Southeast Asian Economic Growth and Digital Boom Drive Increased K-Pop Idol Expansion

The K-pop industry is actively expanding into Southeast Asia. Recently, Carmen, 18, a member of SM Entertainment’s new girl group Hearts2Hearts, made her debut as the first idol from Indonesia to join one of Korea’s four major entertainment companies. Shortly after her debut, she topped X (formerly Twitter)’s real-time trends in Indonesia, attracting massive attention. This trend stems from the region’s economic growth and high fan engagement. Indonesia’s gross national income per capita has increased by 5.5 times over the past 20 years to reach 4,810 dollars, while Thailand’s figure has risen by 3.3 times to 7,200 dollars during the same period. Additionally, Southeast Asia, home to 630 million people, enjoys an average annual economic growth rate of 4–5%, and its strong digital connectivity has made it a key driver behind K-pop’s global expansion. Rising local music consumption in Southeast Asia has also created significant pressure for Korean entertainment companies. Over the past three years (2021–2024), the share of locally produced music consumed in Indonesia climbed from 23% to 35%, while the proportion of American pop songs dropped from 31% to 26%. Notably, K-pop’s share declined by 4 percentage points during this time, falling from 12% to 8%. A similar pattern is evident in Thailand. In response, Korean entertainment companies are actively incorporating members from Southeast Asia into their new groups. Although existing K-pop idols from the region such as Hani of NewJeans (from Vietnam) and Lisa of BLACKPINK (from Thailand) have achieved success, this is the first time a major company among the four largest has signed an idol from Indonesia. TikTok plays a crucial role in this trend. In 2023, five out of the top 10 most popular global artists on TikTok were K-pop acts, and this figure increased further in 2024, with seven out of the top 10 being K-pop artists. A representative from TikTok Korea stated, “Three out of five people in Indonesia pay to stream Korean music, and their listening time is among the highest in the world.” They added, “31% of TikTok users consume K-pop daily, which is 2.3 times higher than among non-TikTok users (13%).” The key to success in Southeast Asia lies in localization. In Indonesia, JKT48, a sister group to Japan’s AKB48, gained popularity through simple lyrics that resonated with local youth. In Thailand, “T-pop” — Thai-language music similar to K-pop — is becoming popular. Mizora, the head of JKT48, emphasized that “the key to success in the Southeast Asian market is localization.” The industry outlook is also positive. According to accounting firm PwC, the Asian music market is expected to grow by 20% by 2028, reaching 20.8 billion dollars. Music critic Im Hee-yoon analyzed that “once a trend goes viral in Southeast Asia on TikTok, it spreads across Asia and the world,” adding that “K-pop companies rely on data analysis to closely monitor such trends.”