Economics
The $4.7 Billion K-Pop Industry Chases Its ‘Michael Jackson Moment’
YouTube is turning South Korea into a pop culture juggernaut.
Wanna One appears on the red carpet at KCON Los Angeles in August 2017.
Photographer: Julian Berman for Bloomberg BusinessweekThis article is for subscribers only.
At a mountain retreat south of Seoul, some three dozen aspiring pop stars practice synchronized dance moves while singing into bottles of tea they grip in place of microphones. Then they do it again. And again.
Endless repetition, tear-inducing critiques from coaches, smile practice, and psychological counseling are plot points in an 11-week reality TV show documenting the creation of a teeny-bopper singing group. Idol School, which began airing in July, is part of a corporate push to turn Korean pop music into a global phenomenon.