K-pop Industry Crisis Deepens: Album Sales Decline, Major Scandals, and Worsening Treatment of Idols Mark a Fundamental Turning Point

The K-pop industry faced unprecedented challenges in 2024. A series of unprecedented scandals ranging from falling album sales to a national hearing between NewJeans and HYBE, along with various allegations of sexual misconduct, shook the entire industry. One of the most noticeable changes is the “Anglicization” of K-pop. An analysis of songs that reached the top 10 on Melon’s monthly chart in 2024 showed that girl group music averaged 70.6% English content. In particular, NewJeans’ “How Sweet” contained 84.48% English, while aespa’s “Drama,” “Supernova,” and “Armageddon” all had an average English proportion of 68.95%. It has become nearly impossible to find girl group songs with Korean lyrics accounting for 50% or more. However, (G)I-DLE’s “Naeneun Apeun Geon Dak Jilkkaji Nikka” and IVE’s “Haya” (80.84% Korean) succeeded on charts by emphasizing Korean language. The K-pop industry is also grappling with mental health issues among idols. Numerous idols, including BTS’ SUGA, have publicly disclosed their struggles with depression, social anxiety, anorexia, and other conditions. Airport security poses another serious problem. The rookie boy group “Close Your Eyes” experienced chaos while departing Incheon International Airport last fall due to a crowd of fans, and ENHYPEN faced a similar situation. There have even been cases where some fans invaded the members’ personal spaces. Biometric data collection is also controversial. HYBE announced plans to introduce facial recognition technology called “Face Pass” to all concerts starting in 2025. While preventing ticket resale is the stated goal, the K-pop community has expressed concerns about data privacy and the use of biometric information. A more fundamental issue is the identity crisis of K-pop. Industry experts argue that by prioritizing Western markets over existing fanbases, K-pop is losing its genre’s essence. Jung Kook’s solo albums contain no Korean songs, and many major solo releases are focused on the U.S. market. Hashtags such as #BringBackRealKpop have appeared on Twitter, with fans criticizing that “K-pop is no longer K-pop.” Long-standing issues like improving idol treatment, protecting trainees, and providing better working conditions remain unresolved, raising doubts about the sustainability of the entire industry.