K-pop labels are stepping up localization efforts in partnership with music studios and social media platforms in their key markets to sustain the global fandom for their artists and music.
“K-pop is no longer just a music genre. It has now evolved into an irreplaceable new industry, Shin Hyun-kuk, head of JYP Entertainment Corp.’s US operations, said at the Korea Investment Week 2025 (KIW 2025) on Monday.
JYP America’s localization strategy in the US centers on A2K, short for America2Korea, a US-based audition program launched in 2023.
The reality show aims to form K-pop girl groups through a partnership between JYP America and Republic Records, a label under Universal Music Group.
“We’re developing AI artists tailored for the US market,” Shin said at the forum hosted by The Korea Economic Daily.
Kakao Entertainment Corp. and its affiliate SM Entertainment Co. are seeking to deepen their presence in China in collaboration with social media platforms, said Kim Dong-hyun, who oversees the Chinese operations of the two companies under Kakao Corp.
“We actively engage with local fandoms through major platforms such as Weibo, Douyin and Xiaohongshu,” said Kim.
Tencent Music Entertainment Group’s purchase of a stake in SM Entertainment in May is expected to accelerate its expansion into China, he added.
Meanwhile, Korean animation studios are turning to the global merchandise market to capitalize on the growing popularity of their franchises.
SAMG Entertainment, the studio behind the smash-hit animation series Catch! Teenieping, sees strong growth potential for the Korean animation industry.
“The global character merchandise market is growing explosively,” Choi Jae-won, chief operating officer of SAMG Entertainment, told the KIW 2025 forum.
“Our medium- to-long-term goal is to enter major Chinese merchandise distribution platforms such as Pop Mart and Miniso to achieve quantitative growth,” he said.
By Ji-Yoon Yang
yang@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.
