According to a 2024 survey conducted across 28 countries, over ** percent of respondents stated that the genre K-pop was “very popular” in their country. The popularity was at the point where K-pop was known to the general public and related products were being sold. The survey found that the popularity of K-pop reaches far beyond South Korean borders. K-pop industryK-pop is a genre of South Korean popular music. Although the term includes music of a variety of stylistic origins, it is often associated with so-called K-pop idols. Idols are usually young individuals, who are known for being good-looking, fashionable, highly trained in singing and dancing, as well as having an almost perfect image. They often make their debut in boy or girl groups, who promote their songs with music videos that feature intense choreographies. The most successful groups are often signed under South Koreas biggest agencies, were they undertake strict training before they make their debut. The K-pop entertainment company with the highest sales revenue in 2024 was HYBE, who manage multiple successful idols and labels, including global stars BTS. K-pop is constantly growingWhile the majority in Western countries have not heard about K-pop before PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’ in 2012, Korean pop idols started to become famous in Asian countries in 2003. Singer BoA and boy group TVXQ became the first K-pop idols to successfully break into the Japanese market. With the support of the South Korean government, who saw the industries economic potential, the so-called Korean wave (hallyu) started to spread even further, and K-pop gained a global audience. Girl group BLACKPINK was the first K-pop band to headline the famous U.S. music festival Coachella in 2019. With BTS currently on hiatus due to military obligations, and album sales exploding, SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids have pulled ahead to become the biggest active boy groups in South Korea currently.

In 2023, the sales revenue of the music industry in South Korea totaled around **** trillion South Korean won. This represents an increase of about **** percent since the previous year. The music industry accounted for *** percent of the total sales revenue of the domestic content industry that year. The explosion of album sales in South Korea With a massive increase in album sales in the last decade, selling music albums has become one of the main income sources for the music industry. In 2023, sales drastically rose to reach over *** million, accelerated by the K-pop fandom tendency to buy physical albums in order to achieve benefits such as artist photo cards. As a result of this incentive, most physical album sales are seized by K-pop groups instead of individual artists. In the previous decade, the top-selling music albums were all dominated by K-pop groups, with BTS having won ***** times in a row. Streaming services as a market driver Besides the explosion of album sales, online music distribution is one of the key driving forces of the successful music industry in the country. Most South Koreans prefer to access music via streaming, with domestic streaming music services still playing a major role in the industry. Internationally, YouTube is considered a necessary platform for Korean music artists for expanding their fandom as roughly ** percent of respondents in a global survey chose the platform as the most preferred online music service for K-pop content. It has also become increasingly popular domestically.

In 2023, the K-pop industry achieved an estimated sales of around **** trillion South Korean won overseas. **** percent of these sales came from the overseas performances sector, with another ** percent from overseas album sales. In the same year, physical albums sold domestically as well as those sold abroad by certified sellers reached an all-time high.

In 2023, the export value of the music industry in South Korea amounted to around *** billion U.S. dollars.K-popThe main export in the South Korean music industry is K-pop. Korean pop music has been increasingly popular all around the world. In 2023, a survey conducted in 28 countries across the world found that around ** percent of respondents considered K-pop to be very popular in their country. The most popular K-pop stars worldwide were the boy group BTS. Music in South KoreaWhile K-pop is known for being successful outside of South Korea’s borders, Korean music is of course also enjoyed domestically. A 2024 survey found that ballads and K-pop were the most popular music genres in South Korea. The most popular way of listening to music in 2024 was via one's smartphone, by streaming or downloading music. While the South Korean music streaming industry was previously dominated by a handful of domestic streaming services, most notably Melon, YouTube was the most popular music streaming service in 2024.

I never look at a group’s chart until after I’ve fallen for their music. But once that happens, my astrologer brain kicks in. Was there something in the stars that day? This project is my way of testing that idea, using data from 120 K-pop groups.

What’s in the dataset?

• Astrological data: Sun signs, moon signs, rising signs (when available), planetary retrogrades, and moon phases at debut

• Career metrics: PAKs, music show wins, physical album sales, YouTube views

• Time reliability: "Reliable" (verified debut time) or "Unreliable" (date only)

For years, I’ve casually tracked K-pop debuts (read: my YouTube history is 60% comeback stages, 30% astrology videos). When I started learning data analysis, I realized I could finally ask properly: do certain planetary alignments show up more often in "successful" groups? No mysticism. Just dates, numbers, and a lot of spreadsheet tabs.

How the data was collected

• Group info and career stats come from Kpopping and SoriData

• Debut times were taken from YouTube when available (for newer groups)

• For older groups, exact debut times are often unavailable because many didn’t debut with YouTube videos in the early years

• All astrological calculations were done using Astro-Seek’s calculator with Seoul as the default location

Some interesting notes

Leo sun signs appear frequently among award-winning boy groups

Want to explore?

Compare different generations: Are 4th-gen groups more likely to have certain signs?

Check if Mercury retrograde at debut had any impact on a group’s early success

This isn’t about proving astrology works. It’s about exploring whether patterns exist between the stars and K-pop success. The data is here for you to analyze and draw your own conclusions.

P.S. If your bias’s Moon sign matches yours… welcome to the "wait, why do I feel so seen?" club.

Explore the dynamic global boy group market, revealing key growth drivers, emerging trends in K-Pop and J-Pop, and lucrative opportunities across performance and film industries. Get insights into market size, CAGR, and regional dominance.

The world of K-Pop is one of the most popular and dynamic music industries in the world. This comprehensive dataset provides information on over 1,700 K-Pop idols, including their stage name, full name, Korean name, birthdate, height, weight, birthplace, and former and other group affiliations. This dataset is perfect for anyone interested in exploring the K-Pop industry or conducting research on K-Pop idols.

In 2023, overseas K-pop album sales achieved an export sales index of ***** points, the highest among the three sectors. This was closely followed by overseas performances, at ***** points. The latter was the only sector that dropped below the base year 2018, though it recovered quickly. That year, physical albums sold domestically as well as those sold abroad by certified sellers reached an all-time high.

The K-Pop Event report provides a detailed analysis of emerging investment pockets, highlighting current and future market trends. It offers strategic insights into capital flows and market shifts, guiding investors toward growth opportunities in key industry segments and regions.

The global entertainment idol agency market is a dynamic and rapidly expanding sector, projected to experience substantial growth over the next decade. While precise market sizing data is unavailable, considering the significant revenue generated by prominent agencies like SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and HYBE Corporation, along with the burgeoning popularity of K-Pop and other idol-driven entertainment globally, a conservative estimate places the 2025 market size at approximately $15 billion USD. This figure reflects the combined revenue streams from artist management, merchandise sales, concert tours, licensing agreements, and digital content distribution. The market's Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) is estimated to be around 12%, driven primarily by the increasing global consumption of entertainment content, the expansion of digital platforms, and the rising influence of social media in promoting idols and their work. Key trends include the diversification of revenue streams through strategic partnerships, the increasing adoption of innovative technologies such as VR/AR for fan engagement, and the growing demand for personalized fan experiences. However, the market faces constraints such as the intense competition among agencies, the inherent volatility of the entertainment industry, and the potential for negative publicity impacting artist careers. Segmentation analysis reveals significant growth across all application areas (music, film/TV, activities/performances), with the 'selection mode' segment within training demonstrating higher growth potential, reflecting the industry's intense focus on talent acquisition and development. Geographical distribution demonstrates strong market presence in Asia-Pacific, particularly in South Korea, Japan, and China, with North America and Europe exhibiting significant growth potential. The continued success of the entertainment idol agency market hinges on the ability of agencies to adapt to changing consumer preferences, embrace new technologies, and manage the careers of their artists effectively. Strategic investments in artist development, technological innovation, and global expansion will be crucial for sustained growth. While challenges exist, the inherent appeal of idol culture and the global reach of digital platforms suggest a highly promising outlook for the industry in the long term. The expansion into diverse revenue streams like brand endorsements, metaverse engagement, and sophisticated data-driven fan management will be key factors in shaping the future trajectory of this sector. Furthermore, strategic collaborations between agencies and technology firms will be critical in enhancing fan interaction and expanding market reach.

Discover the booming global music show market! Explore key trends, growth drivers, and competitive landscape insights for 2025-2033. Learn about major players like MBC, KBS, and NBC, and understand the impact of K-Pop and digital streaming.

As of March 2025, the K-pop entertainment HYBE Corporation achieved the highest market cap in the South Korean stock exchange market, at around ** trillion South Korean won. HYBE Corporation, formerly known as Big Hit Entertainment, is home to the globally popular K-pop group BTS. Having only entered the stock exchange market in 2020, the company has since stayed ahead of its competition.

The K-pop World Tours market has emerged as a dynamic and influential segment within the global music industry, captivating millions of fans and generating significant revenue streams for artists and promoters alike. With an estimated market size of around $1.2 billion, the K-pop concert experience is characterized

Discover the booming Entertainment Idol Agency market! Explore its $10 billion (2025 est.) valuation, 15% CAGR, key players (HYBE, SM Ent.), regional trends (Asia-Pacific dominance), and future growth projections through 2033. Learn about market segmentation, drivers, and challenges in this in-depth analysis.

Big data for K-pop Analysis. Visit https://dataone.org/datasets/sha256%3Aee23ae62c3729c0542fed1d0caf6f00010ae881c82635a4906e13c76855c189b for complete metadata about this dataset.

In 2024, the best-selling physical music album in South Korea was the EP "SPILL THE FEELS" by K-pop boy group SEVENTEEN, having sold around 3.2 million copies. With many parts of the global music industry moving away from physical sales to digital downloads and streaming, K-pop is a prominent exception. Through a combination of buying incentives, fandom culture, and the increasing popularity of K-pop, the genre has retained its larger focus on physical sales compared to many other genres. Music consumption in South Korea The most common purpose for purchasing physical albums is for collection purposes, and to directly support an artist, rather than utilizing the physical CD to listen to the music. The vast majority of South Koreans listened to music on their smartphones according to a 2024 survey, with CD players only being used by a small share of the population. Music streaming and downloading services are popular and enjoy frequent use. Incentives to buy physical albums One famous example of incentivizing the buying of physical albums that commonly occurs in the U.S. music industry is the bundling of merchandising or concert tickets with physical albums. This is not a common practice in the K-pop industry. Instead, each album offers unique merchandising and photobook concepts. Oftentimes, multiple versions of the same album will be released alongside several randomized collectible photo cards. Additionally, gaining entrance to fan signs is usually based on a lottery system which is entered by purchasing physical albums, with one album equaling one ticket. This phenomenon is mainly confined to the K-pop industry specifically, rather than being a feature of the larger South Korean music industry. As such, successful releases tend to differ between physical and digital rankings, with physical sales reflecting fandom buying power, and digital sales reflecting the taste of the general public. Physical rankings are generally dominated by K-pop artists, while digital rankings tend to be more diverse, with favored genres being ballads, OSTs, and trot music.

In 2021, YG Entertainment derived a sales revenue of around 247 billion South Korean won in its homeland South Korea and a further 15.6 billion won from Japan. YG Entertainment is one of the biggest South Korean entertainment companies and manages major acts such as BIGBANG, WINNER, iKON, and BLACKPINK. Based on music production and management of K-pop artists, its business areas expanded to cosmetics, character goods, and advertising.

Discover the booming Korean language learning software market! Our analysis reveals a $500 million market in 2025, projected to reach $1.8 billion by 2033, driven by K-pop, K-dramas, and increasing global demand. Learn about key players, market trends, and regional growth.

The South Korea clothes market was valued at USD 29.64 Billion in 2024. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.42% during the forecast period of 2025-2034 to reach a value of USD 41.49 Billion by 2034. This growth trajectory is underpinned by ongoing retail expansion, increased investment in manufacturing infrastructure, and the sustained popularity of Korean pop culture. Recent developments highlight the sector’s momentum. Notably, in June 2023, Youngone Corporation commenced construction of 11 new production facilities within the Evertop Textile & Apparel Complex, signaling continued capacity expansion and confidence in long-term demand.

The market is expanding rapidly, driven by the global influence of K-culture, technological innovation, and a strong governmental focus on sustainability. The continued international popularity of K-pop and K-dramas significantly shapes fashion trends, with brands leveraging celebrity partnerships and digital platforms to accelerate product cycles and enhance market responsiveness.

A key motivator of the South Korea clothes market growth is the government’s Textile and Fashion Industry Competitiveness Strategy, which promotes innovation and sustainable practices across the sector. The initiative includes an investment of USD 22.18 million in fiber-to-fiber recycling, plant-based vegan leather, and biodegradable materials. Additionally, over 200 SMEs will receive support for waste heat recovery systems, while new carbon emissions standards and eco-design guidelines will foster more sustainable production processes.

According to a survey conducted across 28 countries in 2024, respondents stated that they spent an average of ***** U.S. dollars on South Korean pop music (K-pop) content per month, an increase from about *** dollars the previous year. K-Pop consumption Consumers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) showed the highest monthly spending on K-pop, at around **** dollars per month in 2024. The same survey showed that the majority of K-Pop fans used YouTube for accessing K-Pop online, while Spotify was the second most popular online service for K-pop content. Due to the vast amount of content related to K-Pop, such as music videos, behind the scene videos, variety content and more, K-pop fans usually spend a lot of time watching said content. The average time spent engaging with K-pop, was highest among Filipino fans, followed by Thai and Indonesian consumers. Fan culture and collecting K-pop content, especially CDs, usually has unique packaging which makes it attractive for consumers to buy and collect. An album usually includes a photobook and a lot of freebies such as photocards or stickers. Since the albums often include only one photocard out of many, fans often buy more copies to collect one of each member of the group. In some cases, idol groups release several versions of the same album with different photo concepts, so that avid collectors spend even more on K-pop. One example is the top-selling physical album of 2024, "SPILL THE FEELS" by SEVENTEEN, for which seven versions were available.