K-POP Expands into Southeast Asia... Indonesia’s Carmen’s SM Debut Marks a New Beginning

A new trend is emerging within the global strategy of South Korea’s music industry. Recent K-POP rookie groups are shifting away from past compositions centered around Chinese members, with a rapid increase in the recruitment of members from Southeast Asia. This represents more than just a change in member composition; it reflects structural shifts in the K-POP market. Carmen from the newly launched girl group Hearts2Hearts, produced by SM Entertainment, is a symbolic example of this trend. Born in 2006 and hailing from Bali, Indonesia, Carmen is the first Indonesian-born artist to emerge from one of South Korea’s four major entertainment companies. Born in Denpasar, Bali, she demonstrated exceptional talent at age 12 in 2018 when she won first place in the women’s high jump event at the Bali Student Sports Week. After joining SM’s training program in 2022, she went through about three years of training before making her debut. When news of her debut spread, major Indonesian media outlets covered it extensively, describing it as “the birth of an Indonesian K-POP superstar rookie.” This trend is not limited to SM alone. Last year, Elisia, a Filipino citizen, won first place on SBS’s audition program “Universus Ticket” and debuted in the group UNIS. This marked the first time in the history of Korean audition programs that a Filipino member won and secured a group debut. Indonesian citizens such as Dita from SECRET, Kim from BIBIUP, and VIA from BEAUTYBOX are already active in K-POP groups. The industry analyzes these changes based on three main factors. First is the explosive growth of K-POP fanbases in Southeast Asia. Consumption metrics for K-POP-related content on global platforms like YouTube and TikTok are rising rapidly in Southeast Asian countries. Active demand for concerts and merchandise in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other regions has turned these countries into key overseas markets for K-POP. For entertainment companies, recruiting members from Southeast Asia offers a strategic advantage in strengthening fanbases in those regions. Second is the industry’s increasing emphasis on diversity. The composition of groups, which used to consist mainly of members from South Korea, China, and Japan, is becoming more multinational and varied. With the addition of Southeast Asian members, linguistic and cultural diversity within groups increases, enabling them to build broader global connections. Third is the changing environment in the Chinese market. In the past, K-POP companies favored Chinese members to target China’s massive domestic market. However, recent tensions between South Korea and China and stricter Chinese government policies protecting domestic culture have made it difficult for K-POP to directly enter that market. Practical barriers such as visa issues and restrictions on activities in China have also increased. In contrast, Southeast Asian countries have relatively fewer political and cultural restrictions, along with a strong demand for K-POP. The economic benefits of Southeast Asian members debuting in South Korea cannot be ignored either. A strong “supporting fan group” naturally forms in their home countries, and their shared cultural roots generate pride and enthusiasm as they perform on the global K-POP stage. This leads to direct economic synergies such as successful overseas tours, increased music streaming, and higher merchandise sales. At the same time, their unique charms and language skills broaden communication with fans worldwide, enhancing the group’s overall global competitiveness. This trend also presents significant opportunities for prospective trainees from Southeast Asia who aspire to enter K-POP. Cases like Carmen and Elisia are spreading the idea that “I can do it too,” and it is likely that audition formats used by entertainment companies will change as well. There are growing expectations that companies will hold auditions directly in major Southeast Asian countries or collaborate with local governments on projects to promote Hallyu culture. Hearts2Hearts is the first girl group produced without Lee Soo-man’s involvement and SM’s first rookie girl group in five years. It will officially debut on February 24 with its first single, “The Chase.”