How YouTube Reshaped the Hallyu Wave: From Psy’s “Gangnam Style” to the Rise of BTS and BLACKPINK as World-Stars

YouTube is regarded as the key platform that drove the global spread of K-POP. Psy’s “Gangnam Style” achieved phenomenon-level popularity on YouTube in 2012, becoming the first Korean content video to reach 100 million views and the first on YouTube to surpass 1 billion views. Thirteen years later, it has accumulated over 5.5 billion views, with estimates suggesting that about two-thirds of the world’s 8 billion population has watched this music video at some point. Psy stated, “YouTube changed the landscape of Hallyu,” adding, “It allowed us to release content to the entire world simultaneously.” Leveraging YouTube’s massive success, “Gangnam Style” became the first K-pop song to reach second place on Billboard’s main singles chart, the Hot 100, and first place on the UK’s Official Singles Chart, the Top 100. At the time, Billboard did not include YouTube views in its rankings, so the song failed to claim the Hot 100 number one spot. However, following public criticism, Billboard revised its calculation rules. Psy explained, “What I’m most proud of is that Billboard cited ‘Gangnam Style’ in its guidelines and began including YouTube views later on. This enabled Korean singers who struggle with radio play and local promotion to enter the Billboard charts much more frequently through YouTube views.” After Psy, K-POP achieved significant success worldwide through YouTube. BTS, which made its Debut in 2013, capitalized on the shift from traditional TV media to YouTube and social media by strategically using the platform for promotion, thereby building a strong Fandom. Leading a global fanbase, BTS reached number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 with “Dynamite” in 2020, becoming the first K-pop group to do so. They have produced a total of six number-one songs and were ranked 19th among the greatest pop stars of the 21st century. In addition to “Dynamite,” which has over 1.9 billion views, they possess a total of 40 videos with 100 million views each. As the flagship K-pop girl group, BLACKPINK became the artist with the most subscribers globally just 5 years and 3 months after launching their official YouTube channel, currently boasting 96.4 million subscribers. The cumulative view count for BLACKPINK’s YouTube videos, led by “DDU-DU DDU-DU” (2.2 billion views) and “Kill This Love” (2 billion views), has reached 38.3 billion views in total. Member Rosé’s duet with pop star Bruno Mars, “APT.”, emerged as one of the biggest hits of 2024. In the K-POP market, YouTube has established itself as the top priority marketing channel. SM Entertainment opened its official YouTube channel in 2009, the first among music agencies to do so. YG released a documentary-style video covering the Debut process of rookie BABYMONSTER, while Starship Entertainment broadcast a new boy group survival program on YouTube rather than traditional TV. The global expansion of K-POP has also led to creative genre innovations. British DJ Pnau created the original “KPOP KRACKED” brand by blending K-POP with EDM (Electronic Dance Music), performing around the world with this fusion. Pnau explained, “KRACKED means unlocking the essence of K-POP,” adding, “It combines K-POP’s beautiful vocals with strong EDM beats and energetic rhythms.” Korean traditional music such as pansori and folk songs are also being transformed into lively dance tracks through his work. Pnau predicted, “K-POP is not yet mainstream and is still growing. In a few years, collaborations between Korean and international stars will drive even further expansion of K-POP.”