The Diversification of KPOP
Keith Oshiro
KPOP has been a globally popular genre for several decades, but for such a large fanbase, diversity within KPOP groups is bleak. At award shows, where most KPOP groups come together, it’s challenging to spot members with a non-East or South-East-Asian heritage.
There was one group that challenged this stigma– Black Swan. Debuting under the company DR Music, the group was praised for its inclusion of a plethora of ethnicities, including Senegalese, American, Brazilian, Indian, and Korean members. Despite this nonconforming and unique approach, the group didn’t receive much attention. Its existence slowly sunk under the waters, being forgotten by the public. As a result, KPOP companies were more careful to include diverse members, oftentimes embracing only one or two South-East Asian members. Diversity was undesirable for the moneymakers of KPOP, and change seemed unachievable.
Within the bleakness, JYP, a major entertainment company released a new Youtube survival show: A2K. The show premiered its first episode on July 13, 2023, starring eleven talented girls scouted from the US. The show’s main goal was to create a KPOP group composed of only American members with the purpose of further globalization. A2K was a booming success, with its first episode reaching 5.4 million views in a month. However, critics noted that only US contestants were granted the opportunity to participate. In the midst of further expectations, another project entered the industry.
Following JYP, Hybe partnered with Geffen Records, releasing ‘The Dream Academy’ on 20 Aug 2023. The project was shrouded in mystery, with Hybe only releasing a trailer featuring a compilation of the word ‘dream’ in different languages. Public attention was directed to the plan when more teasers were released. Finally, Hybe broke the silence by holding a press conference revealing the 20 diverse contestants from all over the world. Unlike A2K, The Dream Academy featured truly global contestants, featuring nationalities such as Thai, American, Slovakian, Swedish, Japanese, etc. With the newly released art film reaching a million views in 24 hours, The Dream Academy is forecasted to end in November, with the final lineup debuting.
Within the Korea-dominated industry, DR Music, JYP, and Hybe paved the way for the introduction of diversity.
A plethora of global netizens hope that KPOP will promote inclusivity and recruit rare talent from around the globe, but some display a different stance. They argue that it’s natural that a Korean industry be dominated by Koreans, and that diversity may be blurring the core of the genre. Despite the differing opinions on the issue, entertainment companies are springing into action. Whether the change is positive, negative, or completely insignificant, one thing is for certain.
KPOP is changing.