The popular K-pop group BTS has been around for ten years. Not only are they popular with teenagers, but they also have sales of up to five billion dollars a year. According to Korean studies professor Remco Breuker of Leiden University, the pop group is one of South Korea’s most successful exports of all time.
According to Breuker, K-pop is the export product of South Korea. BTS is the biggest K-pop band both in South Korea and abroad. The pop group consists of seven members, all good in terms of turnover, history and merchandising. Together, but also separately, they sell a lot.
“The concept was conceived and built from start to finish”
“If we look at revenue from music sales, South Korea earned $1.7 billion from K-pop this year. However, it doesn’t matter how much South Korea’s largest companies earn. It is estimated to be up to 25 percent of foreign sales’, says Breuker.
Preconceived concept
BTS didn’t just happen. ‘The concept was conceived and set up from start to finish. Exactly the right people have been contacted. Also, the characters of the band members were first put on paper. Only then did the boys join the team,’ says Breuker.
BTS was created through good marketing, but the phenomenon doesn’t actually occur outside of South Korea. Indonesia and Thailand are also working on it, but not on this scale and not as successful as Korea has. South. According to Breuker, it takes a long time to create a pop group like this. ‘You really have to invest well. The South Korean government did. The infrastructure is there to do this, but of course it’s not available in all countries,’ says Breuker.
Army
Two members of the pop group are in the military, because men are forced to do so in South Korea. “BTS were so popular that it seemed like a law was on the way that would relieve them of that obligation,” says Breuker. The pop group themselves said no, meaning there won’t be any performances for a while.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
