Is Kpop mainstream in South Korea?

If Kpop, is idol group-dancing songs, then only BTS has mainstream acceptance, by popularity and longevity in Korea.

Gaon data - year end digital longevity for the decade can be used to determine that.

2010-20, only IU TTN and BTS SD has been on the top 100 for 4 years

In case of 3 years, again only BTS is the idol-dance group, otherwise it is IU, Paul Kim, Busker Busker

In case of 2 years, finally the Kpop GGs.BGs are present - Twice, BP, Gfriend etc. But again the list is dominated by Soloists - Ailee, Gummy, Park Hyoshin and trottists, foreign singers.

But the definition of K-pop is fuzzy. It includes IU, but not Paul Kim.

So more than looking at whether Kpop is mainstream popular or not, it is specific genres, specific acts, specific songs.

Among idol-dance-groups, only BTS is consistently popular and has longevity, across demography.

Otherwise Kpop is limited in its reach, mostly to teenagers and 20ers.

Quote from novemberrain

redcurtain what do you say

Kpop is definitely mainstream in Korea, even if you define it as idol music (which is basically what everyone thinks of it as). It's nowhere near as big as it was in even like 2016, but there are still huge hits by kpop groups all the time (usually ggs but still). Like Brave Girls, aespa, Oh My Girl, BTS, have all had massive hits this year that pretty much everybody knows. Twice, Shinee, Joy, Stayc, Laboum, also had popular songs that most people are at least aware of. The only thing to keep an eye on is that 4th gen boy groups have basically no footing with the GP at all these days (and a lot of 3rd gen bgs too), so I could see it being a thing in five years from now where only ggs are popular I guess (except for BTS probably lol).

Having lived in Korea now for three years I would say no? Here Kpop is more of a child thing than anything else. Not many adult Koreans, adult being roughly college age and up maybe even a little into high school, follow Kpop enough to call it mainstream. But of course the bigger groups are know especially BTS. BTS is definitely mainstream in that everybody knows them so are probably BP and Twice. But I think Twice is a bit too big where some might not be able to name all the members just the most known. Otherwise mostly kpop is known for the few big songs that get popular and some very popular select members from groups like Hwasa or Irene.

Kpop has been around since the 1990's and here we are in 2021 and kpop is still around, maybe it wasnt so mainstream chart wise back then but today there is no doubt about it.

Quote from Teudungi21

Having lived in Korea now for three years I would say no? Here Kpop is more of a child thing than anything else. Not many adult Koreans, adult being roughly college age and up maybe even a little into high school, follow Kpop enough to call it mainstream. But of course the bigger groups are know especially BTS. BTS is definitely mainstream in that everybody knows them so are probably BP and Twice. But I think Twice is a bit too big where some might not be able to name all the members just the most known. Otherwise mostly kpop is known for the few big songs that get popular and some very popular select members from groups like Hwasa or Irene.

wow, even in their own country kpop isnt so mainstream

im shock, but it is what it is.. kpop seem more popular internationally tho