K-pop, short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, rock, jazz, gospel, reggae, electronic dance, folk, country, disco, and classical on top of its traditional Korean music roots. The term "K-pop" became popular in the 2000s, especially in the international context. The Korean term for domestic pop music is gayo, which is still widely used within South Korea. While "K-pop" can refer to all popular music or pop music from South Korea, it is colloquially often used in a narrower sense for any Korean music and artists associated with the entertainment and idol industry in the country, regardless of the genre.
Seo Taiji and Boys was a South Korean music group active from 1992 to 1996. The three members of the boy band, Seo Taiji, Yang Hyun-suk and Lee Juno, experimented with many different genres of popular Western music. Seo Taiji and Boys was highly successful and is credited with changing the South Korean music industry by pioneering the use of rap in Korean popular music and utilizing social critique, despite pressure from ethics and censorship committees.
Shinhwa is a South Korean six-member boy band based in Seoul, composed of Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin, and Andy Lee. Launched by SM Entertainment on March 24, 1998, the group signed with Good Entertainment in 2004 before creating their Shinhwa Company to manage their career as a band. The band struggled initially with their first album before finding commercial success with their sophomore album T.O.P.. When their contract with SM Entertainment expired in July 2003, all six members signed with Good Entertainment and assumed creative control with the release of Brand New. That same year, members began to pursue individual careers.
Lee Hyo-ri is a South Korean singer, record producer, activist, actress and television presenter. She debuted as a member of group Fin.K.L in 1998, which became one of the most popular girl groups in South Korea during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Aside from Fin.K.L, she has also participated in several project groups, including the Refund Sisters and SSAK3 in 2020.
SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1995 by Lee Soo-man. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies and has been responsible for fostering and popularizing the careers of many K-pop stars garnering huge global fanbases. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. SM Entertainment is known for having led the worldwide K-pop phenomenon and the musical side of "Hallyu", also known as the "Korean Wave", with early overseas successes such as H.O.T., S.E.S. and BoA.
Super Junior , also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band composed of Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun. Han Geng, Kibum and Kangin were originally part of the group before departing in 2011, 2015 and 2019, respectively. The group was formed by the founder of SM Entertainment, Lee Soo-man in 2005 as a 12-piece group with rotational members but the concept was abandoned after addition of Kyuhyun in 2006. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent contributions in Korean Wave.
JYP Entertainment Corporation is a South Korean multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate founded in 1997 by J. Y. Park. It is one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea, and operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management company, concert production company, and music publishing house. In addition, the company operates various subsidiary ventures and divisions worldwide.
Groove Over Dose, known by the acronym g.o.d, is a South Korean boy band formed by SidusHQ. Debuting in 1999, the group became one of the most popular boy bands of the early 2000s in South Korea. The members had gone on to solo careers in the entertainment industry after indefinitely discontinuing group activity in 2005 following the departure of a member. However, they regrouped as a quintet and made a comeback in July 2014. Although the group is largely known for their "story telling" lyrical style and signature blend of R&B and rap, their repertoire features a diverse array of genres ranging from hip hop to funk.
BigBang is a South Korean boy band formed by YG Entertainment. The group consists of three members: G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung. Originally a five-piece band, Seungri retired from the entertainment industry in March 2019 and T.O.P left in May 2023. Dubbed the "Kings of K-pop", they helped spread the Korean Wave internationally and are considered one of the most influential acts in K-pop. They are known for their trendsetting musical experimentation, self-production, and stage presence.
Lee Sung-min, known mononymously as Sungmin and also LIU, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior and its sub-groups Super Junior-T, Super Junior-H and Super Junior-M.
4Minute was a South Korean girl group formed by Cube Entertainment, consisting of members Jihyun, Gayoon, Jiyoon, Hyuna and Sohyun. The group was known for its edgy dance-pop style and "girl crush" image that attracted a large female fan base.
Highlight is a South Korean boy band formerly known as Beast (Korean: 비스트). The band consists of four members: Yoon Doo-joon, Yang Yo-seob, Lee Gi-kwang, and Son Dong-woon. Originally a six-piece band, Jang Hyun-seung departed from the group in April 2016, and Yong Jun-hyung departed in March 2019. In late 2016, the group moved labels from Cube Entertainment to Around Us Entertainment and subsequently changed their name to Highlight in 2017.
YG Entertainment Inc. is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. In addition, the company operates a number of subsidiary ventures under a separate public traded company, YG Plus, which includes a clothing line, a golf management agency, and a cosmetics brand.
JYJ is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 by Kim Junsu, Kim Jae-joong, and Park Yoo-chun, the three former members of TVXQ. Their group name is taken from the initial letters of each member's names. The group was formerly managed by C-JeS Entertainment in Korea.
Exo is a South Korean boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai and Sehun. They are noted for releasing music and performing extensively in Korean, Mandarin and Japanese.
Crayon Pop (Korean: 크레용팝) is a South Korean girl group formed under Chrome Entertainment in 2012. The group consisted of four members: Geummi, Ellin, Choa, and Way. Their fifth member, Soyul, left the group in 2017.
Jung Joon-young is a South Korean former singer-songwriter, radio DJ, host, actor, television personality and convicted serial rapist.
Glam was a South Korean girl group that debuted in 2012 managed by Source Music and produced by Big Hit Music. The group originally consisted of five members: Zinni, Trinity, Jiyeon, Dahee, and Miso. They were the first girl group of Source Music and Big Hit Entertainment. The group officially debuted in 2012 with the single “Party XXO”. Glam disbanded in 2015. The name of the group means "Girls be Ambitious".
Lovelyz (Korean: 러블리즈) is a South Korean girl group formed in 2014 by Woollim Entertainment and is the company's first girl group. The group consists of eight members: Baby Soul, Jiae, Jisoo, Mijoo, Kei, Jin, Sujeong and Yein. Their debut album, Girls' Invasion, was released on November 17, 2014.
Apink is a South Korean girl group formed by IST Entertainment. The group debuted on April 19, 2011, with the extended play (EP) Seven Springs of Apink. Apink currently consists of five members: Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bo-mi, Jeong Eun-ji, Kim Nam-joo and Oh Ha-young. Originally a seven-piece group, Hong Yoo-kyung left in 2013 and Son Na-eun left in 2022.
