K-pop (Korean pop) is a genre of famous music which originated from South Korea. In the 1990s, Korean pop musicians incorporated partially Europop and mostly American popular music styles such as hip hop, rock, jazz, and electronic dance in their music. That’s where K-pop music was born!

21st century (Rise of Hallyu) : K-pop is increasing popularity forms part of Hallyu, or the Korean Wave: the popularity of South Korean culture in other countries. K-pop is increasingly making appearances on Western charts such as Billboard. The development of online social media has been a vital tool for the Korean music industry in reaching a wider audience.

The birth of second-generation K-pop was followed with the successful debuts of SS501 , Super Junior, Big Bang, Wonder Girls, Girls’ Generation, Kara , Shinee, 2NE1, 4Minute, T-ara, f(x), and After School.

Not all K-pop fans are young women; In 2012 New York magazine interviewed male adult Girls’ Generation fans, who admitted to liking the group for its members’ looks and personalities, citing the members’ humility and friendliness towards the fans.

Many fans travel overseas to see their idols on tour, and tourists commonly visit Korea from Japan and China to see K-pop concerts.