Success of K-Pop
Focus
Lessons from K-pop’s Global Success
SEO Min-Soo
K-pop’S GLobaL reach
On the heels of the successful launch of Korean TV dramas in foreign markets, K-pop began to make inroads in China, Japan and Thailand in the early 2000s. In recent years K-pop has expanded into Europe, the Middle East and the Americas in a second “Korean Wave.” K-pop’s current reigning girl group, “Girls’ Generation,” made their nationwide US debut with an appearance on “The Late Show with David Let60 | www.seriquarterly.com
terman” and “Live! With Kelly” this year. In addition to highly well-received international tours, K-pop has experienced explosive online popularity. Views for K-pop videos reached 2.3 billion on YouTube in 235 countries in 2011. K-pop’s stature now transcends economic terms; it has become a strategic asset with halo effects on Korea’s brand and its products. The economic effects of the second Korean Wave
SEO Min-Soo
are estimated at about ₩5 trillion as of 2010.1 The success of K-pop groups did not come overnight. Rather, the emergence of K-pop is the result of methodical planning and execution that offers lessons to any company setting its sights on the global market. This report analyzes K-pop’s success factors, and suggests ways
that Korean companies can leverage K-pop’s techniques for their own benefit.
K-pop’S SucceSS FactorS
This report adopted a four-pointed “cultural diamond” model2 to determine the four factors
1 Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange. 2 Griswold, W. (1994). Cultures and Societies in a Changing World. Pine forge Press.; Alexander, V. (2003). Sociology of the Arts: Exploring
Fine and Popular Forms. Blackwell.
July 2012 | SERI Quarterly | 61
Lessons from K-pop’s Global Success
|Figure
1 Number of Views of K-pop Videos on YouTube (2011)
Germany 20,114,996 Russia Kazakhstan Europe Mongolia Middle Asia China East India Africa Thailand 224,813,564 Malaysia 98,693,969 Singapore 68,546,360
Lessons from K-pop’s Global Success
SEO Min-Soo
K-pop’S GLobaL reach
On the heels of the successful launch of Korean TV dramas in foreign markets, K-pop began to make inroads in China, Japan and Thailand in the early 2000s. In recent years K-pop has expanded into Europe, the Middle East and the Americas in a second “Korean Wave.” K-pop’s current reigning girl group, “Girls’ Generation,” made their nationwide US debut with an appearance on “The Late Show with David Let60 | www.seriquarterly.com
terman” and “Live! With Kelly” this year. In addition to highly well-received international tours, K-pop has experienced explosive online popularity. Views for K-pop videos reached 2.3 billion on YouTube in 235 countries in 2011. K-pop’s stature now transcends economic terms; it has become a strategic asset with halo effects on Korea’s brand and its products. The economic effects of the second Korean Wave
SEO Min-Soo
are estimated at about ₩5 trillion as of 2010.1 The success of K-pop groups did not come overnight. Rather, the emergence of K-pop is the result of methodical planning and execution that offers lessons to any company setting its sights on the global market. This report analyzes K-pop’s success factors, and suggests ways
that Korean companies can leverage K-pop’s techniques for their own benefit.
K-pop’S SucceSS FactorS
This report adopted a four-pointed “cultural diamond” model2 to determine the four factors
1 Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange. 2 Griswold, W. (1994). Cultures and Societies in a Changing World. Pine forge Press.; Alexander, V. (2003). Sociology of the Arts: Exploring
Fine and Popular Forms. Blackwell.
July 2012 | SERI Quarterly | 61
Lessons from K-pop’s Global Success
|Figure
1 Number of Views of K-pop Videos on YouTube (2011)
Germany 20,114,996 Russia Kazakhstan Europe Mongolia Middle Asia China East India Africa Thailand 224,813,564 Malaysia 98,693,969 Singapore 68,546,360