K-POP Finally Establishes Itself as Mainstream Culture in the UK

K-POP is steadily becoming a mainstream culture in the UK. The growth of “K-Stars,” the UK’s first and largest specialty store dedicated to Korean popular music, serves as a symbolic example of this trend. Based in Manchester, K-Stars began as a small operation in the Applecross indoor market in 2019. At that time, customers would order items via PayPal, and the CEO would personally pack and deliver them. Today, it has expanded into a two-story store located on Deansgate, a major street in Manchester, and employs over 20 staff members. Amber Claire, K-Stars’ marketing and social media manager, emphasized that “while it is still a niche market, it is by no means a small one.” The popularity of K-POP in the UK is also reflected in statistics. Last year, the boy group ATEEZ left two entries on the UK’s Official Album Chart Top 5. Currently, the UK is among the top 10 countries where K-POP is most listened to on Spotify. This summer, the UK is set to become a key venue for K-POP concerts. BLACKPINK will perform for two days at Wembley Stadium, while the boy group Stray Kids plans to hold a two-day show in Tottenham. Additionally, “SM Town Live” — one of the longest-running K-POP festivals — will take place at Twickenham Stadium. The SM Town Live concerts, which began in 2008, provide an opportunity to see artists under SM Entertainment. SM Entertainment is widely recognized for establishing the framework of K-POP after being founded in 1995 by chairman Lee Soo-man. It is also the company that first introduced the trainee system, which involves gathering young talents and training them intensively for months or years before launching them into the industry through Debut. The Twickenham event holds special significance as it is held in the UK rather than Seoul to celebrate SM Entertainment’s 30th anniversary. Artists ranging from Red Velvet and EXO to Girls’ Generation, as well as current chart leaders aespa and RIIZE, and all subgroups of the boy group NCT — which has over 20 members — are expected to perform on stage. Moreover, the group known as “SMTR25,” referred to as a promising group of trainees, will also take the stage to showcase the company’s future talent. Members of aespa told the BBC via email that “performing alongside senior artists we have admired since our trainee days, as well as talented junior artists, will be a very meaningful experience for us.” This phenomenon reflects the strategic choices of K-POP companies. While these groups have traditionally prioritized the United States over Europe, they are now turning their attention to the UK amid increasing competition. Claire noted, “All K-POP groups always visit the United States during their world tours, but there is always uncertainty about whether European countries will be included.” However, given the significant international influence of the UK’s English-speaking media, success there is expected to play a crucial role in the global expansion of K-POP.