Accelerating Dissolutions of Small Idol Groups...Polarization in the K-Pop Market

Despite K-Pop’s global popularity, the domestic market is rapidly reshaping itself around large entertainment companies. The success stories of idol groups from smaller agencies, once hailed as the “miracle of small idols,” are decreasing, with numerous such groups dissolving in recent years.

There have been many former stars produced by smaller agencies. INFINITE, Girl’s Day, GFRIEND, and MAMAMOO were all groups that gained massive popularity as part of this “miracle of small idols” phenomenon. Even BTS, which dominates the K-Pop market, started out not with one of the three major agencies but with a smaller company, creating a legend of an “underdog idol.” Although there have been occasional notable successes in recent years, such as FIFTY FIFTY entering the Billboard Hot 100 chart and ATEEZ performing at America’s premier music festival, Coachella, such cases are becoming increasingly rare.

On the other hand, the dissolution of small idol groups continues. Last month, the girl group MIMIROSES, produced by singer Im Chang-jung, disbanded after four years since its debut. Over the past year, numerous groups have disappeared quietly, including PURPLE KISS, which was considered the sister group to MAMAMOO, and Weeekly, which won rookie awards at its debut.

As smaller agencies grow weaker, rising production costs are worsening the situation. Nowadays, creating a single K-Pop song requires the involvement of multiple composers and renowned choreographers, along with expensive music videos and efforts to expand overseas, all of which significantly increase production expenses. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the diversification of platforms such as YouTube and TikTok has added further pressure to produce content tailored to each platform in this multi-media environment.

Industry experts are calling for structural improvements. Cultural critic Kim Heon-sik stated, “Although K-Pop is highly popular and successful internationally, it has a very fragile structure domestically, especially when it comes to small idol groups.” He added that the government and relevant agencies need to work together to strengthen this structure.

The government is also taking action. Recently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced a support plan worth 3 billion won to assist smaller agencies in expanding overseas. Urgent and comprehensive measures are needed to address the polarization in the K-Pop industry.