K-pop is one of the biggest symbols of South Korea's pop cultural export, as a part of Korean Wave. It has a large global fanbase, and lots of passionate fans travel to Korea from all over the world to support their favourite idols.
Understand
[edit]Social media is the most important when considering a K-pop tour. Almost all K-pop groups post their information. The most important point above all is time management, since each of the K-pop members' activities is different. You should also check general information on South Korea.
History
[edit]There are some discussions, even controversies, about how to separate each generation among K-pop idols. This article will be distinguished by the Hallyu White Paper published by Korea Creative Content Agency, which is separated into four generations, and a new generation starts when a K-pop group surpass the achievement of the most popular K-pop group of the previous generation.
Modern K-pop idols can be traced back to 1992, when Seo Taiji and Boys (서태지와 아이들) debuted. Their unique music style has changed how Korean music is performed at the time. With the Korean government's support, the Korean cultural industry started growing in the 1990s, with the era described as the "first generation" of K-pop. Some representative groups of the era are H.O.T., S.E.S., Fin.K.L and Shinhwa.
In the 2000s, more K-pop groups were established, while the elder K-pop groups from the first generation ended. Most will agree that the second generation started when Bigbang and Girls' Generation surpassed the first generation. The second generation continued growing in Korea, while also spreading to other Asian countries: TVXQ received commercial success upon its debut in Japan. Other powerhouse groups of the second generation are Super Junior, 2NE1, and Wonder Girls. Female soloist BoA also became the first Korean artist to achieve chart-topping success in Japan, often rivalling Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki for the top spot on the billboards. At the time, the Internet had dominated how the second generation acted: Fans started using the Internet and social networks to promote their favourite groups, and buying discs became the way to show their support when online music became popular.
The generations become vague between the second and the third, but most agree that the third generation started when BTS and Twice achieved commercial success. In the third generation, K-pop spread beyond Asia and gained mainstream popularity in the West: social media has become one of the main means K-pop members promote themselves, and singles keep being published. Other famous groups of the third generation include Blackpink, EXO, GOT7, Mamamoo, GFRIEND, Red Velvet, Winner, etc.
While many believe that K-pop is in the fourth generation, citing (G)I-DLE, NewJeans, or ZEROBASEONE as representative groups, no K-pop group has yet surpassed the third generation's achievements; it is therefore still dubious which generation K-pop is in now. Regardless, K-pop still continues to evolve every day.
Terminology
[edit]Talk
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While Korean is the obvious choice when you are following a K-pop group and even consider travelling to Korea. Some K-pop artistes can speak English, and in fact many are recruited from the Korean diaspora in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. These days K-pop artistes are also recruited from other Asian countries like China, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand as well, so you may want to learn your favourite singer's native language such as Mandarin and Taiwanese for Tzuyu of Twice, Japanese for Sakura of Iz*One or Thai for Lisa of Blackpink.
Destinations
[edit]- Seoul: Most K-pop activities are located in Seoul, and there are many merchandise items sold in Seoul. Also, entertainment companies are in Seoul.
Events
[edit]See
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The Big Three
[edit]The Big Three refers to the three largest entertainment companies in Korea. They are SM, JYP, and YG, and dominate most of the K-pop groups. All of their headquarters are in Seoul.
- 1 SM entertainment (SM엔터테인먼트), 서울 성동구 왕십리로 83-21 에스엠엔터테인먼트. The original giant who formed H.O.T. and S.E.S, and later Girls' Generation and Super Junior. Also the record label of soloist BoA, the first Korean act to top the charts in Japan.
- 2 JYP Entertainment (JYP 엔터테인먼트), 서울 강동구 강동대로 205. The company that grows Twice and Wonder Girls. There's a coffee bar for fans.
- 3 YG Entertainment (YG엔터테인먼트), 서울 마포구 희우정로1길 7. Founded by Yang Hyun-suk, who first shot to fame as a member of the pioneer K-pop group Seo Taiji and Boys. The company that formed Blackpink and Big Bang.
BTS
[edit]- 4 Hyangho Beach (향호해변). A beautiful beach. BTS was photographed here when recording "Spring Day". You can see the BTS bus stop (BTS 버스정류장) here.
- 1 Yoojung Sikdang (유정식당). BTS members had visited the store when they were trainees. You can see photos of BTS members anywhere.
- 5 Iryeong station (일영역), 양주시 장흥면 일영로647번길 25. Despite being abandoned from 2004 to 2024, the train station has become a fan spot when spring day was recorded here. You may want to see it in winter, when snow piled up like in the music video.
- 1 ZM-ILLENNIAL (지밀레니얼), 부산 남구 진남로 135 B동 1층. A cafe house operated by Jimin's father. It was called "Magnate" (메그네이트) in past, but has changed its name due to issues with trademark rights. The cafe also has some BTS merchandise.
Twice
[edit]- Kyotanabe, Kyoto: Momo was born here.
- Tainan: Tzuyu was born here. There was a cafe called Sosee Coffee (首璽咖啡) operated by her mother, but it has been suspended since 2023.
Do
[edit]There are events that a fan can attend, such as live events, fan meetings, and fan signing events. Just make sure you attend at the right time.
Sleep
[edit]It is recommended to stay somewhere close to the live event you would like to attend. While you can compromise on the quality, location is important when attending live events. You want to avoid the crowd after the event is over. Book accommodations as soon as possible once a concert has been decided.
Respect
[edit]While each K-pop group has its public schedule and you deduce their itinerary, you should respect the members' privacy. The entertainment companies hold a rather sensitive attitude toward stalking, since they are fighting against some infamous stans (who are known as 사생팬, sasaengfan). Follow instructions for the concert and entertainment companies when attending a fan event.