The K-Pop Phenomenon in the UK

D-Crunch is a nine-piece group formed under All-S Company by Lee Jong-seok, who had produced girl group Girl's Day in 2010.

The hip hop oriented group consists of rappers Hyunho, O.V, Minhyuk, Chanyoung, Jungseung, and Dylan; and vocalists Hyunwook, Hyunoh, and Hyunwoo.

The group's name is an abbreviation of 'Diamond-Crunch', to represent their strong performances and musical abilities, training together for one year before making their official debut.

"공통점이 있다면 오로지 가수에 대한, 데뷔에 대한 열정이 간절했고, 그래서 서로서로 도우면서 목표를 위해 노력하다 보니 9명이 한 팀을 이루었고, 디크런치로 데뷔하게 됐습니다."

"One thing we all have in common is that we are all passionate about becoming singers and making a debut, so whilst helping each other out, all 9 of us were able to form a team and make our debut."

Within months of their debut, D-Crunch had gained considerable popularity, citing BTS and PSY as artists who have influenced a global awareness of Korean music.

The boys hope to take this feat further by contributing to the UK charts with music that fans can identify with, just as BTS have done.

"우선 BTS선배님들이 영국 오피셜 차트 8위를 기록했다는 놀라운 소식을 들었습니다. BTS선배님들이 앞서 간 길에 누가 되지 않도록 더 긍정적이고 보다 넓은 영향을 줄 수 있도록 이바지하는 아티스트가 되고 싶습니다. 더 나아가 영국 음악계에 디크런치만의 에너지와 음악. 퍼포먼스로 한국의 음악에 대한 긍정적인 인식을 심어주고 싶습니다."

"First, we heard the surprising news that BTS had placed number 8 in the UK’s official charts. In order to keep in line with BTS’s progress, we want to contribute to it by becoming artists who can spread a wide and positive influence. We want to advance into the UK’s music scene, and to bring more positive awareness to Korean music through our own music and our energy."

One of D-Crunch's biggest goals is "to perform around the world". Though the group were scheduled to perform in Europe this summer*, they have been unable to do so due to the global pandemic.

However, the boys have expressed that in the future they want to go to England, to make themselves known to new listeners, as well as to meet their UK fans.

*New dates for the tour are currently unknown.

Interview translated by Maisie Duff

GreatGuys, just like D-Crunch, is made up of nine members: Dongin, Haneul, Donghwi, Hwalchan, Uiyeon, Baekgyeol, Jae I, Horyeong, and Daun.

The members signed with DNA Entertainment, where they trained for 3 years before making their debut with the single "Last Men".

With entertainment companies constantly churning idol groups, it’s easy to get lost among those that come and go.

Despite being produced by a relatively small entertainment agency, GreatGuys are considerably popular outside of South Korea.

*Graces are fans of GreatGuys. Every K-Pop fanbase has its own name.

But whilst the members of GreatGuys seem to be enjoying their path to fame so far, they've also opened up about the hardships they've endured.

However their efforts seem to have paid off: the group had intended to perform a variety of shows to promote their second mini album 'We're Not Alone - Chapter 1: It's You'.

During this tour, GreatGuys have gone on to make history - becoming the first K-pop group to hold a concert in the Dominican Republic in February.

But because of the global pandemic, the group have been unable to perform their European leg of the tour, which they say they are "pretty upset about".

Interview transcribed by Kang Mihyun

Translated by Maisie Duff

With K-Pop more global than ever before, entertainment agencies have made the decision to hold worldwide auditions to find the next potential K-Pop stars.

These auditions take place across the globe - from Asia, North and South America, to Europe and Australia.

One such group created from this approach is PRISMA, with members coming from Korea, Spain, Italy and the USA. The group are managed by Seoul-based K-Pop agency UnionWave Entertainment, who plan to make their official in October.

"Nia and Miriam first joined through global auditions; first passing online, then flying to Paris for the final audition. Gyeongmin and Eunbyeol unnie were casted through Seoul Auditions, and I have a friend who is friends with our dance teacher, so when she found out that the company was looking for people, she mentioned me and helped me set up an audition."

- Sally Lao (of PRISMA)

Nia and Miriam are not the first Europeans to enter the K-Pop scene - earlier this year KAACHI, also called "the UK’s first K-Pop girl group" made their debut.

KAACHI have faced considerable backlash, including accusations of cultural appropriation due to the fact that the majority of their members are non-Korean, as well as criticism of their lack of training.

However, it remains to be seen whether PRISMA will receive the same reception upon debut, or whether they’ll "capture the hearts of audiences worldwide."

"We have a very multinational and multicultural group that I think can speak to the global audience.

- Nia

"Our music can reach out to many people not only in Korea but also around the world and those who are new to Kpop."

- Eunbyeol

But not all K-pop stars share the same level of optimism.

Dayul (who used the stage name Dabin) joined K-Pop girl group Baby Boo in 2016, a year after the group’s debut, before leaving less than two years later.

Now, she, along with fellow former Baby Boo member Daon are currently embroiled in a legal battle to end their contracts that have been described as both unfair and illegal. 

"We are currently in the process of filing a lawsuit to terminate the contract(s). I did over 400 performances in 4 years, but I wasn't paid for them.

Also, we have to file a compensation suit, but we are just proceeding with a contract cancellation lawsuit because it is a waste of time."

Not only were they not paid - the girls also had to pay for vocal and dance lessons, stage outfits, gym fees, which were financed by their parents, rather than being supported by their agency.

It got to a point where despite performing more than 3-4 events a day, the members were unable to make money for public transportation,which they were expected to use to get to and from music shows.

Dayul says that she was angry with the company and felt humilimated by the way she was treated.

"I am an adult, and I felt so pathetic that I spent about four years living with my parents every day by day. It was really hard."

One of the major problems with K-Pop contracts is that hopefuls wanting to become the next 'big thing essentially sign their lives away.

Many entertainment agencies opt to use their own version of a contract rather than a standardised contract because it is not legally-binding.

In Dayul's case, there was no specified contract period, meaning that the length of her exclusive contract wasn’t clear. She says that companies will draw up contracts that are "often disadvantageous to idol groups."

"I heard that each company is cleverly writing the contract and there are many victims like me."

Additionally, she urges young hopefuls to read over their contracts carefully before signing.

"I hope you don't just listen to good words and don't recognize the company, don't think about the hard work in the future just thinking about achieving your dream, and don't just go into the company without thinking about it. You have to look into it and check the contract properly."

Things to look out for in these contracts include:

• When the contract starts and whether what's been said matches what's on paper
• How much and when you will get paid (also asking for proof of accounts as necessary)
• Checking what penalties there are for failing to fulfil terms of your contract.

But despite the hardships that she has faced, Dayul has been able to restart her career in the K-Pop industry with another company.

Her other activities include trying to win the Miss Korea award and running her own YouTube channel, Dayul TV, where she showcases her daily life and vocal talents.

The industry often fails to protect its artists

CONTENT WARNING: this section contains information about self-harm and suicide.

The recent suicide deaths of two well-known female K-pop stars within weeks of each other has drawn attention to the intense pressures that artists face.

Being in the spotlight for almost 10 years proved too much for Kim Jong-hyun, the SHINee singer best known by his stage name Jonghyun.

His final message revealed the depth of his struggles with depression.

"I’m broken from the inside," the note read.

"The depression that has slowly eaten away at me has finally consumed me, and I couldn’t beat it.”

Jonghyun’s death stunned fans worldwide and focused attention on mental-health issues in South Korea, a country which has one of the highest global suicide rates.

Sulli, who passed in October 2019, was outspoken about mental health issues, often speaking about her struggle with depression, as well as the cyberbullying female K-pop stars face.

Sulli’s friend and fellow K-pop star Goo Hara was another target of gender violence online, often from anonymous male fans enraged by their idols’ refusal to conform to expectations.

The deaths of these beloved idols have intensified demands for government action against anonymous cyber-bullying.

Though the industry often fails to adequately protect its artists, sensational headlines that suggest a "dark side" to an already misunderstood industry continues to fuel the stigma around mental health and may prevent people from seeking treatment and support.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, call Samaritans at 116 123 or SupportLine.

"Dragged into K-Pop"

Interest in South Korean culture has been on the rise over the last few years, with the UK being one of the latest countries to embrace the 'Korean Wave'.

Korean popular culture expands beyond the music - it also includes things like films, art, food, beauty, and fashion.

Kyuin Kim, a Korean Language lecturer at the University of Sheffield has noticed that the increasing number of students who sign up to her classes are motivated by a curiousity of Korean culture.

In contrast to Kyuin's students, the majority of K-Pop fans are typically depicted as 'screaming teenage fangirls'. However, the reality is that these fan bases are diverse communities, made up of people of all ages and from all backgrounds.

Dot Tomkinson, 48, has been a fan of K-Pop for over a year and a half. She says she was "dragged into K-Pop" by her now 16-year-old daughter, who has been a fan of boy group BTS since 2016.

"It's kind of niche, but also mainstream at the same time."

K-Pop is especially popular in London, with approximately 20,000 Korean people living in New Malden, which has been dubbed London's 'Little Korea'.

Independent stores like SOKOLLAB specialise in Korean beauty and K-Pop, but with K-Pop making its way it onto the shelves of mainstream music retailers such as HMV, more people than ever before are accessing K-Pop across the UK.

However, for those that don't reside in the UK's major cities, such as London and Birmingham, it can be difficult to access a variety of K-Pop goods.

Many stores that sell K-Pop only offer a limited selection of artists and albums.

The lack of K-Pop in the South West is what inspired Lydia Taylor to set up The Kawaii Store in Plymouth's Pannier Market.

But despite the demand she gets, Lydia says K-Pop has yet to catch on in some parts of the UK. Some see K-pop as a relatively new thing and are reluctant to listen to it, whilst others are simply unaware of it.

Whilst K-Pop is beginning to garner more airtime on British radio, the entertainment industry is still reluctant to promote the genre.

However, the music industry is changing. People are no longer relying on radio to discover new music.

As K-Pop continues to grow, entertainment companies are turning to streaming-based platforms to reach wider audiences, putting pressure on traditional outlets to be more inclusive of the music they play.