Inside the K-pop hit machine: how South Korea’s music industry has gone

global
By: Ben Sin

From Kim Jong-un to the United States, South Korean pop music’s worldwide fan base is
growing fast, thanks to bands like BTS. We look at the reasons behind the phenomenon.

1 Much like the chiselled physiques of the male performers and the slim waists of their female
counterparts, the K-industry is something of a construct – all part of an intricate system
meticulously designed to push South Korean pop music onto the world.
2 The popularity of South Korean pop culture in other parts of the world is nothing new. In the
early 2000s, Chinese journalists were so baffled by the local obsession with South Korean
television shows such as Winter Sonata and singers from that country that they dubbed the
phenomenon the “Korean wave”. The term has been widely used by Western and Eastern media
since then. But K-pop – the genre that practically dominates the entire South Korean mainstream
music industry – has amassed such a global following that it has outgrown the general term and
become a phenomenon in itself.

3 The K-pop act with the biggest global success so far are BTS. The seven-member boy band have
managed not only to have two tracks certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of
America – a first for a Korean act – they also became the most retweeted musical act on Twitter
in 2017. Last year, the BTS EP Love Yourself: Her – containing the hit US single Mic Drop –
also hit No 7 on the US album charts, the highest ever for a Korean act.

4 So why is K-pop achieving a level of worldwide fame denied to other Asian pop scenes? The
educated guess – according to Professor Lee Dong-yeon, who teaches cultural theory at the
Korean National University of the Arts and has written a book on the industry – is that South
Korea’s relatively small music market results in telecom companies controlling a large proportion
of revenues, meaning they have extra incentive to look abroad for profits.

5 “The K-pop industry reflects cause and effect,” Lee says. “Major Korean popular music
productions have high production values and require huge investments. It cannot survive alone on
regional profits. It must expand outside the country to sustain itself.” Lee believes that K-pop’s
international popularity can be traced to a concentrated effort to expand and export. For example,
many K-pop bands record both Korean and Japanese versions of the same song, signifying a
willingness to adapt to other cultures to widen their appeal.

6 But there are other popular opinions on why K-pop holds more appeal than, say, Canto-pop. “K-
pop idols are just flat-out sexier and hotter,” says Vivian Lam Pui-sze, a member of the Girls’
Generation fan club based in Hong Kong. “And I’m talking about both sexes. [K-pop’s] men are
much better built physically, and the women have so many more curves than the Hong Kong
starlets.”

7 There’s a correlation between these two theories. Part of the “huge investments” Lee mentioned
refers to the record labels’ factory-like system of grooming and training stars in areas not always
related to music. “The major companies – such as JYP, SM and YG – are record labels, and
entertainment and management companies all in one,” says Lee. “They have this system most of
us call the ‘idol farm system’.”

8 Lee explains that this system trains stars for three to five years. Besides working on music-related
skills, they’re taught foreign languages (usually English and Japanese) and are put on strict body-
Revision Exercise
FCL10002 Sem 2, 2018
 shaping regimes and – in some cases – undergo plastic surgery.

9 A 2009 report on the industry by Korean-American Edward Chun for MTV Iggy – a US division
of the music giant that focuses on foreign music – revealed that pop idol trainees often follow an
arduous daily schedule that includes two hours of exercise, four hours of dance and
choreography classes, two hours of vocal training, followed by three hours of language studies.

10 While talent agencies in other parts of the world, including the US and Hong Kong, also groom
and manufacture stars to a degree, few industries are as full-on and open about it as the K-pop
machine. Every year, the “big three” companies – JYP, SM and YG – hold auditions for potential
K-pop stars, and Lee says up to 50,000 teens turn up each time. SM Entertainment – the label
behind major stars such as BoA, Girls’ Generation and Shinhwa – has a dedicated idol training
school named the SM Academy.

11 But the work isn’t done when an idol “graduates” and becomes a star. According to Frances Cha,
a Seoul-based journalist who’s written on the industry, K-pop stars are constantly coached on
how to act in public, and are contractually required to remain, or at least appear to be, single.
“When Jonghyun, a member of boy band Shinee, was revealed by a newspaper to have a
girlfriend, the backlash was immediate and vicious,” she recalls. The singer committed suicide in
December 2017. It is all part of a system, Lee says. “With the way K-pop has become South
Korea’s chief export, the machinations will only become more intense.”

12 Fans of K-pop seem to be equally systematic. Cha says K-pop fan clubs often pass out business
cards at multi-bill concerts, with hopes of recruiting fans who have yet to form allegiances. “K-
pop fandom reaches heights seldom attained by other genres,” she says.
13 While music critics and indie rock fans worldwide have a tendency to dismiss manufactured pop
music – Canto-pop may be omnipresent in Hong Kong, but it’s also a source of mockery among
many locals – K-pop seems to be mostly immune to criticism. “I don’t think K-pop ever tried to
be anything other than highly enjoyable entertainment that is easy on the ears and the eyes,” says
Stawski. “Yes, these artists didn’t get together as teens in their dads’ garages to play guitars, but I
don’t believe that makes them any less worthy as musicians.”

14 Jose Wendell Capili, a professor of creative writing and comparative literature at the University
of the Philippines and a scholar with a range of degrees from universities in Britain, Japan and
Australia, also defends the legitimacy of K-pop. “Critics may say K-pop stars are manufactured
or they’re all based on looks, but those accusations have been thrown at some of the greatest
figures in pop music, from Elvis Presley to The Beatles,” says Capili, whose long-standing
interest prompted him to research the industry. “Looks can only do so much; the stars who’ve
been around for a while are talented and skilled at what they do.”

15 Interestingly, Capili believes the emergence of the wave – and by extension, K-pop – can be
traced to South Korea’s economic collapse in 1998. “The government looked to music and TV
dramas to promote South Korea and boost tourism and exports,” he says. “As the country’s
economy went up, they put more resources into promoting their cultural products worldwide.”

16 “I think Korean pop is going to be around a long time,” he adds.

Adapted from:
Sin, B 2018, ‘Inside the K-pop hit machine: How South Korea’s music industry has gone global’, South China Morning
Post, 2 April, viewed 10 November 2018, <https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2139864/inside-k-pop-hit-machine-
how-south-koreas-music-industry-has-gone>.

Revision Exercise
FCL10002 Sem 2, 2018
Part A: Vocabulary
The words in the table below can be found in the passage above. Match the words with the
definitions provided by writing the selected word on the line next to the matching definition.

chiselled construct phenomenon amassed arduous

backlash machinations omnipresent legitimacy accusations

1. backlash Strong negative reaction by a large number of people,

especially to a social or political development
2. legitimacy The quality of being valid or authentic
3. construct An idea or theory typically considered to be subjective
and not based on empirical evidence
4. machinations Plots or schemes
5. phenomenon A fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen,
which may be hard to explain, or is unexpected

Part B: Identifying True and False Statements

Read the following statements carefully and then indicate each as True or False by writing
your answer in the blank space provided after each statement.

1. BTS is the K-pop act with the biggest global success thus far as True
they set records on Twitter and the US album charts in 2017.
(Par.3)
2. Major entertainment companies in South Korea such as JYP, True
SM, and YG are record labels, entertainment and management
companies. (Par. 7)
3. All Korean stars have undergone strict body-shaping regimes False
and plastic surgery. (Par. 8, not in all cases)
4. Pop idol trainees have to go through intensive daily schedules True
including exercise, dancing, vocal training, and language
studies. (Par. 9)
5. K-pop stars must be single. (Par.11 – either contractually False
obligated to remain single, or appear to be)

Part C: Distinguishing Facts and Opinions

Read the following statements taken from the passage and indicate if they are facts or opinions
by writing Fact or Opinion in the blank space provided.

1. The ‘Korean wave’ was coined by Chinese journalists in the Fact

early 2000s to describe the local obsession with South Korean
television shows and singers. (Par. 2)
2. K-pop idols are sexier and have better bodies than Hong Kong Opinion
stars. (Par. 6 – opinion of Vivian Lam, a Girls’ Generation fan)
3. Auditions for the three major companies are held yearly to Fact
Revision Exercise
FCL10002 Sem 2, 2018
 identify potential K-pop stars, and large number of teenagers
turn up to audition. (Par. 10)
4. Although Canto-pop is popular in Hong Kong, it is mocked by Opinion
its citizens, while K-pop does not seem to be criticised. (Par. 13
– Opinion of author, or Stawski in Par. 14)
5. Stars who have been around for a while are talented and skilled Opinion
at what they do, and their looks do not contribute fully to their
success. (Par. 14 – Opinion of Jose Wendell Capili)
6. Korean pop is going to be around for a long time. (Par. 16 – Opinion
Opinion of Jose Wendell Capili)

Part D: Comprehension Questions

Read the following questions carefully and answer them in COMPLETE sentences. Mistakes
in spelling, punctuation and grammar may be penalised.

1. Briefly describe the origin and meaning of the “Korean wave” phenomenon.
The “Korean wave” phenomenon was coined in the early 2000s when Chinese journalists
were surprised by the local obsession with South Korean television shows and singers.
The term has been widely used by Western and Eastern media since then. (Par. 2)

2. Why BTS is the K-pop act with the biggest global success so far? Provide two (2)
examples to explain.
- They are the first Korean act to have two tracks certified gold by the Recording
Industry Association of America.
- They were the most retweeted musical act on Twitter in 2017.
- The ‘Love Yourself: Her’ hit no.7 on the US album charts (Par. 3) (any 2 will be
accepted)

3. What are the reasons for K-pop to expand outside of South Korea itself?
South Korea has a relatively small music market where telecom companies control a
large proportion of revenues which motivates K-pop to look abroad for profits (Par. 4).
Another reason is that major K-pop music productions have high production values
needing huge investments so it cannot survive on regional profits alone. It needs to
expand outside to sustain itself (Par. 5). K-pop and dramas are also used to promote
South Korea and boost tourism and exports (Par. 15). (at least 2 answers)

4. State two (2) methods K-pop stars use to widen their appeal to other countries or cultures?
- K-pop stars record their songs in at least 2 languages. (Par. 5)
- They learn foreign languages (usually English and Japanese). (Par. 8)
- They emphasize their looks through strict body-shaping regimes and even plastic
surgery at times, to be more appealing than other stars. (Par. 6 and 8)
- Pop idol trainees undergo a rigorous daily schedule to perfect their skills. (to impress all
fans) (Par. 9)
- They are contractually required to remain or appear to be single. (Par. 11)(any 2 will be
accepted)

5. Briefly explain the ‘idol farm system’.

The ‘idol farm system’ begins with major entertainment companies searching for
prospective K-pop stars through yearly auditions. These potential stars then undergo
intensive training for three to five years to improve their music-related skills, and
Revision Exercise
FCL10002 Sem 2, 2018
language studies, besides working on their bodies and looks. Even after they ‘graduate’ to
become stars, their lives are under constant monitoring as they are still consistently
coached on how to behave in public and maintain an image of being single. (Par. 7 – 11)

6. In your opinion, why are K-pop stars contractually required to remain or appear to be
single?
It is possible that K-pop stars are required to maintain this ‘single’ image to continue to
appeal to their fans as they may lose interest in the star if they are not ‘available’ to them
anymore. Fans may feel betrayed as they may think that the star belongs to them, instead
of with someone else. (Par. 11)

7. What are the sources used in this text? Explain their reliability.
The sources used in the text are mainly the opinions of experts or researchers of the K-
pop industry, as well as K-pop fans. Although the researchers’ opinions can be
considered reliable as they have conducted their research, generally these could be better
supported with more facts or statistics and evidence. However, the fans’ opinions would
not be considered reliable. A report on the industry was also included in the text and this
may be considered more reliable as it was done by an industry expert.

8. Is the text biased? Why or why not?

The text can be considered biased as it mainly focuses on the positives of the K-pop
industry. Although some of the negative aspects are included, there is not much
discussion or emphasis on these issues, and appear to not require any solutions or
suggestions.
OR
The text is not biased as both positive and negative aspects of the K-pop industry are
discussed. Although more positive elements were discussed, the negative issues were still
elaborated to show that there are always downsides to everything, which makes it more
realistic and accurate.

Revision Exercise
FCL10002 Sem 2, 2018
Part D: Writing from Non-linear Information
The bar chart shows the financial performance of South Korea’s top entertainment companies
in 2017. Write a text of about 150 to 250 words describing the information shown.

Financial Performance of South Korea's Top Entertainment Companies in 2017

and 2018
580
532

480
Amount (in million USD)

380 350
324.3

280 248
196
180
94.7 109
85.6
80 69
46.3
22.7 15.1 25.6 11
-4.3 10
-20 Big Hit JYP Entertainment SM Entertainment YG Entertainment
Entertainment

Entertainment Companies in South Korea

Collected revenue (2017) Net Profit (2017)

Collected Revenue (2018) Net Profit (2018)

The bar chart indicates the financial performance of the top entertainment companies in
South Korea in 2017. It can be observed that almost all companies experienced varying
increases in collected revenues and net profits over the given period. (38 words)

Firstly, SM Entertainment collected the highest revenue in both years, with the largest
increase overall of 182 million USD from 350 million in 2017 to 532 million in 2018.
Although YG Entertainment had the second highest revenue for both years, there was a
decrease of 76.3 million USD from 2017 to 2018. While JYP and Big Hit had significantly
lower revenues than the others, their collected revenue did rise over the time period. JYP
Entertainment produced a slight growth of 14.3 million USD while Big Hit Entertainment
had a larger increase of 110.4 million USD. (89 words)

The net profits of the four companies in 2017 and 2018 contrasted with the revenue.
Although Big Hit Entertainment started with the lowest revenue overall, it earned the highest
net profits in both years, with an increase from 22.7 million USD to 69 million USD in 2018.
Similarly, JYP Entertainment grew its net profit slightly by 10.5 million USD over the given
period. Despite having the highest collected revenues, SM Entertainment lost 4.3 million
USD in 2017, but experienced an upsurge in net profit with 46.3 million USD in 2018. In
contrast, YG Entertainment recorded a 1 million USD decrease in net profit from 2017 to
2018. (102)

Revision Exercise
FCL10002 Sem 2, 2018
 In conclusion, the net profits of the top four South Korean entertainment companies were
generally low compared to their collected revenues. (20 words)

(249 words – name of company is 1 word)

Part E: Writing from Non-linear Information
The pie chart shows the share of consumer listening time in 2015 and 2017. Write a text of
about 150 to 250 words describing the information shown.

The pie chart illustrates the share of consumer listening time in 2015 and 2017. Generally, the
streaming and digital downloads showed more significant changes than all other formats.

To begin with, streaming experienced an increase of nine percent from 32 percent in 2015 to
41 percent in 2017. On the other hand, consumers spent less time listening to digital
downloads as its share decreased from 23 percent in 2015 to 14 percent in 2017 with a
reduction of nine percent.

The remaining categories did not change significantly from 2015 to 2017. Firstly, terrestrial
and satellite radio suffered a slight decrease of two percent during the same period, but
remained as the second most popular medium among consumers. The share of consumer
listening time for physical formats had an even smaller decrease of one percent from 12
percent in 2015 to 11 percent in 2017. However, the physical formats category was still the
lowest ranked, with the exception of other unspecified formats. Other mediums for consumer
listening showed a minor increase from 7 percent in 2015 to end at 10 percent in 2017.

In conclusion, the share of consumer listening time for all five categories did not change
greatly as only streaming grew in popularity in the two years shown.

(209 words)

Revision Exercise
FCL10002 Sem 2, 2018