WHEN ONE thinks of Korean entertainment, it is normal to think of our favorite K-pop groups or actors who fit perfectly into the ideal Korean celebrity model: fit, lean body, fair skin, face with perfect proportions, and, most importantly, Korean. What if you saw someone non-Korean debut in a K-pop group or star in the latest Korean drama? Some critics strongly uphold the idea that Korean entertainment can only be “Korean,” labeling non-Koreans who attempt to break into the industry as “Koreaboos[1]” or limit their roles to “the foreigner.” In the midst of this controversy are the actual experiences of those who train and work diligently, seeking acceptance into a homogenous industry. With these artists, K-entertainment continues to develop as a global industry that understands and attracts cultures worldwide.

The evolution of K-pop

   Although K-pop is now one of the most popular genres of music worldwide, it had to go through stages of steady development throughout four different generations. Each generation witnessed the industry become more open to international fans and more accepting of non-Korean artists. 

   The “first generation” of K-pop idol groups, from the 1990s to early 2000s, consisted of Korean artists who performed for domestic audiences. SM Entertainment debuted Korea’s first boy group H.O.T. in 1996, and the K-pop industry founded a model “based on [the concepts of] American boy bands and Japanese idols[2].” Thereafter, K-pop idol groups became trendsetters for Korea’s youth population, propelling K-pop to be successful domestically.

   In the mid-2000s, the marketing of K-pop idols targeted other parts of Asia, thus beginning what is referred to as the “second generation” era of K-pop. In an interview with The Yonsei Annals, Professor Kim Jung-won (Prof. International Department, UIC., Yonsei Univ.), an ethnomusicologist specializing in Korean popular music culture, said “the second generation was when K-pop started to expand internationally to understand how to appeal to different cultures.” SM Entertainment was one of the leaders in the expansion of K-pop internationally. With groups like Super Junior and TVXQ, they set their sights on establishing fanbases in other Northeast Asian countries. Han Geng, a Chinese member in Super Junior, became the leader in the subunit Super Junior-Mandarin, whose target audience was Mandarin-speaking fans. Professor Kim explained how the industry was ready to expand into Northeast Asia, mainly because of the cultural, societal, and aesthetic similarities between South Korea, China, and Japan. 

   Towards the late 2000s, although the industry was mainly focused on Northeast Asian markets, agencies began looking towards Southeast Asian countries. JYP Entertainment debuted idols such as 2PM’s Thai member Nickhun who added refreshing diversity to the otherwise fully Korean boy group. Thus, the “third-generation” of K-pop involved the inclusion of mixed-race idols who were either half Korean or East Asian. From 2011, the third generation began actively acknowledging the power of the international K-pop fandom and recognized the potential for overseas talents in K-pop. During the third generation, agencies debuted idols who are half Caucasian, such as Seventeen’s Vernon or the solo singer Somi. In an interview in Kiu’s salon, a celebrity hair designer YouTuber, Somi expressed that she had never bleached her hair a bright color because she only wanted to show her Asian side and did “not want people to see her as a foreigner[3].” She said, “I held a prejudice against my own mixed-race self and thought it would be too weird if I had bright colored hair.” However, she expressed that she recently bleached her hair to be platinum blonde regardless, and the “audience showed a positive response to the new look[3].” As artists like Somi gather the courage to show their international identity through different modes of expression, the K-pop industry enjoys a multitude of unique styles and presentations.

   As the K-pop industry has fully entered its “fourth generation,” the diversity of artists has not changed much from the previous generation. However, non-Korean and mixed-nationality idols now seem to explore their identity openly, experimenting with the styles, aesthetics, and sounds, utilizing K-Pop as a platform to launch a career that illustrates their own independent creativity. EXO member Lay promotes his Chinese songs as a solo artist, and his productions like his song “Lit” have allowed him to express his Chinese identity to the public, promoting his culture, language, and identity as a minority in K-pop. The internationalization of K-pop allows non-Korean artists to produce music and interact with diverse audiences, and artistic freedom encourages groups with foreign members to have interesting discographies. K-pop industry has now slowly started including K-pop groups composed of mostly non-Korean members. This emergence of a diverse array of artists in K-pop demonstrates the industry’s potential to grow as a global entertainment industry and integrate multiple cultures to connect people all over the world.

Introducing KAACHI and their journey as foreign K-pop idols

   To understand the unique experiences of non-Korean artists in the fourth generation of K-pop, the Annals interviewed KAACHI, a K-pop girl group based in the United Kingdom. KAACHI is the first U.K. K-pop girl group and has members that come from diverse backgrounds. Nicole, the main vocalist of the group, is Venezuelan-Spanish. Chun-seo, the maknae[4] and “visual[5],” is the Spanish-Filipino main rapper of the group. Coco, the lead vocalist, and sub-rapper is the only Korean member in the group. In the interview, the members of KAACHI explained that they were avid fans of K-pop before debuting. Back in 2019, Nicole and Chun-seo competed as a cover dance group in a K-pop competition. Unbeknownst to them at the time, the competition was also a secret audition for FrontRow Labels, a U.K.-based K-pop record label. Coco later joined the group through private auditions, becoming the newest member. The three girls trained together for their 2021 spring debut single “Your Turn,” which now has about fifteen million views on YouTube.

   Despite the overall positive public reception of KAACHI’s debut, they have had to face several difficulties as a diverse K-pop group in a traditionally culturally homogenous industry. Coco explained, “critics have stated that the members’ limited training time as a group made our debut premature. Some have taken even more critical stances, questioning our title as a K-pop group because we have foreign members who did not originate from Korea.” Coco expressed that “critics have dismissed our status as a K-pop girl group despite how each member has had over five years of previous training and performance experience before debut.” Despite member’s efforts to understand Korean culture extensively, critics undermine their efforts, calling KAACHI “koreaboos” in YouTube comments, review video titles, and other places on the internet. However, by growing through their music and performances, KAACHI is actively defying these criticisms. K-pop’s domestic and international audience places pressure on KAACHI to “be ‘better’ than other local idol groups to ‘make up’ for the fact that they are not Korean,” according to the group. KAACHI explained that they work hard to cater to both their Western origin as well as their label of a K-pop girl group. The members expressed, “when we spoke Korean or referred to elements of Korean pop culture, our critics said we were trying ‘too hard’ to be Korean. When we presented elements of our group’s Western side, they showed criticism by saying that K-pop has now become too Westernized.” Due to their unique identity as foreigners in K-pop, critics do not give KAACHI positive recognition as K-pop idols or Western artists. To combat these unreasonable standards, KAACHI emphasizes its artistic uniqueness. The members stated, “we had to work in different ways, and we also wanted to pursue our own style by adding Western pop sound and Spanish lyrics to our music.”

   Many of KAACHI’s fans (UNI-Ks, meaning “United with KAACHI and You and I with KAACHI”) admire the member’s diversity because many UNI-Ks are part of the international K-pop community. The fans can relate to the KAACHI members as they come from diverse backgrounds, united with one passion: K-pop. KAACHI expresses that their “fans take inspiration from how we had to overcome so many barriers. Both our group and our fans idolize the K-pop style, and they show appreciation for how our group provides more representation in the K-pop industry.” Coco says, “you can break boundaries just like we have.” There were many difficulties to overcome, but KAACHI wants to lead as examples giving hope and a vision for those who want to be a global K-pop artist, regardless of their ethnicity. The group’s love for K-pop and their confidence in expressing themselves unite their community. This appeal is what allows KAACHI to hold significance within a large, ever-growing K-pop music industry.

   FrontRow Global, founded in 2016, manages non-Korean artists located in London who believe they can bring content with new perspectives into the K-entertainment industry. The Annals interviewed Lee Monica, the director of FrontRow labels, to understand the process it took to create a culturally mixed, ambitious company. Lee explained that she was looking for talents to produce K-pop in London. She said her goal was to highlight the inherently “Western” influences of K-pop while introducing and exploring Korean pop culture to the Western world. After several auditions, the company found artists brave enough to participate in the ambitious project, merging multiple cultures. Lee explained, “I thought everyone deserves to create whatever they like regardless of nationality, gender, and background. When I saw Nicole and Chun-seo—their love for K-pop was evident, and they deserve to be artists making K-pop music.” Lee suggested that it is now K-pop’s turn to redefine the meaning of international opportunities, utilizing artists and creators who are talented and passionate.

K-dramas and TV shows reflecting reality

  Other Korean entertainment industries are also reflecting a gradual acceptance of the world beyond East Asia. As globalization impacts Korea, with the country’s foreign population on the rise, K-dramas have come to feature more international characters to illustrate these societal changes. However, K-dramas have traditionally used foreigners as short stand-ins to show the “foreignness” of a scene. In 2018, renowned acting coach Hyuk Mo-ahn explained that “as K-dramas reflect the culture in South Korea, the only characteristic of foreigners is their difference to the social norm.” Therefore, the foreign actors that appear in dramas are often limited to the role of “foreigner.” Hyuk continued that “even if they speak Korean fluently, they are still foreigners[6].” Some actors are striving to break the barriers of the K-drama industry despite the odds against them.

  Albright Joey, one of the few “known” foreign actors in Korea who has starred in hit dramas like She was pretty, explains that he does not watch Western or Korean actors for direct inspiration but strives to be as successful as they are[7].” He has the advantage of being unique in a predominantly Korean industry[7]. By taking ownership of his identity, he overcomes the traditional barriers and stereotypes which tie him down to one-dimensional roles. For example, in Please Don't Date Him, Albright is simply Ye-Seul’s friend. As actors like Albright act as normal residents in Korea who belong in the country, K-dramas can normalize foreigners’ presence in general society. With efforts from actors like Albright, Korean media’s domestic and international audiences have exposure to diversity, allowing foreign actors to take on more complex roles. 

   The Netflix sitcom So Not Worth It was released on Netflix in June 2021, and the show “[aimed] to dispel the stereotypes surrounding foreign actors and the roles they play[8].” The show’s plot revolves around a group of students with multicultural backgrounds living in the international dormitory of a Korean university. Although the characters may physically appear as “foreigners,” they are very comfortable with Korean culture and language[9]. In an interview with Joongang Daily, Allen Carson, a show member, expressed that her role was personally meaningful to her. Allen stated how it “was the first time I’ve ever played a role where, even though we are in an international dormitory, the fact that we were foreigners was never emphasized[8].” 

   On the other hand, the internationalization of reality TV shows in Korea started during the 2010s, a few years earlier than K-dramas. The 2010s was a critical time for the development of Korean television as reality TV shows such as Running Man were gaining widespread popularity in Asia and Europe. This television genre commonly starred foreign celebrities such as Hammington Sam, who became popular with Korean audiences. According to Professor Kim, what allowed reality TV shows to feature more foreign celebrities and actors was that they had the time to “introduce and explain different cultures to the audience, whereas K-dramas had to portray an attention-grabbing, plot-driven story within shorter time constraints.” Korean reality TV attempts to capture the interesting aspects of our society rather than paint idealistic stories that cater to what the local audience is comfortable watching. Japanese actor Fujii Mina starred in reality TV shows during the early 2010s, including the popular hit We Got Married. In an interview with Korea.net, Fujii explained how the representation of foreigners in media helps encourage an ethnically diverse industry. Fujii said, “I can see many actors and actresses in variety shows where they show their true selves, just as they really are. So, I decided to take the chance to appear on such shows. Sometimes, I made grammatical mistakes and didn’t look as perfect as I was in dramas or movies. However, my fans accepted me for who I am as a human and have rooted for me[9].” As we enter an era of globalization, reality TV allows foreign stars from different entertainment fields have the freedom to speak up and express themselves.

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   K-entertainment has come a long way from its traditionally restrictive origins and now has started to provide more opportunities for non-Korean artists, actors, and celebrities through encouragement of diversity and freedom of creativity. Although many barriers still exist, the continuous emergence of foreign celebrities calls for further attention towards the entertainment industry’s ongoing transformation moving towards diversity.

[1] Koreaboos: A word referring to non-Koreans who idolize Korean culture or want to become Korean

[2] Koreaboo

[3] kiu기우쌤 YouTube Channel

[4] Maknae: A Korean word referring to the youngest of a group

[5] Visual: A word that the K-pop community uses to call a member of an idol group that has impactful aesthetics, including styling and presentation

[6] BBC

[7] DKDKTV

[8] JoongAng Daily

[9] Korea.net