Rookie K-Pop Group 1VERSE Debuts with Two North Korean Defectors; Pioneering a New Era Through Social Media-Focused Fan Building

The K-Pop market in the first half of 2025 became more vibrant thanks to the activities of new groups. These groups, which have been active for less than a year, are driving a new wave in the K-Pop industry by building fan bases through social media and delivering creative content. 1VERSE is a representative example of such rookie groups. Officially debuting on July 18, 1VERSE has assembled a substantial online fanbase over the past year via social media platforms. Content posted primarily on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) helped them gain a global following, earning attention through viral trends and self-produced content. The group, originally known as SBBOYZ, rebranded as 1VERSE after finalizing its lineup. The composition of 1VERSE attracted international attention, as it included two North Korean defectors: Yuhyuk and Kim Seok. This made them the first group in K-Pop history to feature two members from North Korea. Yuhyuk escaped North Korea as a child and reunited with his mother in South Korea, revealing that he had to work from the age of 9 due to difficult circumstances there. Through his new song “Shattered,” he expressed feelings of “his life being shattered” and his emotions upon hearing about his father’s death. Kim Seok fled North Korea with his father and grandmother in 2019, stating that he became fascinated with K-Pop after secretly watching Psy’s “Gangnam Style” in 2012. He recalled that the music video and song from that time were “truly shocking.” The remaining members are Keni, an American of Chinese descent, Ito, a Japanese-Korean, and Nadan, a Thai of Lao descent. They came together despite language barriers, bringing diverse cultural backgrounds to the group. The activities of these rookie groups are varied. CLOSE YOUR EYES gained attention just over 100 days after debuting with their title track “All the Poems and Novels Inside Me.” KATSEYE heated up the domestic music market last summer with “Touch” and continued to dominate the first half of the year with “Gnarly.” The mixed-gender group ALLDAY PROJECT became the first such group in 8 years since KARD in 2016, releasing “Famous,” while FIFTY FIFTY gained massive attention through a male version challenge for their song “Pookie.” The rise of these rookie groups signifies the democratization of the K-Pop market. By building fan bases through social media, the traditional structure centered around large entertainment agencies is loosening, giving way to a system where creative content and individuality receive direct support from fans. This not only expands pathways for the next generation of K-Pop artists but also injects fresh energy into the K-Pop industry.