The K-Pop industry is known to be a revolving door of innovation, creativity, and impactful star presence. The Hallyu wave has effectively taken over the world with idol groups and soloists, along with riveting K-Dramas at the forefront. Just like previous years, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted the Overseas Hallyu Survey to determine overseas fans' favorites in various categories.

The main purpose of this survey is to compile the data on the impact of the Hallyu wave. With a sample size of 25,000 people from over 26 countries, the 2024 Overseas Hallyu Survey tries its best to show an accurate representation of what types of K-Content is being consumed in different countries.

In one part of the survey, respondents were asked "Who is currently your favorite Korean group/artists?". Let's find out their answers below!

 

Top 5 Favorite K-Pop Groups/Artists

1. BTS

With an impressive 29.1%, BTS takes the top spot among overseas fans' favorite K-Pop idol groups/artists. While the BTS members were active with solo schedules, they slowly made their way into the army, one by one, in order to carry out their mandatory military enlistment. Despite fulfilling their national duty, the iconic boy group's musical influence, positivity, and unique outlook have cemented them as a top idol group.

 

2. BLACKPINK

Following in second is world-renowned girl group BLACKPINK. They were selected by 13.1% of respondents as their favorite idol group. After the conclusion of their Born Pink World Tour, the iconic girl group decided to stay together with YG for group promotions, but would pursue their individual endeavors under a separate companies. Despite this, the very essence of BLACKPINK still resonated deeply with K-Pop fans across the globe for both their music and individuality.

 

3. Psy

When 'Gangnam Style' first dominated the world charts, it seemed like a fever dream. However, through its success, the Korean wave was able to make a resounding resurgence worldwide. This international success has remained with Psy since, praised for his contributions to Korean entertainment and culture. Psy had a somewhat quiet 2023 but was still able to fill concert venues and remained at the forefront of overseas fans' hearts, being selected by 2.9%.

 

4. BTS' JungKook

BTS as a whole were successful soloists in 2023, however, the one member who was selected by 2.7% of overseas fans as their favorite artist was none other than the golden maknae himself, BTS' JungKook. Coming out with the album "GOLDEN", comprised of hits like 'Seven', 'Standing Next To You', and '3D', JungKook's career was elevated to another level. He was able to showcase his individuality as an artist, becoming a beloved name among the K-Pop community and beyond.

 

5. IU

Rounding out the list at no. 5 is the lovely singer-actress, IU. The award-winning soloist was selected by 2.1% of overseas fans. In 2023, she earned immense love for her appearance in hilarious yet heartwarming sports movie, "Dream". Aside from this, IU is an artist that millions love worldwide, praised for her swoon-worthy musicality and incredible artistic prowess.

 

Top 5 Favorite K-Pop Groups Regional Breakdown

Although the above artists were the overall consensus among overseas fans, there were some outliers among the various regions. In Asia - Oceania TWICE and BLACKPINK's Lisa took no. 4 and no. 5. Stray Kids were included in the Top 5 of the Americas and Europe. Then BIGBANG's G-Dragon was present among the fans in the Middle East and Africa. However, one common factor among all regions was BTS' place at the top. Even in a year where they all slowly transitioned into military service, they remained the hottest K-Pop act that the world has ever seen.

However, speaking of consistency, BLACKPINK remained at a constant no. 2, while they were beaten out by BTS' loveable maknae, JungKook, among the overseas fans in Africa. These rankings have remained quite similar over the past several years.

As seen through the results of the Overseas Hallyu Survey over the years, BTS and BLACKPINK remain a force to be reckoned with. They worked tirelessly, standing on the biggest stages worldwide, communicating with fans through whatever means possible. They built up a long-standing legacy within the K-Pop community that surely won't crumble anytime soon. And despite all the criticism and hardships they might have faced along the way, the groups remained resolute in their commitment to their profession as idols, leveling up at various moments of their career. Both BTS and BLACKPINK have become frontrunners of the K-Pop industry, recognized by millions, if not trillions, around the globe.

 

The BTS & BLACKPINK Effect

It's hard to describe just how big of an influence BTS and BLACKPINK have had on the K-Pop community, resulting in both groups being no. 1 and no. 2 on overseas fans' top 5 list. With such longevity in their careers and the ability to connect to audiences beyond music, they've become a mainstay within the various micro-communities scattered across K-Pop. Currently, the two groups are taking a pause in their careers as a group, with BTS in the military and BLACKPINK focusing on their solo endeavors. However, both BTS and BLACKPINK continue to show up in netizens' mentions, extending their reach past the dedicated fandoms of ARMY and BLINK.

As a result of their continuing fame, despite being in a rest period of their group career, the sentiment towards the two are quite positive as fans patiently wait for their return.

And while it might be some time until we're able to see both BTS and BLACKPINK take the stage as a full group, this proves one thing: they show no signs of slowing down. The fact that people are still mentioning and searching about the two groups showcases their massive allure, bewitching the entire world to fall into their ocean of charms. This affection is well-earned, backed up by spectacular stages, heartwarming social media interactions, and being treated to additional content, so their absence is rarely felt. With this, it's quite likely that even future iterations of the Overseas Hallyu Survey will result in the idol groups being no. 1 and no. 2 once again.

 

Other Consistent Star-Studded Names

The prestige of BTS and BLACKPINK aside, along with Psy, there are even more names that deserve recognition for leading the Hallyu wave to even bigger heights. When talking about the globalization of K-Pop, one cannot forget about JYP Entertainment girl group TWICE. They've become a sturdy cornerstone within the industry, consistently selling out concert venues and becoming more than a national gem. Now, fans everywhere cheer their name at their various world tour stops and all across social media.

The interest over time towards TWICE has remained consistently high over the past 5 years, peaking around the times of their world tour, year end award show performances, and new releases. With such a strong fanbase and even interest from casual K-Pop fans, the girl group has an enormous stake in the K-Pop industry. Their presence is undeniable and will surely continue to persist, even with the changing of generations.

Then there's celebrated veteran, IU, who has managed to remain in the top 5 K-Pop acts for overseas fans for the past several years. Her sheer influence in the K-Pop scene cannot be understated, as she's also able to bridge the gap between music show stages and drama film sets.

Over the past 5 years, similarly to TWICE, netizen's interest over time towards the soloist have remained at a constantly high rate, showing huge jumps during song releases, news of her relationship status, and the moment she announced her world tour. Apart from BTS, BLACKPINK, and Psy, these two amazingly talented and renowned artists have remained at the top of the K-Pop scene, receiving love from international fans far and wide.

Newer groups from the fourth and fifth generation are currently showcasing a parade of talents, vying for the top spot in overseas fans' heart. Only time will tell if they'll have the ability to be included in the Overseas Hallyu Survey and be mentioned among the top 5 groups of overseas fans.

What do you think of the results of the Top 5 K-Pop Idols/Artists for the 2024 Overseas Hallyu Survey?

Mental health is a major topic in the world. As society changes and the weight of the world becomes worse, many people deal with mental health issues in different ways. A common but serious mood disorder is depression. Many people experience depression and the condition can sometimes be hard to deal with. Depression takes away your enjoyment of things you once loved and is much more than simply feeling sad. The representation in media is a vast spectrum.

K-Dramas have broken the taboo of discussing depression in shows. Increasingly, more shows choose to address topics of depression and many of them have it as the main focus of their series. Each series is different in how they display their characters' coping mechanisms and symptoms of depression. These 6 K-Dramas address depression throughout the series but all have their unique ways of doing it. Here is how they differ and how K-Dramas have juggled such a difficult topic in their series.

 

1. "Daily Dose Of Sunshine" Shows Anyone Can Feel Depressed

Probably one of the most realistic depictions of depression in a series, "Daily Dose of Sunshine" talks about a kind nurse who works in a psychiatry hospital and tries to bring sunshine to her patients. Setting in a psychiatry hospital, the series dives deeply into depression and mental health issues for each episode. One that stands out the most comes from the main character herself, Jung DaEun played by Park BoYoung. Jung DaEun sees the mistreatment of mental health patients in society's eyes and has to juggle a difficult job. A tragedy from a patient she was close with sent her into a spiral of guilt and depression.

The drama depicts her depression as various forms of self-sabotage and emptiness. She goes as far as overworking herself, even though she doesn't want to work, to try and ignore her depression. "Daily Dose Of Sunshine" was impressive with their depiction of depression and reminding everyone that it does not have a certain look. People may not expect mental health workers to feel a certain way since their main job is to help others but depression is not linear and anyone can experience it.

 

2. "Our Blues" Reminds Us Depression Isn't Just "Feeling Sad"

"Our Blues" focuses on a hometown in Jeju and the daily lives of its residents. As they navigate the ups and downs of life, they must also face the problems that life randomly throws at them. Min SeonAh, played by Shin MinA, is a character in the series who suffers from depression. A single mother whose husband left her, the series shows just how much depression can affect a person's time. She has no organization and has a lack of interest in life.

It gets so severe that she even forgets to pick up her son from school because of her mental health. What makes it even more interesting is the choice of colors for her as she is often shown in a blue hue, showing her "blues" and depression. The series shows that depression can have varying effects. It isn't simply feeling sad; sometimes people can not function normally because of it.

 

3. "Doctor Slump" Shows That Depression Doesn't Have One Look

"Doctor Slump" further reminds us that depression does not have a certain look to it and even if someone seems "perfect" you never know their struggles. The main character HaNeul, played by Park ShinHye, is a perfectionist and wants to succeed in everything she does. So when she realizes she is depressed, she wants to ignore it, resulting in her feeling worse than before. Despite HaNeul's perfect demeanor, she is battling with her mental health and finds comfort in the male lead of the series.

"Doctor Slump" gave some clarity on what depression looks like. Many people may have the image of someone who is untidy, lazy, and cries all the time but that is not always the case. Depression can sometimes be the hard-working doctor who comes into work smiling or your classmate who tends to keep to themselves. The K-Drama tackled the issues and taboos of depression in a wonderful way.

 

4. "Juvenile Justice" Shows Negative Effects Of Depression

"Juvenile Justice" has a devastating but realistic depiction of depression in the series. This K-Drama follows the story of a judge who does not look kindly on juveniles in the system and various cases of juvenile delinquency cases. One plot line focuses on a group of students cheating on a major exam soon being exposed and tried. Kang ShinWoo, played by Kim JunHo, is the son of the main character, Kang WonJung. His father also happens to be the chief of the Juvenile Justice Division.

When ShinWoo is found to be involved in the cheating scandal, his father chastises him to the point he tells him if he plans to end his life, he shouldn't involve his family. This results in ShinWoo attempting to end his life, leading his father to feel an immense sense of guilt. However, this arc in the series shows that ShinWoo was severely depressed with his academics. He never seemed to do well like his brother and being the son of a prominent figure only made him feel even more inferior.

 

5. "Weak Hero Class" Shows Us Outside Forces Can Cause Depression

In a similar fashion to "Daily Dose Of Sunshine", "Weak Hero Class" addresses the main character's depression and his forms of self-sabotage. Our protagonist, SiEun played by Park JiHoon, comes from a broken home with neglectful parents. They are too busy to deal with him and most times they are not even at home. Without any guidance or support from them, he chooses to isolate himself from the world. He studies despite not enjoying it anymore.

He doesn't have friends and feels a sense of emptiness in his everyday life. SiEun's reasons for his depression show that many things can trigger someone into depression. "Weak Hero Class" did an amazing portrayal of how outside factors can negatively impact an individual to the point they can fall into depression.

 

6. "Sweet Home" Shows How Depression Is Not Linear

"Sweet Home" shows the many layers of depression and how sometimes people fall into it due to various factors building up over time. "Sweet Home" is about a boy who has to deal with mysterious monsters after a strange incident in his apartment. Our main character, Cha Hyunsoo played by Song Kang, intentionally isolates himself and plans to end his life due to his depression. Bullied in school, and isolated from his classmates and family, he has many layers to his depression and what led him to his decision. The major turning point in his mental health was when he was the only survivor of a car crash that ended the lives of his family.

The drama shows how this has built up over time with all of the tragic events in his lifetime. There was not one main reason for him to feel depressed but various factors affected him mentally. What makes "Sweet Home" so interesting is the use of horror and monsters as battles of mental health issues. Confronting and battling his inner monster in this series gives the illusion of tackling his inner turmoil and depression. The series hits the nail on the coffin when HyunSoo chooses to help himself. No one forces him out of his depression and it is not magically cured, it's something he will need to improve on because he wants to.

 

As more and more K-Dramas discuss the topic of depression, many of them will choose to talk about it in their unique ways. Whats important is that these series are bringing to light a serious topic that needs to be discussed more in media.

Did you know that there is a word in Korean to describe men who are so good-looking that they're compared to flowers? This Korean word is "kkotminam".

'Kkotminam' (꽃미남) literally translates to "flower-like handsome man". It is a combination of 꽃 (kkot), meaning flower, and 미남 (minam), meaning handsome man. It is definitely a compliment and praise of a man's beauty.

Some popular Korean actors who are called 'kkotminam' include Lee JoonGi (the OG), Park BoGum, Song Kang, Ji ChangWook, Lee MinHo, and Song JoongKi, among others. Some idols who are called 'kkotminam' include ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, Ong SeongWu, NCT's HaeChan, TREASURE's JunKyu, RIIZE's WonBin, and ZEROBASEONE's Zhang Hao, among others.

You can use 'kkotminam' in a sentence (informally) as follows:

그 아이돌은 꽃미남이야

Geu aidol-eun kkotminam-iya

That idol is a kkotminam!

Who do you think is a kkotminam idol or actor? Tell us on X!

Stay tuned to Your Korea Tutor - Kpopmap to learn Korean in fun ways!