JYP in Latin America, SM in UK: Can K-pop's 2nd wave of localization succeed?
JYP Entertainment's new global girl group, VCHA, is set to make its official debut on Friday. Courtesy of JYP Entertainment
K-pop's second wave of localization is gaining momentum, following the establishment of the first wave in China and Japan in the late 2010s. As K-pop's popularity spreads globally, agencies are launching localized groups beyond Asia, targeting the United States, Europe and Latin America.
JYP Entertainment and HYBE have already launched girl groups in the U.S., and now JYP is expanding into Latin America, while SM Entertainment is setting its sights on the United Kingdom.
In 2022, CJ ENM announced plans to create a male idol group in Latin America, but JYP appears to be the first to take action in the region.
"In the third quarter of this year, we will establish JYP Latin America and enter the Latin American music market," JYP said. "We aim to expand the touring regions and new business opportunities for our artists and build a communication channel with local fans."
Following the K-pop localization formula of quickly building recognition and a fan base through audition programs, JYP Latin America plans to produce "L2K (Latin America to Korea)," an audition program to debut a Latin girl group based on the K-pop system.
It is pursuing a strategic partnership with Universal Music Latino, a label under Universal Music Group.
JYP's localization strategy, which has already seen success in Japan and China, continued with the establishment of JYP USA in 2022.
In collaboration with Republic Records, JYP USA produced "A2K (America to Korea)," an audition program that led to the debut of the girl group VCHA earlier this year.
An image from "Made in Korea: The K-pop Experience" / Courtesy of SM Entertainment
SM targets UK with new boy group
SM Entertainment is targeting the U.K. market with the launch of a localized boy group in the second half of this year.
The marketing strategy includes an audition program. The five-member U.K. boy group will be introduced to the public through a six-part TV series titled "Made in Korea: The K-pop Experience," set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
This yet-to-be-named boy group is being produced by a joint venture between SM, Kakao Entertainment's North American entity and the U.K. entertainment company Moon&Back (M&B).
SM provides the K-pop production expertise, while M&B handles casting and management in the U.K.
Nigel Hall, co-founder of Moon&Back Media, said that forming a British boy band and putting them through an unparalleled K-pop training process to present on the global stage will be a world-first and an unmissable broadcast.
Mixed reactions to K-pop groups in US
The second phase of K-pop localization has expanded beyond Asia to North America, Latin America and Europe this year.
The first phase began in 2018 when JYP's Chinese subsidiary launched the boy group Boy Story, and SM followed in 2019 with the Chinese localized boy group WayV.
CJ ENM also entered the fray by launching LAPONE Entertainment in collaboration with Japan's Yoshimoto Kogyo, debuting the Japanese boy group JO1 through the "Produce 101 Japan" audition program in 2020.
JYP launched the girl group NiziU in Japan in 2020 through the "Nizi Project" audition program. These groups quickly gained popularity and settled into the Japanese market.
Subsequent groups like LAPONE's INI and DXTEEN, HYBE's &TEAM, SM's NCT WISH and JYP's Nizi Project have followed suit, making localized groups a trend in Japan.
The second wave began with JYP debuting VCHA in January this year with its single "Girls of the Year," followed by HYBE debuting the American girl group Katseye with its single "Debut" last month.
HYBE's American girl group Katseye / Courtesy of HYBE
Ambiguity vs differentiated concepts
Despite incorporating K-pop elements such as appearance, style, choreography and musical features, these groups have yet to garner the same level of attention as domestic girl groups.
The music video for "Girls of the Year" has amassed 8.87 million views on YouTube over five months, while "Debut" has garnered 3.75 million views in three weeks.
In contrast, the debut music videos of girl groups like BaybyMonster and IVE, both debuted this year, have already exceeded hundreds of millions of views.
Experts suggest that the music markets in the U.S. and Europe differ significantly from Japan, requiring more differentiated strategies and long-term planning.
Music critic Lim Hee-yoon noted, "One of the reasons fans in the U.S. and Europe like K-pop is its visual appeal, much of which involves 'Korean members.' It's uncertain whether these groups can be accepted as K-pop if replaced with locals."
Music critic Kim Do-heon added, "Groups like VCHA and Katseye lack distinctive colors compared to local groups and are somewhat distant from the K-pop image, making its positioning ambiguous. Differentiated concepts and a long-term perspective are necessary."
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.