With K-pop becoming increasingly popular and successful in Asian countries, many Korean entertainment firms have set their eyes on expanding beyond the regional market. Both Shin and Jung explore the obstacles of K-pop music entering the global market, or specifically, the American market. Both authors agree that it would still be a very difficult task for K-pop to enter the American market because of the Western perceptions of “Asian-ness”. Jung analyzes how Asian stereotypes in America have largely influenced the circulation of K-pop music in the States. To appeal to its Western audience, entertainment companies have produced music that conforms to these stereotypes. For example, the girl group Wonder Girls’ music video of “Nobody” showcases the group as sexy yet cute, thus portraying an overall exotic image of the Asian females. Furthermore, BoA’s music video of “Eat You Up” shows both the Dragon Lady stereotypes of the aggressive and dangerous Asian female as well as the China-Doll stereotypes of the docile and submissive Asian woman. However, Jung does make note of the artist Rain and his attempt to perhaps subvert the traditional Asian male stereotypes in his songs and music videos. In one instance, he shows himself in his music as sexually competent and powerful. Despite such attempts, Shin states in his article that Rain was heavily criticized by the American press in his New York performance as being too “Asian” as his music is too “soft and dewy”. In this sense, it seems that it would be difficult for Korean artists to escape the existing stereotypes. However, JYP, Rain’s agency head, states that the reason in continuing to penetrate the U.S. market is that by doing so, the company would have the ability to stabilize its market force in Asia. In other words, the company can consolidate its position in the Asian market as the number one power through showing their place in the American market. As Shin mentions, though it proves to be extremely hard to enter the American market, the globalization project for these K-pop stars still seems to be on the rise.
Mirroring Shin’s words, in recent years, more and more K-pop groups are attempting to set their feet in the Western market. Most notable is the boy group BTS’s success in the U.S. market. The boy group has won multiple titles in the U.S. and has been featured on many prominent award ceremonies such as the Grammy's. The group’s success can be attributed to their skillful use of social media as well as their ability to garner a wide international fan-base due to social media. However, the group arguably still has a long way to go in order to compete with the mainstream artists. Besides BTS, other popular groups, such as Red Velvet and BlackPink, are also trying to make their way into the market. However, for now, they might still be facing a niche market.
