K-POP Enters an Era of “Made Beyond Korea” That Transcends Borders

As K-POP enters an era defined by “Made Beyond Korea,” it is evolving into a global cultural platform that crosses national boundaries. The export value of K-culture, encompassing not only music but also dramas, films, fashion, beauty products, and food, exceeded 31 billion dollars—approximately 44 trillion won—last year. This figure is nearly half of South Korea’s total overseas sales from its core industry, automobiles. Korean companies such as HYBE and CJ ENM are actively exporting the successful K-pop production system abroad. Bernie Cho, CEO of the Seoul-based music service company DFSB Collective, described this era by saying, “Although the roots of the content lie in Korean culture, the hands involved in its creation no longer have to be Korean.” BLACKPINK’s lineup exemplifies this perfectly. Comprised of Lisa from Thailand, Jennie born in Seoul who studied abroad in New Zealand, Rosé from New Zealand who grew up in Australia, and Jisoo—the only native Korean member—this group serves as a model of “inclusive K-POP.” While it maintains a global identity, Korean-style training and planning systems remain its central framework. K-POP’s fan base has already shifted to a global focus. According to a 2023 report by music data analysis firm Chartmetric, based on Instagram and YouTube followers, Indonesia ranked first among K-POP fans, followed by the United States in second place and the Philippines in third. South Korea came in fourth. YouTube statistics show that for every Korean person who subscribes to foreign musicians, 17 foreigners watch Korean artists. Per analysis by Pivotal Economics, South Korea has become the fourth country—after the United States, the United Kingdom, and Sweden—to export more music than it imports. Music content is also adapting to global markets. Nearly half of K-POP singles last year featured English lyrics. HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk mentioned that K-POP might “drop the ‘K’” to reach world markets, meaning an expansion of its scope rather than a sacrifice of identity. As K-POP transitions into a “culture-based” entity that goes beyond national boundaries, its core elements—creativity, systematic organization, and emotional sensitivity—remain distinctly Korean. CJ ENM’s Mnet Plus is driving the global expansion of K-POP fan platforms. Since its official launch on October 7, 2022, it has grown by about 440% in three years, surpassing 40 million registered users. Its monthly active users (MAU) also reached 20 million, outpacing competing platforms such as HYBE’s Weverse—estimated at around 10 million users—and SM Entertainment’s Bubble—estimated at around 5 million users. CJ ENM believes the essence of the K-POP industry lies in a “fan business model” and has announced plans to increase investment in original content four times higher than this year. By strengthening fan-interactive features such as audition voting, fan support, light streaming, and real-time communication, it aims to develop a platform that caters to both core fans and the general public.