K-POP Expands in Southeast Asia by Recruiting Global Members

South Korea’s K-POP industry is making efforts to secure a foothold in the Southeast Asian market through the recruitment of global members. Carmen, an 18-year-old from Indonesia, who joined SM Entertainment’s new girl group Hearts2Hearts, is the first Indonesian idol to debut under one of Korea’s four major entertainment companies. Additionally, Singing Beetle, an independent label based in Seoul, has launched the new male group 1Verse, which includes two members from North Korea, further illustrating a trend toward greater diversity among K-POP newcomer groups. Hearts2Hearts, featuring Carmen, released its first single, “The Chase,” on February 24 at the Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Shortly after their debut, Carmen topped Indonesia’s real-time X (formerly Twitter) trends, demonstrating the group’s popularity among locals. This outcome reflects the effectiveness of strategies employed by Korean entertainment companies aimed at restoring K-POP’s influence in the Southeast Asian market, a move driven by declining K-POP popularity in the region. Over the past three years (2021–2024), the share of domestic music consumption in Indonesia surged from 23% to 35%, while K-POP’s share dropped by 4 percentage points to 8%. During the same period, U.S. pop songs also saw a decline of 5 percentage points, falling from 31% to 26%. The rise in local music consumption in Indonesia and Thailand can be attributed to improved production and distribution costs resulting from digital system optimizations by local entertainment companies, enhancing their price competitiveness. Additionally, rising per capita gross national income (GNI) — by 5.5 times in Indonesia to $4,810 and by 3.3 times in Thailand to $7,200 over 20 years — has expanded the purchasing power of the middle class, contributing to this trend. The emergence of members from North Korea represents another example of the globalization of the K-POP industry. Hyuk and Seok, members of 1Verse, grew up in North Hamgyong Province and near the border, respectively. Hyuk recalled quitting school before the age of 10 to work on the streets, saying he “had to steal many things to survive,” and entered South Korea at the age of 13 at his mother’s urging after she escaped to the South. Seok, while growing up in a relatively wealthy family, illegally accessed K-POP through smugglers despite strict bans on K-POP and K-dramas in North Korea. Six years after escaping to South Korea at 19, Seok is described as having become a “model K-POP idol.” Localization is a success strategy emphasized by Korean entertainment companies. Mizo, the head of JKT48, AKB48’s sister group in Indonesia, stated that “the key to success in the Southeast Asian market is localization,” highlighting the importance of creating content that reflects local languages and cultural identities. In Thailand, for example, “T-pop” — Thai-language music similar to K-POP — has gained popularity, and music consumption is active among countries in Southeast Asia with similar or identical languages that can watch the same TV programs. Industry analysts are offering forecasts for the growth of Asia’s music market. According to accounting firm PwC, the Asia music market is expected to grow by 20% by 2028, reaching $20.8 billion (approximately 30.1392 trillion won). With Southeast Asian-born members such as Hanni of NewJeans (from Vietnam) and Lisa of BLACKPINK (from Thailand) already achieving success on K-POP stages, the arrival of Carmen and 1Verse shows that the K-POP industry is expanding its global talent pool and pursuing diversification strategies tailored to regional market demands.