NEW HAVEN, Connecticut -- Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, hosted a two-day K-pop conference under the banner of “K-Pop: Musical Production and Consumption” on Thursday and Friday, featuring discussions by scholars in social sciences and the humanities alongside presentations by industry professionals. Sixteen speakers delivered talks across four sessions, examining topics ranging from fandom dynamics and musical identity to K-pop’s historical trajectory and global market strategies. Shifting power dynamics in K-pop fandoms Mathieu Berbiguier, a visiting assistant professor in Korean Studies at Carnegie Mellon University, explored the evolving dynamics between Korean and international K-pop fans, particularly in online spaces.
His research identified a significant shift in influence, largely driven by increased economic participation from international fans. “In 2016, when I started my research, it was not the time when international fans were able to purchase K-pop group’s albums and their merchandise, not to talk about attending their concerts. It was hard for, especially Western fans, to economically contribute as idols' new albums, merchandise items and concerts were only available in Asia,” Berbiguier said.
“But as K-pop’s popularity expanded globally with emergence of star groups like BTS, Blackpink and Twice, international fans finally got to spend money. This narrowed the economic power gap between Korean fans and international fans,” he ad.
