K-Pop Fanbases Expanding Beyond Music to Protect Intellectual Property and Enter Media and Beauty Industries

The role of K-pop fanbases is expanding beyond simply consuming music to encompass intellectual property protection, media production, beauty culture, and other sectors across various industries. This shift demonstrates that the K-pop industry is building a new economic ecosystem centered around “superfans.” On the 16th, iHeartRadio launched a new podcast titled “The K-Factor With Beomhan” in collaboration with K-pop star Byun Yo-han. The program, which premiered on the 15th, covers K-pop news, entertainment gossip, idol interviews, and even discusses the impact on mental health. In its first episode, Sebastian Garcia (Rapio Hooks), the composer of BTS’s “Butter,” James Joe, a top-tier K-pop choreographer, Andrew Han, a K-pop idol trainer who was once a TikTok star, and Emily Reese, a dancer specializing in idol training videos, appeared to reveal the processes behind music creation and insights from within the industry. Even more noteworthy are the K-pop fanbases’ efforts to protect intellectual property. K-pop companies such as SM Entertainment’s “KWANGYA 119,” HYBE’s subsidiary “Hybe IPX,” and JYP Entertainment’s “JYP Three Sixty” have established dedicated teams to encourage fans to report violations. According to a lawyer at SM Entertainment, KWANGYA 119 receives an average of 400 reports per month. Multinational giants like SM Entertainment, HYBE, JYP Entertainment, and YG Entertainment discover talents through auditions and train new groups. These companies handle roles ranging from record labels and entertainment agencies to music production, event management, concert production, and publishing, and they approach intellectual property strategically by including dedicated sections on IP strategies in their investment presentations. Based on their understanding of copyright and trademark ownership, fans keep track of new song releases, celebrate idols’ achievements, and actively defend IP by reporting any violations immediately. In 2021, BTS’s fanbase “ARMY” discovered that a certain cosmetics company was using the “Borahae” trademark without permission and reported it, which led to a trademark dispute with an unofficial fan group called “Lalalees.” Fans are taking a proactive role not just as music consumers but also as guardians of intellectual property in the industry. K-pop’s influence is also spreading into the beauty industry. A salon in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, is well-known for serving regular clients such as Apink, IVE’s Joy, actor Byun Yo-han, and rapper Zico. Stylist Jeong An analyzes BLACKPINK’s Rosé’s makeup style to provide customized looks for her clients. South Korea’s cosmetics exports reached $10.2 billion in 2024, hitting a record high. The K-beauty brand TIRTIR sold over 20 million products worldwide by 2023, while Amorepacific launched 200 different shades of foundation under its new brand Tonework to embrace global diversity.