If you’ve spent any amount of time on Instagram or TikTok within the last few weeks you might have been bombarded with clips from KPop Demon Hunters. Released by Netflix, the film was created by Maggie Kang who wanted to integrate South Korean mythology with one of the main exports of the country. K-Pop. So far the film has received rave reviews. With many critics praising the unique style and seamless integration of the mythological with the real.
This movie speaks to a global trend that is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down anytime soon. K-Pop started to really make it big with the global audience back in the 2010s. Year by year it has gone from strength to strength. Dominating the global music market and capturing the hearts and minds of listeners across the planet. But what is it exactly about K-Pop, and to a larger degree South Korean culture that captivates us so much?
Cultural Icon
South Korea is arguably one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet. It has the perfect blend of tradition, history, nature, and technological advancements. Meaning it has something for absolutely everyone. It is similar to Japan in the sense that the nation has become something of a cultural travel icon in the Western world. Many westerners, particularly Americans, have an almost mythical view of South Korea. And a lot of this is spurred on by their entertainment exports.
K-Pop has played a huge part in cultivating this image for South Korea. K-Pop stars, often called Idols, present a romanticized and almost magical view of their home nation through their music videos and interviews. And when you pair this with the power celebrities have to draw tourists to their nation, it is no surprise that South Korea has seen its tourism industry boom thanks to K-Pop’s world domination.
Many critics within South Korea have started to claim that K-Pop has become too globalized. Many of the most popular artists are capitalizing on how popular the genre has become globally. Focusing their efforts on making songs and videos that appeal to western audiences. Rather than capturing the spirit of South Korea and keeping true to their roots. These same critics seem to think that K-Pop is beginning to die out in South Korea. But we have found this not to be the case. If you go to any Seoul karaoke bar or Gangnam full salon, you will still find K-pop at the heart of their musical entertainment.
Quality Before Quantity
You would be forgiven for thinking that K-Pop groups are constantly releasing new songs and videos. Social media feeds are often bombarded with clips of their tours or their latest music video. But this over saturation is only due to how many K-Pop groups there actually are. One of the things that has made the genre so successful is the artist’s commitment to quality over quantity.
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to see a K-Pop group perform live then you will know what we mean when we say they put all western performers to shame. Flawless and intense choreography has become a staple of the genre. Larger than life performances with not a single step out of beat. The dedication towards their showmanship is what separates K-Pop groups from western bands.
And this leans back into the cultural iconography of K-Pop. It isn’t just about the music with K-Pop. The groups are selling themselves to the audience alongside the music. Their character. Their fashion sense. Their dance style and attitudes. All of this combines together to create a more complete artistic experience for the audience.
An Economic Powerhouse
We could spend all day bigging up the artistic talent of K-Pop artists. But what about the numbers? Does K-Pop back up its global popularity with significant financial gain? Back in 2021 an independent study estimated that K-Pop performances were worth a staggering $8.1 billion dollars to the South Korean economy. And this number was only set to grow as the years went by.
BTS, one of the most famous K-Pop groups, is worth around $3.5 billion dollars to the South Korean economy. This is factoring in everything from domestic shows to the number of tourists that come to South Korea just because they’re fans of the group.
But is this level of growth sustainable? One major issue that the K-pop industry now faces is new restrictions placed on them by China. Many K-Pop groups have been refused the right to perform in China, which has had a dramatic effect on album sales. This double whammy, while not enough to fully shake the industry, could be the start of a concerning downward trend. But if the success of KPop Demon Hunters is anything to go by, we believe the K-Pop industry is only going to get stronger as time goes on.
