When you think of the term “K-pop” what comes to mind? You may think of a can of pop or maybe even a cereal brand, but think again and reconsider it in another perspective. Try thinking in terms in of culture and a different, unique genre of music. Take the time again to think of the term again in a different perspective, would you get the concept? If not, to ease the thought process, Korean Pop, or more commonly known as “K-pop”, doesn’t simply focus on the music itself but has become an influence and musical movement that has swept South Korea and other regions of the world since the early 1990’s and continues to dominate to current day. K-pop consists of dance, electronic, electropop, hip hop, and R&B music originating from Korea. Korean pop, or “K-pop”, has become a popular genre of music because it has become one of Korea’s largest exports, the unique structure of how entertainment companies produce they’re music including their training system, and not only does it influence music itself, but also fashion, culture, and television dramas.
In 1992, dance and rap became very popular due to a group called Seo Tae-ji & Boys, which is believed to be the beginning of what we see as modern day K-pop. As the 2000s came about, social media and the Internet began to play a major role in K-pop since it became more accessible and began the driving shift on the exposure and popularity of the genre. Known as the “Korean wave” or more commonly known among Koreans, “The Hallyu Wave” (한류파), it has spread through a variety of different regions across the globe including the Pacific Rim, The Americas, Eurasia, and even North Africa. An important part to the Korean Wave, the genre of K-pop has had its humble beginnings which led it to gain a huge fan base not only based in Korea and Asia, but also including different parts of the world. As South Korea’s infrastructure began to