Written by MasterClass Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 6 min read K-pop idol groups are a global phenomenon, with millions of diehard fans all over the world. In the last two decades, the K-pop industry has become a cultural sensation, continuing to grow in popularity as groups like BTS and Blackpink break barriers to achieve worldwide success. What is K-Pop? K-Pop is a generic label given to mainstream music in South Korea. Although the name suggests that K-Pop is exclusively Korean pop music, many K-Pop artists branch into other music genres like Korean hip hop, electronic music, and the like. Since K-Pop encompasses a wide variety of music genres, there is likely a K-Pop artist out Bang Jinah is director of the Korean Culture and Information Service. In her 13 years in that department, she has seen the Korean wave move from a ripple to a deluge. "About 10 years ago, we 308 likes, 4 comments - salt.snap on December 14, 2023: "K-pop fans live and breathe everything Korean. So we decided to test just how well they knew abou" Salt Snap on Instagram: "K-pop fans live and breathe everything Korean. Adapted from The Inquiry on BBC World Service. It is 1992, and three young men in a boy band are performing in a live television talent contest. The sound is new: Korean lyrics, Euro pop, African K-pop has become a truly global phenomenon thanks to its distinctive blend of addictive melodies, slick choreography and production values, and an endless parade of attractive South Korean South Korea is believed to be home to around 300 K-pop bands, while new ones are emerging every year. What started K-pop? The rise of the K-pop band Seo Taiji And Boys in 1992 is credited for starting modern-day K-pop music. 1. The Rise of Korean-Pop Can Be Traced Back to An American Missionary William Elliot Griffis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons K-pop can be traced back to an unlikely source - an American missionary named Henry Appenzeller. Z1eCpog.