2025 K-Pop: Restructuring Around Korea, Japan, and the United States Amid Global Diversification

The K-Pop market is expanding into a phase of global diversification in 2025. According to the “2025 K-Pop World Map” released by K-Pop Radar, a comprehensive K-Pop dashboard operated by music startup SpaceAudity, Korea and Japan still held first and second places respectively in terms of national K-Pop consumption rankings, but the United States rose one position to fourth place, demonstrating growth in the global market. SEVENTEEN topped the 2025 Billboard K-Pop Artist 100 list published by Billboard. SEVENTEEN achieved consistent strong performance across the U.S., global, and Korean markets. Their active activities over the past year elevated their decade-long career to new heights, with the single “Spill the Feels” debuting at fifth place on the Billboard 200 in November, and “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” released in June reaching second place. Additionally, three sub-units (BSS, HOSHI X WOOZI, CxM) released albums, further strengthening their global dominance. The most notable achievement this year came from BLACKPINK’s Rosé. She introduced her collaboration with Bruno Mars titled “APT.” at eighth place on the Hot 100 chart in October, setting a record as the highest-ranking solo female artist in K-Pop history; the song also reached third place in February. Stray Kids also broke records by reaching first place on the Billboard 200 with two albums, “HOP” in December and “KARMA” in August. This was the first time since the chart began regular publication in 1956 that seven consecutive albums debuted at first place. Changes were also evident in the domestic market. Per K-Pop Radar’s analysis, DAY6 rose from second place last year to first, while aespa and IU took second and third places respectively. G-Dragon recorded the highest increase in ranking, thanks to a rise of approximately 200 million views, and BIGBANG reached fourth place overall, showing a strong comeback as legendary artists. Among solo artists, WOOZI and Jennie ranked eleventh and twelfth respectively, proving their individual brand power. The localization strategy in the global market is also yielding results. The United States accounted for 6.25% of global K-Pop consumption, with its share increasing by nearly 1 percentage point. Stray Kids maintained first place in the U.S. market with a 8.63% share, while KATSEYE led in growth rate with approximately 200 million additional views. The United Kingdom surged to 17th place, just outside the Top 20, with Rosé claiming both first place and the highest growth rate at an overwhelming 11.63% share. Japan still held second place but saw its share drop from 8.44% to 7.41%, along with a decrease in total views, indicating a stage of market maturity. Meanwhile, Taiwan entered the rankings at ninth place after two consecutive years of upward movement, with IVE maintaining first place with a 5.69% share. G-Dragon and BIGBANG ranked first and second respectively in terms of growth rate, demonstrating new signs of growth. The simultaneous entry of Western countries such as France, Germany, and Canada signifies that the K-Pop market is evolving from an industry centered solely on Asia into a true global cultural industry. ATEEZ achieved their second album to debut at first place on the Billboard 200 in November with “Golden Hour: Part 2,” while TWICE proved their sustained popularity by having “THIS IS FOR” remain on the Billboard 200 for 14 consecutive weeks after its release in July. Additionally, new success stories of former trainees like EJAE are worth noting. EJAE, who had been a trainee at a major domestic agency for over 10 years without ever debuting, switched to being a composer and wrote and recorded the theme song “Golden” for the Netflix film “KPop Demon Hunters.” This song won the “Best Original Song” award at the Golden Globes in January and recently received a Grammy Award, becoming the first K-Pop song to win a Grammy.