HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk (second from left in the front row) poses with K-pop phenomenon BTS on the cover of TIME magazine after being selected for “TIME100 Most Influential Companies” in its April 2022 issue. Image: TIME A significant dilemma has surfaced in the ever-evolving world of K-pop : Should the industry focus on nurturing casual fans or continue to cater to its dedicated superfans? This debate came to the forefront when Bang Si-hyuk , chairman of K-pop powerhouse HYBE, addressed the issue on a local TV show last November. Bang expressed concerns about K-pop being in crisis, partly due to the intense consumption patterns of its superfans.
HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk. Image: Courtesy of HYBE “The basis of my crisis theory lies in the intense consumption by dedicated fandoms. K-pop fans demonstrate intense engagement and massive, concentrated consumption,” Bang said.
“However, this highlights K-pop’s limitation in scalability. Most artists have a mix of super fans and casual fans, but K-pop tends to lack the latter. It’s a very concentrated structure.
The industry needs to evolve to attract more casual fans who can support the super fan base.” The push to attract casual fans and the general public stems from the K-pop agencies’ strategic need to expand into larger markets more rapidly. Seventeen members (from left) Image: Courtesy of Pledis Entertainment K-pop’s superfan structure was a strategic response to the low profitability of digital music d.