Cover The K-pop industry’s multifaceted approach has helped it transcend cultural and language barriers, making it a beloved genre worldwide (Photo: Getty Images)
The K-pop industry’s multifaceted approach has helped it transcend cultural and language barriers, making it a beloved genre worldwide (Photo: Getty Images)
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K-pop is not just changing the global music landscape–it’s creating a new, more connected world culture
Hallyu continues to sweep across the globe, with K-pop at its forefront. What started as a local industry, later expanding to regional markets, has transformed into a global cultural force, a phenomenon, breaking language barriers and redefining the music industry as we know it.
Read more: The Hallyu tsunami: 3 Korean entertainment giants conquering Asian markets
As K-pop continues to expand its reach, it’s fascinating to observe how it’s adapting to new markets while maintaining its core appeal–high-quality productions, talented and charismatic K-pop idols who are visual magnets, trendsetting fashion and styling, and fandom culture.
Latin America: The new K-pop frontier
Above Super Junior and Leslie Grace entered the Latin music charts with ‘Lo Siento’
Latin America has emerged as a hotbed for K-pop (or Pop Coreano, as they’d call it), with fans from Mexico to Argentina embracing the genre with open arms. In 2021, Mexico and Brazil ranked in the list of top countries tweeting about K-pop, per Twitter’s internal data:
2021 K-POP 관련 트윗을 가장 많이 한 국가#KpopTwitter #Kpop pic.twitter.com/LzvMXCnxY3
— Korea (@XKorea) January 26, 2022
Smaller K-pop groups like the co-ed group Kard have spread their wings far and wide in Latin America, having held an extensive Brazil tour with concerts in several big cities like Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Rio, and São Paulo.
See also: Songs from K-pop collaborations proving that two is better than one
Recognising this enthusiasm, many K-pop groups and K-pop idols are now incorporating Spanish into their music or being featured in Spanish music, bridging the gap between K-pop and Latin music such as (but not limited to):
- Got7’s Lullaby (Spanish version)
- DJ Snake, Ozuna, Blackpink’s Lisa, and Megan Thee Stallion’s SG
- Vav’s Señorita
- Chungha and Puerto Rican rapper Guaynaa’s Demente
- Shinee’s Amigo
- Gfriend’s Me Gustas Tu
- Super Junior and Leslie Grace’s Lo Siento
The Middle East: Breaking new ground
Above BTS and the crowd surprised member Jimin with a birthday song in Arabic during the K-pop group’s concert in Saudi Arabia
The Middle East has shown a growing appetite for K-pop, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates becoming key markets.
When Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, heir apparent to the throne and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia lifted the ban on musical concerts when he took over the kingdom in 2017, it opened the floodgates of entertainment. The first non-Arab artists to perform in Saudi Arabia were BTS. The K-pop group performed to a sell-out crowd at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.
Don’t miss: Blackpink: What to expect from the ‘Born Pink World Tour’
The historic concert in 2019 paved the way for more K-pop acts to perform in the region such as Highlight, Hyolyn, Kard, Riize, Super Junior-D&E, and Oh My Girl, to name a few. Blackpink also lit up the Boulevard International Festival in Riyadh with their trademark pink during their ‘Born Pink World Tour’ in 2023, dressing more modestly than usual to be respectful to Arabian fans.
Above Blackpink hit the stage at their sold-out ‘Born Pink World Tour’ show in Riyadh, performing to a crowd of more than 25,000 people (Photo: Pinterest)
Blackpink hit the stage at their sold-out ‘Born Pink World Tour’ show in Riyadh, performing to a crowd of more than 25,000 people (Photo: Pinterest)
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To cater to this market, some K-pop idols even learnt Arabic phrases to connect with fans during concerts and fan meetings, showing a commitment to cultural engagement. In addition, in 2022, South Korean entertainment behemoth SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man pledged to Saudi Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al-Saud to help develop a Saudi idol training system, per a The Korea Economic Daily report.
Southeast Asia: The established powerhouse
Above Blackpink’s Lisa, Thailand’s very own “K-pop princess”, in the music video for her comeback solo single, ‘Rockstar’
Southeast Asia, namely the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, is one of the regions with high viewership for K-pop, according to a dataSpring survey. This is largely due to a common cultural familiarity with K-pop and the proximity of South Korea. In these countries, fans are either K-pop stans, K-drama fans, or both, as these two fandoms often overlap due to K-pop idols “double-hatting” and becoming actors.
Read more: 10 K-pop idols who have blossomed into notable actors
While the region has long been a strong market for K-pop, the industry continues to evolve its approach. Thailand, in particular, has become a significant source of K-pop talent, with stars like 2PM’s Nichkhun, Blackpink's Lisa, and Got7's BamBam paving the way. Many entertainment agencies have also recruited members from Southeast Asian countries, fostering a stronger connection with fans in the region, for example:
- Babymonster’s Pharita from Thailand
- Babymonster’s Chiquita from Thailand
- Tempest’s Hanbin from Vietnam
- In2it’s Isaac Voo from Malaysia
- CLC’c Sorn from Thailand
- (G)i-dle’s Minnie from Thailand
- Secret Number’s Dita from Indonesia
Europe: Beyond the traditional markets
Above The iconic Chungha shows off her flawless choreography for her collaboration single with Reh3b, ‘Dream Of You’
K-pop’s popularity in Europe extends far beyond the usual suspects like France and Germany. The continent had roughly 13.2 million Hallyu fans in 2022, as reported by The Korean Times. It’s now K-pop’s fastest-growing market, according to a new report, having seen a 37 per cent increase in K-pop fans compared to the year before.
In response, more K-pop tours are including European stops in their itineraries, especially recently in the post-pandemic era including BTS, Blackpink, IU, B.I (former Ikon member), Bang Yongguk, Ive, Got7’s BamBam, Eric Nam, Wheein (of Mamamoo), Itzy, Red Velvet, Stray Kids, and more.
See also: 5 facts about Stray Kids, the K-pop band making waves at Met Gala 2024
Some K-pop groups and K-pop idols are also experimenting with incorporating local musical elements or collaborating with European artists:
- BTS’ J-Hope and V and Swedish singer Zara Larsson’s A Brand New Day
- BTS and British band Coldplay’s My Universe
- Youha and Norwegian singer Jens’ Wish I Was Right For You
- Blackpink and English-Albanian singer-songwriter Dua Lipa’s Kiss and Make Up
- Dean and British singer Wesley Joseph’s Sugar Dive
- Chungha and Dutch-Morrocan DJ and music producer R3hab’s Dream Of You
From collaborations with local artists to the incorporation of regional musical elements, K-pop is constantly evolving.
Oceania: The growing fan base
Above Blackpink’s Rosé sang a snippet of Skylar Grey’s ‘Coming Home’ before performing her solo stage at the Melbourne leg of Blackpink’s ‘Born Pink World Tour’
Aside from Asia, Oceania, which includes Australia and New Zealand, is still one of the predominant markets for K-pop culture content. Combined, the markets in Asia and Oceania account for 73.4 per cent of all Hallyu fans, per The Korean Times.
Don’t miss: How K-pop fan culture is reshaping business strategies and redefining brand loyalty
Australia and New Zealand have seen a significant increase in K-pop popularity. To cater to this market, South Korean entertainment agencies are not only including these countries in world tours but also holding auditions there, such as YG Entertainment’s 2012 YG Global Audition in Australia which gave then 16-year-old Roseanne Park Chae-young (aka Blackpink’s Rosé) a leg up in becoming a K-pop trainee.
Above Stray Kids’ Bang Chan and Felix communicating with their fans over a TikTok live session in 2022 on their return to Australia for the first time in three years (Photo: TikTok/@jypestraykids)
Stray Kids’ Bang Chan and Felix communicating with their fans over a TikTok live session in 2022 on their return to Australia for the first time in three years (Photo: TikTok/@jypestraykids)
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Stray Kids’ Bang Chan and Felix, both Australian, as well as Blackpink’s Rosé, a New Zealand-born singer raised in Australia, and relatively new K-pop idol NewJeans’ Danielle have played crucial roles in connecting with fans in this region, often using Australian slang and references in their content, which their stans find endearing.
Above As K-pop continues its global journey, we can expect to see even more innovative approaches to market expansion and cultural adaptation (Photo: Instagram/@sisters_bts_bsf)
As K-pop continues its global journey, we can expect to see even more innovative approaches to market expansion and cultural adaptation (Photo: Instagram/@sisters_bts_bsf)
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Perhaps the most significant adaptation in K-pop’s global expansion is its embrace of digital platforms. From Weverse to Bubble, K-pop agencies have developed bespoke apps to connect idols with fans worldwide. These platforms offer real-time translations, allowing idols to communicate with global fans seamlessly.
Read more: How VR is revolutionising K-pop experiences and bringing fans closer to their favourite idols
Virtual concerts and fan meetings have also become common, breaking down geographical barriers and providing equal access to fans around the world. For fans and industry observers alike, the future of K-pop’s global journey promises to be an exciting one.
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Lainey was the Digital Director of Tatler Malaysia. When not whiling away the hours watching documentaries, the latest K-drama, or reruns of Friends, she can be found indulging her wanderlust by stalking travel platforms or feeding her obsession with music. She loves animals, running, all things social media, a good conversation over coffee or soju or wine (often rambling on if nobody pulls the brakes on her), and is an avid fan of bursting-at-the-seams laughter.
