Global Artists Flock to Korea, the 'Heartland of K-Pop,' as Chinese Group AM8IC and HYBE's &TEAM Showcase 'Reverse Invasion' Success

The era when global artists aspired to enter the 'heartland of pop,' America, is long gone. Now, artists worldwide are setting their sights on Korea, the 'heartland of K-pop.'

Industry insiders revealed on the 11th that the globalization of K-pop is leading to an increasing number of idol singers aiming for debut and success in Korea.

Previously, a U.S. debut was the ultimate dream for artists. However, observers note that achieving success in Korea, the birthplace of K-pop, is now directly linked to global success, making a Korean debut a primary objective.

For instance, the new five-member boy group AM8IC, which debuted on the 10th, consists entirely of Chinese members. During their debut showcase, they expressed in halting Korean, "We've loved K-pop since we were young, and becoming K-pop artists was our dream." The members cited groups like BTS, EXO, SEVENTEEN, and Stray Kids as inspirations, respectfully referring to them as 'seniors.'

AM8IC's agency, TOV Entertainment, is led by CEO Yoon Beom-no, a producer and former choreographer who built his career in China. He has trained over 800 trainees across 50 Chinese agencies for the past seven years.

Regarding forming an all-Chinese K-pop group, Yoon stated, "It was my wish and dream. My goal is to develop them as a global K-pop group and achieve success."

Despite having no Korean members, AM8IC is focused on embodying the essence of K-pop. Their title track 'Link Up' prominently features Korean lyrics, a stark contrast to some K-pop artists who reduce or exclude Korean lyrics to target global markets.

The group's visuals, performance, and world-building concepts also follow the typical K-pop system. "When preparing AM8IC, we placed no boundaries between Korea and China," Yoon emphasized. "We thoroughly nurtured and planned them under the K-pop system."

The market is already fiercely competitive for those seeking to enter the 'heartland of K-pop.' Even groups debuting overseas must achieve significant results in Korea to be recognized as top-tier K-pop acts.

Hypbe's &TEAM, SM Entertainment's NCT WISH, and JYP Entertainment's NEXZ also operate in both Korea and Japan, but their core activities are centered around the Korean market.

Notably, &TEAM, a group localized in Japan, debuted there in 2022 and only recently made their official Korean debut three years later. An industry insider commented, "Unlike other groups, &TEAM had already proven their success and popularity in Japan over three years." They added, "While it's a unique case, their strategy proved effective, achieving rapid success in Korea immediately after their debut, leveraging their Japanese experience."

&TEAM's first Korean mini-album 'Back to Life,' released on March 28th, sold over 1.13 million copies on its first day, instantly achieving Million Seller status. The group had previously achieved Million Seller status with their Japanese single 'Go in Blind,' demonstrating the success of their 'reverse invasion' strategy: debuting in Japan first, then entering the Korean market.

However, the 'heartland of K-pop' audience has high standards for groups that only superficially adopt the K-pop identity. While the multinational nature of K-pop is widely accepted, criticism arises when groups aiming for K-pop lack Korean lyrics or fail to articulate their commitment to K-pop identity.

"Ultimately, what matters is whether they are based on the K-pop system," another insider stressed. "The most crucial element of K-pop is the 'K'."

Netizens are reacting positively to AM8IC's approach, stating 'Genuine K-pop requires Korean lyrics.' Regarding &TEAM's successful 'reverse invasion,' comments express surprise, such as 'The Korean market is indeed the toughest' and 'To be recognized as a K-pop group, you must succeed in Korea,' showing keen interest in their future activities.