-dead-suicide-note-k-pop-pressure-1202644698/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1996, singer Charles Park, also known as {{ill|Seo Ji-won|ko|서지원}}, died by suicide at the age of 19, before the release of his second album.<ref name="variety mental health" /><ref>{{cite web |title=History of K-pop: 1992–1995, The Beginning |url=http://seoulbeats.com/2016/01/history-of-k-pop-1992-1995-the-beginning/ |website=seoulbeats |access-date=January 27, 2019 |date=January 10, 2016 |archive-date=January 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104230923/http://seoulbeats.com/2016/01/history-of-k-pop-1992-1995-the-beginning/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=See unreliable sources list on [[WP:KO/RS]]|date=November 2024}} [[Kim Jong-hyun]], who had previously been open about his history of depression, also died by suicide in December 2017.<ref name="variety mental health" /> In the spring of 2018, a number of prominent Korean musicians participated in a free concert series to raise awareness of suicide prevention.<ref name="kyung" /> In 2019 [[Sulli]], a member of the [[girl group]] [[f(x) (band)|f(x)]], took her life and was followed one month later by her close friend [[Goo Hara]]. Both were subjected to [[cyberbullying]], which added to calls for reform.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Park|first=Ju-won|title=Singer Goo Hara's Death Shines Light on the Dark Side of K-Pop|url=https://time.com/5741058/dark-side-of-kpop-pressure-death/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128225033/https://time.com/5741058/dark-side-of-kpop-pressure-death/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 28, 2019|date=November 28, 2019|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=December 5, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Kwon|first=Jake|title=After another K-pop death, spotlight turns to difficulties faced by industry's 'perfect' stars|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/30/entertainment/kpop-pressures-goo-hara-sulli-intl-hnk-scli/index.html|date=December 2, 2019|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=December 5, 2019|archive-date=December 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201004756/https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/30/entertainment/kpop-pressures-goo-hara-sulli-intl-hnk-scli/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=December 18, 2019|title=Are Jonghyun, Sulli and Goo Hara victims of the K-pop industry?|url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3042466/are-jonghyun-sulli-and-goo-hara-victims-k-pop-industry|access-date=February 24, 2021|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|archive-date=December 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218054908/https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3042466/are-jonghyun-sulli-and-goo-hara-victims-k-pop-industry|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, the death of [[Moonbin]] renewed scrutiny on the highly competitive world of Korean [[show business]] and the pressures its performers face.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65339082 |title=Moonbin: Star's death renews scrutiny on pressures of K-pop |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=April 21, 2023 |access-date=April 22, 2023 |first1=Fan |last1=Wang |first2=Yuna |last2=Ku |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423202702/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65339082 |url-status=live }}</ref>

One reason is that K-pop amplifies the pressure to be perfect, already intense in Korean society.<ref name="Tai-2020">{{Cite news |last=Tai |first=Crystal |date=March 29, 2020 |title=Exploding the myths behind K-pop |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/2020/mar/29/behind-k-pops-perfect-smiles-and-dance-routines-are-tales-of-sexism-and-abuse |issn=0029-7712 |access-date=March 24, 2023 |archive-date=November 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115141854/https://www.theguardian.com/global/2020/mar/29/behind-k-pops-perfect-smiles-and-dance-routines-are-tales-of-sexism-and-abuse |url-status=live }}</ref> After dating fellow musician [[Choiza]], Sulli became the center of online abuse because K-pop idols are expected not to be in a relationship for years. During one talk show, she expressed how empty her life was, "I feel like I'm lying to everyone by pretending to be happy on the outside." A jewellery designer who works with K-pop stars, including Sulli, said that receiving threats and angry mail is normal for many idols.<ref name="Tai-2020" />

==Culture==
K-pop artists are frequently referred to as idols or idol groups.<ref name="idol2">{{cite web|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2916729|title=A Korean Idol's Life: Sweat and Sleepless Nights|date=February 18, 2010|publisher=[[Korea JoongAng Daily]]|access-date=February 2, 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130111060515/http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2916729|archive-date=January 11, 2013}}</ref> Groups usually have a leader, who is often the eldest or most experienced member and speaks for the group. The youngest group member is called the ''maknae'' ({{Korean|[[:wiktionary:막내|막내]]|rr=mangnae|lit=the youngest in a family}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mtvk.com/2011/01/10/k-pop-dictionary-maknae-%EB%A7%89%EB%82%B4/ |title=K-pop dictionary: maknae |publisher=[[MTV Korea]] |access-date=January 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818191437/http://mtvk.com/2011/01/10/k-pop-dictionary-maknae-%EB%A7%89%EB%82%B4/ |archive-date=August 18, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 

===Industry-specific expressions===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!Expression
!Meaning
|-
|{{Korean|대상|rr=daesang}}
|rowspan="2"|At music awards artists may receive a ''bonsang'' for outstanding music achievements. One of the ''bonsang'' winners is then awarded with a ''daesang,'' the "Grand Prize".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yeo |first1=Amanda |title=Bias, comeback, and aegyo: What all those K-pop words actually mean |url=https://mashable.com/article/kpop-glossary-maknae-bts |access-date=August 20, 2024 |work=Mashable |date=November 29, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907142314/https://mashable.com/article/kpop-glossary-maknae-bts |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|{{Korean|본상|rr=bonsang}}
|-
| {{visible anchor|Comeback}}
|Refers to the release of an artist's new music and the accompanying promotional activities typically including TV performances and participation on TV shows.<ref name="ramstadwsj2"/>
|-
|Title track
|Roughly equivalent to a [[lead single]], the main track of an album. Released with a music video and promoted through live performances on televised music shows.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Bowenbank |first1=Starr |title=BLACKPINK's Second Album 'Born Pink' Has Arrived: Stream It Now |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/blackpink-born-pink-stream-it-now-1235139786/ |access-date=August 20, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |date=September 16, 2022 |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922085746/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/blackpink-born-pink-stream-it-now-1235139786/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Yoo |first1=Hong |title=Jeonghan and Wonwoo of Seventeen unveil track list of their 1st single album |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240609050071 |access-date=August 20, 2024 |work=[[The Korea Herald]] |date=June 9, 2024 |language=en |archive-date=June 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614201443/https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240609050071 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Shim |first1=Sun-ah |title=Tracklist for BTS member Jimin's new solo album released |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240621006100315 |access-date=August 20, 2024 |work=[[Yonhap News Agency]] |date=June 21, 2024 |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907142316/https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240621006100315 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|Mini album
|Roughly equivalent to an [[extended play]], contains multiple tracks but shorter than a full-length album.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morin |first1=Natalie |title=K-Pop 101: The Terms You Need To Know Before You Stan |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/k-pop-music-fans-terms-meaning |access-date=August 20, 2024 |work=www.refinery29.com |language=en |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907142315/https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/k-pop-music-fans-terms-meaning |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|}

===Appeal and fan base===
{{main|Impact and popularity of K-pop}}

===Events===
====International tours====
{{Main|Category:Lists of concerts and performances of South Korean artists}}

====Conventions and music festivals====
{{See also|Category:K-pop festivals}}
* 2003–2018: [[Korean Music Festival]] at the [[Hollywood Bowl]] in Los Angeles
* 2011–present: [[K-POP World Festival]] in South Korea
* 2012–present: [[KCON (music festival)|KCON]] in California
* 2015–present: [[KCON (music festival)|KCON]] in New York and Japan

[[File:Blackpink Coachella 2023 02 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Blackpink performing at Coachella in 2023]]With the rise of the popularity of K-pop globally, K-pop groups and idols' appearances at internationally recognized music festivals is becoming more and more regular. 
* 2022: [[J-Hope]] at [[Lollapalooza]] (first K-pop act to headline)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Daly |first1=Rhian |title=J-hope live at Lollapalooza 2022: BTS rapper arrives as true solo great in history-making headline set |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/live/j-hope-lollapalooza-2022-headline-review-bts-3280802 |access-date=20 August 2024 |work=NME |date=1 August 2022 |archive-date=July 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708171937/https://www.nme.com/reviews/live/j-hope-lollapalooza-2022-headline-review-bts-3280802 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2023: [[Blackpink]] at [[Coachella 2023|Coachella]] (first K-pop act to headline)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Paul |first1=Larisha |last2=Mier |first2=Tomás |title=Bad Bunny and Blackpink Make History as 2023 Coachella Headliners, Frank Ocean Makes Grand Return |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/2023-coachella-headliners-bad-bunny-blackpink-frank-ocean-1234657207/ |website=RollingStone |date=January 10, 2023 |access-date=March 23, 2023 |archive-date=January 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110215205/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/2023-coachella-headliners-bad-bunny-blackpink-frank-ocean-1234657207/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2024: [[Seventeen (South Korean group)|Seventeen]] at [[Glastonbury Festival 2024|Glastonbury]] (first K-pop act to perform on the Pyramid Stage)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Daly |first1=Rhian |title=SEVENTEEN live at Glastonbury 2024: K-pop maestros earn their place in the history books |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/live/seventeen-glastonbury-2024-live-setlist-photos-review-3769743 |access-date=August 9, 2024 |work=NME |date=June 28, 2024 |archive-date=June 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240629150703/https://www.nme.com/reviews/live/seventeen-glastonbury-2024-live-setlist-photos-review-3769743 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Impact and popularity==
{{main|Impact and popularity of K-pop}}

==Foreign relations==
{{See also|Korean Wave#Foreign relations}}On May 25, 2010, South Korea responded to the alleged North Korean sinking of a navy ship by broadcasting [[4Minute]]'s single "[[HuH (4minute song)|HuH]]" across the [[Korean Demilitarized Zone|DMZ]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/south-korea-blasts-pop-music-propaganda-border-article-1.184065|title=South Korea blasts pop music, propaganda over the border|work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York|access-date=March 5, 2013|archive-date=September 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907142316/https://www.nydailynews.com/2010/06/07/south-korea-blasts-pop-music-propaganda-over-the-border/|url-status=live}}</ref> In response, North Korea affirmed its decision to "destroy" any speakers set up along the border.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1993376,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610193356/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1993376,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 10, 2010|title=South Korean Propaganda Blasts|date=June 7, 2010|magazine=Time|access-date=March 5, 2013}}</ref> That year, ''[[The Chosun Ilbo]]'' reported that the [[Ministry of National Defense (Republic of Korea)|Ministry of National Defense]] had considered setting up large TV screens across the border to broadcast music videos by several popular K-pop girl groups such as [[Girls' Generation]], [[Wonder Girls]], [[After School (band)|After School]], [[Kara (South Korean band)|Kara]] and 4Minute as part of "psychological warfare" against North Korea.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/06/11/2010061100432.html|title=Girl Bands to Assist in 'Psychological Warfare'|work=[[The Chosun Ilbo]]|access-date=March 5, 2013|archive-date=March 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318070358/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/06/11/2010061100432.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2012, North Korea uploaded a video with a manipulated image of South Korean president [[Park Geun-hye]] performing the dance moves of "[[Gangnam Style]]." The video labeled her as a "devoted" admirer of the [[Yusin]] system of autocratic rule set up by her father, [[Park Chung Hee]].<ref name="straitstimes12">{{cite web|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/asia/story/n-korea-takes-gangnam-style-shot-south-politician-20120919|title=N. Korea takes 'Gangnam Style' shot at South politician|date=August 20, 2012|publisher=Singapore Press Holdings|work=The Straits Times|access-date=September 20, 2012|archive-date=September 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920090712/http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/asia/story/n-korea-takes-gangnam-style-shot-south-politician-20120919|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/20/world/asia/north-korea-gangnam-video/index.html|title=North Korean video evokes 'Gangnam Style' to taunt South Korean candidate|date=September 20, 2012|publisher=CNN|author1=Kwon, K. J.|author2=Mullen, Jethro|access-date=September 25, 2012|archive-date=September 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924002715/http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/20/world/asia/north-korea-gangnam-video/index.html?|url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Obama mentions Korean Wave and Gangnam Style.ogv|thumb|On May 7, 2013, [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Barack Obama]] cited Psy's "[[Gangnam Style]]" as an example of how people around the world are being "''swept up by Korean culture—the [[Korean Wave]].''"<ref>{{cite web|title=Remarks by President Obama and President Park of South Korea in a Joint Press Conference|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/07/remarks-president-obama-and-president-park-south-korea-joint-press-confe|publisher=[[White House]]|access-date=May 7, 2013|quote=And of course, around the world, people are being swept up by Korean culture—the Korean Wave. And as I mentioned to President Park, my daughters have taught me a pretty good Gangnam Style.|date=May 7, 2013|archive-date=January 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123103019/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/07/remarks-president-obama-and-president-park-south-korea-joint-press-confe|url-status=live}}</ref>]]Since the early 2010s, several political leaders have acknowledged the global rise of Korean pop culture, most notably U.S. President [[Barack Obama]], who made an official visit to South Korea in 2012 and mentioned the strong influences of social media networks, adding that it was "no wonder so many people around the world have caught the Korean wave, ''[[Hallyu (Korean Wave)|Hallyu]]''."<ref name="White House2">{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/26/remarks-president-obama-hankuk-university|title=Remarks by President Obama at Hankuk University|publisher=White House|quote=It's no wonder so many people around the world have caught the Korean Wave, Hallyu.|access-date=October 27, 2012|date=March 26, 2012|archive-date=January 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121041052/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/26/remarks-president-obama-hankuk-university|url-status=live}}</ref> A few months later, [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|U.N. Secretary-General]] [[Ban Ki-moon]] delivered a speech in front of the [[National Assembly of South Korea]], where he noted South Korea's "great global success" in the fields of culture, sports and the arts, before pointing out that the Korean Wave was "making its mark on the world."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=6398|title=United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's Statements|publisher=United Nations|quote=As is clear with the recent rise of Psy's "Gangnam Style", the Hallyu-wave and Korean pop music, Korean culture is making its mark on the world.|access-date=December 28, 2012|archive-date=October 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025050159/http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=6398|url-status=live}}</ref> This occurred a few days after [[United States Department of State|U.S. State Department]] spokeswoman [[Victoria Nuland]] remarked in a daily press briefing that her daughter "loves Korean pop,"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2012/10/198646.htm|title=Daily Press Briefing – October 3, 2012|publisher=[[United States Department of State]]|quote=No, but I bet you my daughter does. She loves Korean pop.|access-date=March 5, 2013|archive-date=September 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907142316/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2012/10/198646.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> which sparked a media frenzy in South Korea after a journalist from the country's publicly funded [[Yonhap News Agency]] arranged an interview with Nuland and described Nuland's teenage daughter as "crazy about Korean music and dance."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/n_interview/2012/11/11/13/4801000000AEN20121111000100315F.HTML|title=Psy-loving Nuland hopes for closer Korea-US-Japan ties|last=Lee|first=Chi-dong|publisher=[[Yonhap]]|quote=Nuland's teenage daughter was the first in the family to go crazy about Korean music and dance, dubbed K-pop|access-date=March 5, 2013|archive-date=September 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907142318/https://en.yna.co.kr/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In November 2012, the British [[Minister of State]] for the [[Foreign Office]], [[Hugo Swire]], addressed a group of South Korean diplomats at the [[House of Lords]], where he emphasized the close ties and mutual cooperation shaping [[South Korea–United Kingdom relations]] and added: "As 'Gangnam Style' has demonstrated, your music is global too."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/anglo-korean-society-dinner|title=Speech: Anglo-Korean Society Dinner|date=November 23, 2012|publisher=gov.uk|quote=As "Gangnam Style" has demonstrated, your music is global too.|access-date=March 5, 2013|archive-date=July 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709075009/https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/anglo-korean-society-dinner|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2013, the [[Vice President of Peru]], [[Marisol Espinoza]], gave an interview with South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, where she voiced her desire for more South Korean companies to invest in her country and named K-pop as "one of the main factors that made Peruvian people wanting to get to know South Korea more."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2013/02/26/26/0301000000AEN20130226000251315F.HTML|title=(LEAD)(Yonhap Interview) Peruvian vice president hopes for further economic ties|publisher=[[Yonhap]]|quote="K-pop and soap operas have taken popularity. It was one of the main factors that made Peruvian people wanting to get to know South Korea more," Espinoza said.|access-date=March 5, 2013|archive-date=December 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213205910/http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2013/02/26/26/0301000000AEN20130226000251315F.HTML|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to an article published by the international relations magazine ''[[Foreign Policy]]'', the spread of Korean popular culture across Southeast Asia, parts of South America, and parts of the Middle East are illustrating how the gradual cessation of European [[colonialism]] is giving way and making room for unexpected [[soft power]] outside of the Western world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/27/the_gangnam_phenom|title=The Gangnam Phenom|last=Russell|first=Mark James|quote=More generally, it illustrates the new reality that the North-South pattern of trade and cultural exchange that has dominated the world since the ascendance of European colonialism is giving way and making room for unexpected soft power.|work=[[Foreign Policy]]|access-date=March 5, 2013|archive-date=October 1, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001015846/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/27/the_gangnam_phenom|url-status=dead}}</ref> On the other hand, an article published by ''[[The Quietus]]'' magazine expressed concern that discussions about ''Hallyu'' as a form of soft power seems to bear a whiff of the "old Victorian fear of [[Yellow Peril]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/11001-psy-gangnam-style-k-pop|title=Gangnam Style & How The World Woke Up To The Genius Of K-Pop|last=Barry|first=Robert|quote=While suspicious talk of Hallyu as 'soft power' akin to the CIA's cultural Cold War bears a whiff of the old Victorian fear of yellow peril|work=[[The Quietus]]|date=December 18, 2012 |access-date=March 5, 2013}}</ref>

In August 2016, China proceeded to restrict Korean media, including K-pop, to protest South Korea's of deployment of U.S. [[Terminal High Altitude Area Defense|THAAD]] systems.<ref name="Frater-2016">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/biz/asia/china-confirms-ban-on-korean-content-talent-1201830391/|title=China Reportedly Bans Korean TV Content, Talent|last=Frater|first=Patrick|date=August 4, 2016|website=Variety|language=en-US|access-date=September 5, 2016|archive-date=September 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906020351/http://variety.com/2016/biz/asia/china-confirms-ban-on-korean-content-talent-1201830391/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-takes-aim-at-k-916395|title=China Takes Aim at K-pop Stars Amid Korean Missile-Defense Dispute|last=Brzeski|first=Patrick|date=August 2, 2016|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=September 5, 2016|archive-date=August 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805145746/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-takes-aim-at-k-916395|url-status=live}}</ref> The move, which lasted until 2017, had a negative impact on the [[Share (finance)|shares]] of Korean talent agencies, although prices later recovered.<ref name="Frater-2016" />

On April 1, 2018, North Korean leader [[Kim Jong Un]] hosted a K-pop concert in Pyongyang.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Seo|first1=Yoonjung|last2=Levenson|first2=Eric|last3=McKirdy|first3=Euan|title=Kim Jong Un 'deeply moved' by K-pop concert in Pyongyang|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/01/world/kim-jong-un-concert-kpop/index.html|website=CNN|date=April 2018 |access-date=May 29, 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Pop music|South Korea}}
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Culture of South Korea]]
* [[Korean ballad]]
* [[Korean hip hop]]
* [[Korean idol]]
* [[Korean rock]]
* [[Korean Wave]]
* [[List of K-pop artists]]
* [[List of South Korean idol groups]]
* [[South Korean music]]
* [[List of K-pop films]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
<references group="note" />

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Hartong |first=Jan Laurens |title=Musical Terms Worldwide: A Companion for the Musical Explorer |publisher=Semar Publishers |year=2006 |isbn=978-88-7778-090-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/musicaltermsworl0000hart |url-access=registration }}
* {{cite book |last1=Holden |first1=Todd Joseph Miles |last2=Scrase |first2=Timothy J. |title=Medi@sia: Global Media/tion In and Out of Context |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-415-37155-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0IMdmAEACAAJ }}
* {{cite book |last=Jung |first=Sun |title=Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption: Yonsama, Rain, Oldboy, K-Pop Idols |publisher=Hong Kong University Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-988-8028-66-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=npgE-K9rawUC }}
* {{cite book |last1=Kim |first1=Myung Oak |last2=Jaffe |first2=Sam |title=The New Korea: An Inside Look at South Korea's Economic Rise |publisher=AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-8144-1489-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zK0amQEACAAJ |access-date=July 24, 2018 |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907143345/https://books.google.com/books?id=zK0amQEACAAJ |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |last1=Winter |first1=Velvet |title=K-pop is taking over international music, but becoming a star is a long and restrictive road |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-30/kpop-agencies-sm-jyp-yg-hybe-moonbin-blackpink/102267182 |access-date=May 20, 2023 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)]] |date=April 30, 2023 |language=en-AU |archive-date=May 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520092347/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-30/kpop-agencies-sm-jyp-yg-hybe-moonbin-blackpink/102267182 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |title=K-Pop: A New Force in Pop Music |year=2011 |publisher=[[Korean Culture and Information Service]]; Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism |isbn=978-89-7375-166-2 |edition=Korean Culture No. 2 |url=http://www.korea.net/Resources/Publications/About-Korea/view?articleId=2217 |format=PDF |access-date=December 3, 2012 |archive-date=April 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428093549/http://www.korea.net/Resources/Publications/About-Korea/view?articleId=2217 |url-status=dead }}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
* {{Wiktionary inline}}
* {{Commons category-inline|K-pop}}

{{K-pop}}
{{Music of Korea}}
{{Korea topics}}
{{Pop music}}

[[Category:K-pop| ]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Culture of South Korea]]
[[Category:Pop music by country]]
[[Category:Pop music genres]]
[[Category:Popular music by country]]
[[Category:South Korean popular culture]]