K-Pop Ranks Fourth in Global Music Exports; Spreading Effects on Tourism, Consumption, and Culture

K-Pop continues to expand its influence across global cultural and economic spheres. Released by Luminate for the first half of the year, South Korea secured fourth place in the world’s music exports rankings, behind the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. This outcome demonstrates K-Pop’s strong soft power in the international music market. Asia remains K-Pop’s most significant import market, with Taiwan, Japan, and Singapore emerging as key consumer countries. The global popularity of K-Pop is also extending into the tourism industry. The surge in foreign tourists visiting Busan due to the K-Pop phenomenon has been substantial. As of May this year, 1.38 million tourists visited Busan, representing a increase of over 200,000 compared to the same period last year. It is expected that this figure will surpass 3 million within a year. K-Pop fans who come to Busan, Jimin’s hometown, are among the main visitors. Last year alone, 100,000 foreign tourists visited locations associated with Jimin. Exchange student K-Pop classes offered by Pusan National University are extremely popular, with 50 students enrolled this year, leaving little room for additional participants. Brigita, an exchange student from Latvia, said, “It’s really fun, and it’s even better because I can learn together with other friends. Now K-Pop has become mainstream culture and can be heard everywhere.” A survey showed that 67% of respondents expressed interest in visiting South Korea. Taiwanese exchange students commented, “Busan has better natural scenery compared to Seoul, numerous beaches like Haeundae, as well as excellent Korean culture, food, and music.” K-Pop also has a profound impact on Indian youth culture. Groups such as BTS, BLACKPINK, EXO, and Stray Kids have built massive fan bases among Indian teenagers. Indian youths admire not only the music of K-Pop idols but also their stage performances, fashion sense, and disciplined work ethic. Fan clubs, social media fan pages, and idol birthday events have become part of Indian youth culture. Many Indian teenagers have started learning Korean to better understand lyrics and get closer to the culture. K-Pop’s dance-focused musical expression has inspired them to join dance classes or form K-Pop dance crews at schools and universities. K-dramas have also redefined concepts of romance among Indian youths. Dramas such as Crash Landing on You, True Beauty, Business Proposal, and 25 25 have become highly addictive content for Indian teens. The minimalist yet distinctive fashion styles of K-Pop idols and drama actors are changing the way teenagers dress. Oversized sweaters, plaid skirts, bucket hats, crop tops, and sneakers have become mainstream in youth fashion, while glass skin and shiny makeup emphasized in K-beauty culture are popular among Indian teenagers, especially girls. Indian youths are beginning to use Korean words and slang naturally in their daily conversations. Terms like “oppa,” “unni,” “saranghae,” and “aegeo” are frequently seen in WhatsApp chats and Instagram captions. K-Pop is also being utilized in marketing strategies for global brands. Sneakers held an Asian promotional event to celebrate the release of its new Snickers Oats Dark Chocolate and appointed SEVENTEEN’s Mingyu as its brand ambassador for Asia. Mingyu unveiled a product pairing ritual, recommending that “enjoying Snickers Oats Dark Chocolate with hot coffee creates the perfect recharging combination.” This product comes in two divisible pieces, contains half the sugar of regular chocolate bars, while still preserving Snickers’ flavor profile. The addition of oats offers a healthier option, building on the success of the previous Snickers Almonds Dark Chocolate release. Sean Jeong, head of Western Asia at Mars Wrigley, emphasized the marketing strategy that leverages K-Pop’s massive influence by “evolving Sneakers into an experiential space and integrating itself into consumers’ culture.” However, K-Pop’s growth in digital streaming has reached a plateau. K-Pop failed to make it into the top 10 global streaming artists list. Although BTS appeared on previous Luminate reports as one of the world’s top streaming artists, it was absent this year. This reflects intensified competition from Western pop stars and regional genres such as Latin and Afrobeat. Nevertheless, the strength of K-Pop fan communities persists. K-Pop fans are among the most digital-savvy and technology-friendly audiences. Nearly 40% of American K-Pop fans are positive about original songs sung in AI voices, positioning K-Pop as one of the genres most receptive to new technologies alongside electronic dance music. K-Pop fan communities rank second only to J-pop on Discord, on par with electronic/dance genres on Reddit, and maintain high rankings on Twitch and WhatsApp. Fans engage in live discussions, share exclusive media content, participate in fan-driven events, organize streaming parties, and launch fundraising campaigns.