01x01 - K-Pop

[bunniefuu]

[all] Yeah, yeah!

[speaking Korean]

[all shout excitedly]

[indistinct
Korean announcement]

[audience cheering]

So how long did you enjoy
the success of that song?

As a singer? Forever.

[crowd chanting]

But as a songwriter,
oh, my God.

[soft tense music playing]

Dream and nightmare
at the same time.

[audience cheering in distance]

Really.

How can I top this song?

- [cheering continues]
- [host] Five, four...

three, two, one...

[cheering continues loudly]

[upbeat music playing]

[Daniel] I'm Daniel Dae Kim.

- Actor...
- Daniel. Nice to meet you.

...producer,
and proud Korean-American.

All right, we have to stop
before I get emotional.

When I was a kid,
it was not cool to be Korean.

[Daniel] Then this happened.

[newscaster 1] Cultural
phenomenon or Korean Wave...

[newscaster 2] Korean Wave...

[newscaster 3] K-pop
along with TV dramas...

[Daniel] Now I'm going
to South Korea...

It's so good.
[chuckles]

...where I was born...

It's exactly
what I remember as a kid.
[chuckles]

...to find out how
this small nation in East Asia

rose from the ashes of w*r...

[anchorman] The end
of three years of conflict.

[Daniel]
...dictatorship and poverty...

[reporter] Decades
of sacrifice, years of success.

[Daniel]
...to conquer the world...

- Parasite.
- [crowd cheering]

[Daniel] ...with its culture
in just one generation.

[audience cheering]

[laughter]

Oh, we can go global now.

Oh, my God.

- Bottoms up.
- [laughter]

- [Daniel] From K-pop...
- Day Ones, we love you.

...to K-beauty...

Ah, this is a new world.

...to K-Everything.

[producer in Korean]
I'll turn it on.

[electronic drum track playing]

How many times have you
listened to that drum track?

[speaking Korean]

[laughter]

- Ten thousand times!
- [producer] Yeah.

[in Korean] We started with
the chords and bass.

[mutters in Korean]

[drum track playing
with upbeat melody]

Along with
the pad, synth, and lead.

- [upbeat music playing]
- [in English]
Instantly recognizable now.

This is where the global
phenomenon began,

with this very riff.

♪ We're goin' up... ♪

[Daniel] Golden from
the 2025 animated movie
KPop Demon Hunters .

And if you're watching closely,

you just might
catch me in it, too.

Everyone talks about Golden

everywhere I go
in America, in Korea.

[Daniel] The song
made K-pop history,

winning a Grammy, Golden Globe,
and at the Oscars,
Best Original Song.

[in Korean]
After we complete it,
we make the bridge.

[echoing beat plays]

[Daniel in English]
Coproduced by Joong, Lee Yu-han

and Nam Hee-dong,
together known as IDO.

[in Korean]
It was created to express
darkness and sadness.

[Daniel in English]
The writers, including Ejae

who also sings the part
of Rumi from HUNTR/X,

together crafted
the melody and lyrics
on top of this track.

- [ Golden's instrumental
music playing]
- Yeah.

All right.

With all due respect to Golden
because I love Golden ,

the first song
that caught my ear

in KPop Demon Hunters
was Soda Pop.

♪ You're all I can think of
Every drop I drink up ♪

[Daniel] Producer
and singer-songwriter Vince

and producer Dominsuk
worked on that.

[electronic bell playing]

[in Korean]
The bell sound
was created first.

- [electronic bell playing
with upbeat melody]
- [in English] Already so cute.

- Yeah.
- [laughter]

[in Korean]
Next, the drums come in.

- [electronic drums chime in]
- Snare drum, high hat.

- And then someone's whistling
on the top, right?
- [Vince] Yeah.

Why did you think
of that for the song?


producer that worked on this.

He actually went in the booth
and whistled it himself.

[melodic whistling playing]

The whole song,
we were trying to be cute.

Like, you can tell,
we're not the cutest
people in the world,

but making this
was a hell of
an experience, for sure.

♪ My little soda pop ♪

[in Korean]
I feel really happy because

I think we played a small role
in spreading K-pop
to the world.

You can heard Golden
in the streets

and you see children
wearing the gat .

I find it very amusing.

We're proud 'cause we were
able to promote traditional
Korean culture through music.

[in English]
You guys created something
that has definitely, I think,

changed our culture
for generations.

The world is very happy
that you did it.

- Thank you so much.
- Thank you so much.

[Daniel] Golden is only
the latest Korean-made pop song

to dominate global charts.

♪ I'm in the stars tonight ♪

♪ So watch me... ♪

[Daniel] This is
the most-streamed group on
Spotify in history, globally.

In less than two years,
BTS charted four number one
albums in the U.S.,

faster than any band
since the Beatles.

I was lucky enough
to go to a BTS concert in L.A.

Music aside,
what really blew my mind
was seeing non-Koreans

singing along
to the music in Korean.

- BTS!
- BTS, of course.

BTS!

[Daniel] That would have been
unthinkable when I was a kid.

If Americans had even
heard of South Korea,
it was because of w*r.

[indistinct chatter]

Just 40 years ago,
South Korea was under
military rule.

Western-style music
deemed too decadent was banned.

Same with long hair on men
and short skirts on women.

And today, this is
the Korea everyone knows.

[upbeat music playing]

[performer in Korean]
Thank you.

[music ends]

[Daniel in English] So how does
a country go from censorship

to pop culture trendsetter
in just one generation?

[Daniel] Let's start
at the beginning.

How would you define K-pop?

Oh, wow!

It's a mix of hip hop,
there's R&B,
there's techno dance,

all these different genres
from different cultures,

different music styles,

and then on top of that,
we have our own
Korean touch to it.

All that is K-pop.

- K-pop...
- K-pop...

[Daniel] David Kim is
an adjunct professor
in media creation

and a YouTuber.

The Korean music industry
wasn't really existent
back in the '60s

because we were
just getting off
of the Korean w*r.

And with the influence
of like American troops

coming in military bases,
they brought in
the Western culture,

the American music
such as R&B, jazz, rock,

and groups like The Kim Sisters
just started to pop up.

♪ Fe-fe, fa-fa, fo-fo, fum ♪

[David] The Kim Sisters
are like pioneers.

♪ ...in the auditorium ♪

[Daniel] Two of the women
lost their father
in the Korean w*r.

Alongside their cousin,

they started
singing in the 1950s
to support their family.

Performing for American soldiers
stationed in South Korea,

one of the first
Korean music groups
to break through in the U.S.

What's interesting is,
even back in the '60s,

they made American feeds.

[Daniel] Like
The Ed Sullivan Show,

♪ Why's everybody
Always picking on me? ♪

[Daniel]
Then came restrictions.

So the '70s and '80s
are like a dark age
for music because we had, like,

an authoritarian administration
with Park Chung Hee
and like Chun Doo-Hwan

So back then,
there were a lot
of censorships, blacklisting,

and you couldn't do
anything that's Western
or too provocative

in, like,
the government's lens.

- When I came to Korea
for the first time in 1977...
- [David] Mm-hm.

my cousins
who were older than I am,

they would kind of
sneak me into their room...

- Mm-hm.
- ...and show me
all their records.

The first time
I ever heard Aerosmith,

- they had American LPs
in their stash.
- Right. Yeah.

And so those were considered

a little bit dangerous
to have at the time.

Some certain records,
or some certain groups,

for example, Bob Dylan,
was also kind of censored too.

So if it's too progressive
to our culture back then,

the government was like, "no".

[exploding pops]

[Daniel] That changed
in June 1987,

when nationwide protests

led to the end of military rule
in South Korea.

The culmination
of mostly student-led
demonstrations that began

in the 1960s.

[indistinct chatter]

The 1988 Seoul Olympic Games
gave the country a chance

to transform its image
from w*r-torn dictatorship

to modern democracy
and economic powerhouse.

When we enter the '90s,
this group over here,

they are like
the genesis of K-pop.

Seo Taiji and Boys.

[host in Korean]
Seo Taiji and Boys.

[Daniel] The band debuted
their first single, Nan Arayo

or I Know ,
on national TV talent shows.

[in Korean] ♪ I know
If this night goes on
And passes by... ♪

[in English]
They experimented
with something unprecedented.

They introduced hip hop,
very quirky dance styles.

[in Korean]
♪ That smile was
So beautiful... ♪

[David in English]
The younger generation,
they were like,

"Wow, this is refreshing."

- [Daniel] Mm-hm.
- [David] "This is something
we needed."

They actually
incorporated very creative
but also liberal lyrics.

They criticized society
as well, too,

but people loved it
because it was,
like, so rebellious.

Yeah. I remember
being in the U.S.

- when Seo Taiji came out.
- Mm-hm.

- I first heard Nan Arayo ,
and I was like...
- Yeah.

..."Koreans are rapping?"

[upbeat music playing]

[Daniel] Nan Arayo was
number one on Korean charts
for 17 straight weeks.

[in Korean]
You brought it to life.

[Daniel in English]
The lyrics in the group's 1995

Regret of the Times were banned

for criticizing
the establishment,

leading to widespread
outcry from fans.

That helped pressure
the government
to lift censorship laws,

a holdover
from the dictatorship era.

By 1998,

Korea started investing
in the creative industries,
including music

as a way to drive revenue
from cultural exports.

This newfound openness
is when the wave began.

[ Candy by H.O.T. playing]

Everyone just jumped on
to, like, the rebellious tone.

These groups are a little bit
more hip-hop-based,
dance-based,

and they're in groups
of three people, four people,

performing in choreographies,
and introducing mixed genres
in their music.

[ Gee by
Girls' Generation playing]

[David] Now,
it's super systemized.

That was when the Internet
was kind of, like, booming.

We can actually
visually consume it.
We can repost it.

- We can follow
the choreographies...
- [Daniel] Right.

...and become participants
of the whole K-pop movement.

[ DDU-DU DDU-DU
by BLACKPINK playing]

♪ BLACKPINK ♪

[David] Now, it's like
the expl*si*n era...

[TWICE speaking Korean]

...because the Internet is now
so advanced and high speed,

and we have social media,

we can actually interact
with the groups,
like, real time.

- [in Korean] Why is it so flat?
- I don't know.

[ CLOSER by Jeon Somi playing]

[in English]
After the third generation,

people started
trying out new concepts,

new markets, new stuff,

like maybe make a co-ed group.

♪ We ain't even famous ♪

[ FAMOUS
by ALLDAY PROJECT playing]

Where does it go from here?

It's honestly
unchartered territory.
Nobody knows the ceiling.

Like, the whole world
is recognizing the power
of the fandom,

and, like, the reach
of K-pop groups.

[upbeat music playing]

[Daniel] All of this sparked
by one group,

who also inspired a new formula
for commercial success.

So, do you think
that's when managers and labels

started putting
people together?

Seo Taiji and Boys,
they raked money.

Fans went crazy over it.

"We need to systemize this.

We need to make
a properly-functioning group

so that we can monetize it."

Isn't it interesting, though,
that a group came about

- organically...
- Mm-hm.

- ...and spoke openly,
rebelliously...
- Right.

[Daniel] Then spawned
the commercialization
and systemization

- of that group structure.
- [David] Exactly. Yeah.

[song fades]

[upbeat music playing]

[Daniel] In 2012,
PSY released a song
that changed K-pop forever.

♪ Oppa is Gangnam style ♪

[ Gangnam Style by PSY playing]

[song fades]

I can't tell you
the number of times
I've heard this song

blaring through
karaoke rooms all throughout,

not just America,
but the world.

This was something special.

I thought,
of all the K-pop stars
that I knew,

that PSY...

[crows cheering]

...like, an older guy,
not one of the teenagers,

was the one
who broke through to America
and changed K-pop forever,

was pretty amazing.

I just went to the statue...

[laughs]

- Oh, my God.
- ...of Gangnam. And, uh...

not many people have a statue
of what they mean
to their culture.

I mean,
personally and honestly,

- I'm kind of embarrassed.
- Mm.

Because, wow,
that statue is too big for me.

[laughs]

And it's too big.

It's appropriate,

because what you've done
through your music

is not just important to Korea,
but important to the world.

[ Gangnam Style by PSY playing]

[Daniel] Gangnam Style
reached one billion views

less than six months
after release.

It's the first YouTube video
to ever to hit that milestone.

♪ Sexy lady ♪

I can't tell you how many
non-Koreans in America

came up to me and said,

- "Hey, what's Gangnam Style?
- [PSY] Mm.

"What's he singing about?"
Like...

And so, it was
the first time I'd ever had

non-Korean people
so curious about K-pop.

There's a rapper, Tiger JK.

- He's Korean American.
- Mm-hm.

In 2012, he called me crying,

saying, "I'm at
the shoulder of highway.

I stopped the car
because I heard your song

- on the radio."
- Mm.

- "You know what that means
to Korean-American race?"
- Yes.

I'm getting emotional
just thinking about it.

Yes. The whole
song lyrics is Korean.

And you know how high
the radio barrier
in the United States?

[Daniel]
This catchy song went viral

as global audiences
started shifting
to streaming online.

But even PSY,
whose real name
is Jae-Sang Park,

doesn't fully understand
why it broke through.

At the time, K-pop wasn't
mainstream outside of Asia.

Conventional wisdom
for idol groups like BigBang,

EXO and Girls' Generation then,

was polish and precision,
not horse riding.

- Here's to being you.
- Thank you.

[Daniel] PSY built
on that success.

In 2019, he founded
entertainment agency P Nation,

which represents girl group
Baby DONT Cry, among others.

Oh, my God.

- We love you so much.
- Thank you.

[in Korean]
One, two, three.

[all in English]
Together!

[upbeat music playing]

[Daniel] And his annual
Summer Swag concert series,

which P Nation says
accounts for more than 10%

of all ticket sales in Korea.

[crowd whooping]

[audience cheering]

[Daniel] Your summer festivals
are now legendary in Korea.

You've done them
for a number of years.

You do this in the heat
of a Korean summer.

- Mm.
- That's not easy.

[upbeat music continues]

[excited cheering]

[inaudible]

Did they know
they were going to get wet?

- Yes.
- Okay.

But they didn't
expect that much.

[laughter]

[upbeat music continues]

[PSY] When I do the show,
we usually do four hours.

They are so great.

I know, as a performer,

what it feels like
to feel like
you're giving everything.

And I think, "How does
he do that every night?"

♪ Don't you want me
Like I want you, baby? ♪

[PSY] When I was young,
I felt happy

- when I see someone happy.
- [Daniel] Mm-hm.

[ROSÉ singing APT ]

So, the concert
is the maximum of the maximum.

[PSY speaking Korean]

[audience cheering]

[light music playing]

[PSY] So, when I do
the concert, let's say,

if I have 25,000 audience,

I see 25,000 happy faces
in front of me.

[audience continues cheering]

[light upbeat music playing]

And because of me.

[chuckles]

[indistinct cheering, whooping]

[PSY] So I was like,
"Wow, I can die right now."

Because this is so...

This is f*cking awesome.

From reality to heaven.

[indistinct announcement]

[audience cheering excitedly]

[Daniel]
Like any good art form,

K-pop comes
with contradictions.

For starters, K-pop stars
aren't like the rock stars
I grew up with.

They're known as idols.

[whooping]

Not quite worshiped...

[audience cheering]

...but certainly adored.

[cheering continues]

The hardcore faithful
show their devotion everywhere.

[cheering continues loudly]

And fandoms truly can make
their favorites famous.

[fans chanting in Korean]

[Daniel in English] Some spend
thousands of dollars a year
on music, concerts and merch.

Right next to the CD,

you have the QR code
to download an album.

The past and the future.

The K-pop industry
is now worth $10 billion.

[Daniel] It's so cute.

It's great merch,
if you're at a concert.
It's expensive.

You know, if you're a real fan,
it's a really playful way

of showing how much
you love this group.

I think it's better
than a poster.

[Daniel] Unlike
the rebellious rappers
that started this movement,

K-pop groups today
rarely form organically.

They're made,

chosen and managed

by a handful
of entertainment agencies.

Trainees get
a crash course in singing,

dancing, rapping,
languages, and more.

Lessons and evaluations
can go long into the night.

Creativity curated from
within a commercial machine.

Though many here will tell you
that is what makes it work.

[crew speaking Korean]

[Daniel] They'll also say
there's no one formula
to make it in K-pop,

but image is key.

You also have to perform.

[upbeat music playing]

Choreography is highly synchronized.

Perfected over years of training.

[ BURNING UP by MEOVV playing]

Lastly, you need an earworm,

with music that can
transcend borders

by blending
multiple musical genres.

[upbeat music playing]

MEOVV debuted in 2024.

Gawon, Sooin,
Anna, Ella and Narin.

[Daniel] You like
to rap, right?

- I like to rap.
- You're the rapper
of the group.

Do you rap
in English and Korean?

Yeah, but I feel like
when we rap,

English has, like,
that natural rhythm.

♪ I'm the player one
This fever's insane
Better run ♪

But when I rap in Korean,
I feel more powerful,
I don't know why.

- [Daniel] Oh, interesting.
- Yeah.

This is your second year,
right, as a group?

- Yes, it is.
- [laughter]

When did you first think,

"Oh, my gosh,
I think I might be famous now"?

At the airport.

- When we went to Beijing...
- [Daniel] Mm-hm.

...like our PAWMPAWMs,
our fans,

were waiting
for us at the airport.

And there were, like,
lots of PAWMPAWMs.

- Because it was
really late at night.
- Ah, right?

It was, like,
probably in the a.m.'s, right?

- [Narin] Yes.
- Yeah.

- We were like... [gasps]
- [Narin] We were shocked.

"They came here
right now for us?"

- And they waited all that time.
- [both] Yes.

Yeah. It's a big deal.

[upbeat music playing]

[Daniel] One year
after debuting,

MEOVV reached more
than one million followers
on Spotify.

[indistinct crew chatter]

They're managed
by The Black Label,

known for cultivating
creative freedom
with its artists.

[Taeyang singing]

[Vince] Yeah, like that.

[speaking Korean]

[Daniel] The same studio
behind Golden , Soda Pop ,

and bona fide music royalty.

[Taeyang singing on record]

[upbeat instrumental
music playing]

[Daniel] That drop.

[upbeat instrumental
music continues]

That's gonna get people up
out of their seat, right there.

[Vince] I hope so, I hope so.

[Daniel] Member of BigBang
and chart-topping solo artist,

Taeyang.

[ EYES, NOSE, LIPS
by Taeyang playing]

- Taeyang.
- Taeyang, he's the man.

[reporter] Taeyang,
this way please.

[fans shouting]

[excited cheering]

[Daniel] Debuting in 2006,

BigBang was one
of the first K-pop groups

to go on a global arena tour

and the first to chart
on the U.S. Billboard 200

with an all-Korean album.

You've had such
a long career, you know?

And you're
considered prince, right?

You're a prince of R&B.

- [in Korean] Thank you. Okay...
- [laughter continues]

[in English] I would like
to say he's the king.

'Cause in my eyes,
you're so young still.

[laughter]

In the K-pop world,
you're much older now.

- So...
- So old.

[laughter continues]

So old at what, 37?

- I'm 37.
- Oh, my. So old.

[in Korean]
Old man.

[laughter continues]

[fans cheering]

[Taeyang] We were able
to stay active for this long
because of our fans.

Not to mention,

I think we were able
to make music for a long time

thanks to Vince
and the people around me

who helped create that music.

- [Japanese fans cheer]
- [Taeyang in Japanese]
Thank you.

[R&B music playing]

[Daniel in English] Today,
Taeyang is recording
his latest solo album.

[R&B music continues]

And preparing
for BigBang's 20-year reunion.

You're not only appealing
to an older generation

but today's generation.

How does it feel to go back

and get back in touch
with that part of your career?

[in Korean]
I think that's really hard.

Since we've been making music
for so long,

we've tried almost everything,

but now we need to do
something new again.

It's not just about
our longtime fans,

we also need to create music

that captures the interest
of new listeners

and people
who are curious about us.

[in English] Ten years ago,
we were trying to make
the biggest song in Korea.

But I feel, now,
our approach is
a little different.

And even like the lyrics-wise,
language, it doesn't have
to be fully Korean.

- Rarely is it fully Korean.
- Rarely it's fully Korean now,

but I think that's one
of the biggest reasons why

is because it has
so much international fans.

Even sound-wise.

[audience cheering]

[Taeyang speaking Korean]

[cheering continues]

[in English]
How we see people from Korea
and Asia have changed.

This is the kind of power
that lawmakers don't have,

teachers don't have,
only entertainment has.

To have someone say like,

- "I want to be a producer
like Vince."
- [Vince] Right.

[Daniel]
Or "I want to be like Taeyang.

I want to do what he's doing.
He's my role model."

Do you ever feel pressure
about that kind of thing?

[Taeyang in Korean]
I can't say that
I don't feel any pressure.

I feel a sense
of responsibility
to keep doing my best,

and I'm really grateful

that I've been able
to come this far
carrying that kind of pressure.

[Vince in English] In Korea,
I think the standard for being
a model citizen is very high.

Especially being a K-pop idol,

you do have a lot
of eyes on you,

not just domestically,
but internationally.

So you can't be living
your rock star life.

[audience cheering]

You can't live a rock star life
even though you're a pop star.
[chuckles]

- Right.
- The two things
are very different.

The two things
are very different.

You got to know
it's a lot of little kids

that are looking up to you
as a role model

and can't give them
the wrong image.

It's not
for everybody for sure.

You, of course,
have to be a great performer
and a singer,

but it takes a lot more
than that to be an idol.

- [Taeyang] This is me.
It's quite different, right?
- [fan] Yeah.

[laughter]

[in Korean] Either way,
they receive a lot
of love from fans.

Although they're stars
who face high expectations,
they're just human.

They're human and have to
think about how to handle
their private lives.

- [speaking Korean]
- [crew clapping]

[in English]
It must affect your creativity
as an artist too.

If you don't feel flexible
in the way that you can live,

the way that you can
write or perform must feel
a little bit closed off.

[speaking Korean]

♪ No, I can't wait
Till tomorrow ♪

♪ I got a feeling
That I know it's the moment ♪

♪ No way I can hide it ♪

♪ And you know it ♪

♪ I keep on telling ♪

[singing in Korean]

[Vince in Korean] Yeah.

- [in English]
It's so satisfying.
- Yeah.

You know? I hope
when I hear the final track...

- Yeah--
- It stays that way?

- [Daniel] I hope so.
- We might get impatient

and we're like, "Not that far."
Yeah, you never know.

[upbeat music playing]

[blows raspberry]

[Daniel] In 2012,
over two million people

auditioned for the Korean
talent show Superstar K.

You ready? I'm ready.

[Daniel] That's roughly 4%
of South Korea's
entire population.

I won't forget. Don't worry.

- Bye-bye.
- Bye-bye?

[Daniel] But aspiration alone
isn't enough.

Getting to this stage
takes years of sacrifice,

discipline and unwavering focus.

♪ Wait, you sure
You could keep up? ♪

♪ One more time
One more time ♪

♪ One more time
To the ni-ni-night ♪

[Daniel] ALLDAY PROJECT
debuted in 2025.

♪ Come on, come on
Dance with me now
Dance with me now ♪

[in Korean] Do you have
to do it while you sing?

[speaking Korean]

[Annie in English]
Oh, it's because
we have to sing it.

That's why it's here
and it's like this.

- They don't have to sing
that part, so...
- [knocks on door]

[Tarzzan in Korean] Yes?

- [in English] Hi, guys.
I'm Daniel.
- [ALLDAY PROJECT] Hi.

- Nice to meet you.
- [Woochan, Tarzzan]
Nice to meet you.

- Oh, my God.
- I'm excited to meet you guys.

[Daniel] There's Annie,

- Bailey...
- Hah!

- Youngseo...
- [in Korean] My, I'm fading!

[in English]
Woochan...

- No! No!
- ...and Tarzzan.

[Tarzzan] My whole life
I want to be a rapper.

And then I'm living my dream.

- That's my boy.
- Yeah.

What are you guys looking at?

I don't know, every time
they have their
little bromance,

like, brother moment,
we're always like,
"Oh, my God."

Come on, y'all doing that too.

[laughter]

[indistinct chatter in Korean]

[chuckling]

It's very unusual for you guys
to be a co-ed band.

[speaking Korean]

[vocalizing]

It's like
a five-sibling situation.

Everywhere we go,
everyone's like,
"You guys are so loud."

[Daniel] We're backstage
at MBC's Music Core,

a weekly competition show
where ALLDAY PROJECT

just performed
their third single
called ONE MORE TIME.

♪ One more time
Wanna get lost in the... ♪

So, you guys
just finished your taping,

and then you do
your live later today.

What do you do
in between that time?

This is a time
when we generally eat or sleep

'cause I don't think any of us
has slept in the last,
like, 30 hours or so.

[Daniel] These
tournament-style shows
are fiercely contested.

You guys must be so tired.
You all right?

- We're surviving.
- [laughter]

- [Daniel] What time
did you start today?
- 1:00 a.m.

We got ready at 1:00 a.m.

Yeah, we have
another one of these at
a different channel tomorrow.

[Daniel] South Korea is
one of the most competitive
places on earth.

Many here still bear the scars
of a brutal recession

that crippled
the nation's economy
three decades ago.

With corporate jobs scarce,

making it in music and the arts

became seen as
a viable career path.

Back then in the late '90s,

the early waves
of K-pop started rippling
throughout Asia.

Seven, eight,
one, two, three, four, five.

Oh!

One, uh, two, uh,
three, uh, four.

[Daniel] It's also
very competitive.

Do you feel
that pressure to succeed,
or is it all just fun?

Obviously, I would be lying
if I say there's no pressure,

but I think we try to focus on
what is our thing
that we can do best

rather than compete
with other people.

[audience cheering]

[performing in Korean]

[Tarzzan speaking Korean]

[Jeon Somi] I was
the girl who would sing
two, three hours in the shower.

[vocalizing]

♪ The way to want this ♪

[Jeon Somi] I love dancing.
I love performing and singing.

But my dad,
I guess, saw it coming.

[Daniel] This is Jeon Somi.

Her dad, Matthew Douma,
is hosting us for lunch
at his restaurant.

- [Daniel] That's beautiful.
- [Matthew] It is.
It's very good.

- That's her favorite.
- [Jeon Somi] Mm.

I've seen a lot of your music
and heard a lot of your music.

Yeah?

And the one thing
I would say about you

is that you're a survivor.

Thank you.

Now 25, Somi auditioned
for JYP's trainee program
when she was 12.

What years were you
in the training program?

When I was in fifth grade
is when I started.

[Daniel] An intense schedule
at an early age is nothing new
for most Koreans.

The country has
one of the most rigorous
education systems in the world,

where academic success
is tied to upward mobility,

and high school students
often prioritize study
over sleep.

Looking back, I'm like,
how did I do that
at such a young age?

And the working hours,

I didn't even think
it was hard work
because I was too young.

And that's when I started
to get bullied a lot,

picked on school
because I was a halfie.

She means Korean
on her mom's side

and Dutch-Canadian
on her dad's.

Unfortunately, Korean kids
are no strangers to bullying.

[indistinct chatter]

So the training system
was actually the one place
that I felt comfortable.

'Cause at school,
I'd get bullied.

But here,
it's only with skills.

If you're good at dancing,
if you're good at singing...

- It doesn't matter.
- It does not matter.

- Yeah.
- So that was really
the charm for me

to push myself forward
into my skills
and creating art.

Would you say that
the fact that you were bullied

kind of taught you
how to fight for yourself?

Oh...

When you said
I'm a survivor,
I was like, "Hell yeah".

Survivor and a fighter,
for sure.

[Matthew] Do you have
another song
you want to sing?

[Daniel] Many wait years
for their chance to debut.

But just a year
into her training,

Somi took part
in this 2015 reality TV show.

BRIGHT, BUBBLY
VITAMIN BOOST

Sixteen trainees competing
for a spot in a new girl group.

Somi was eliminated
in the final round,

just missing out
on joining the band
called TWICE.

She went back into
the training pool.

- Uh, that was the hardest thing
as a parent to see, for her.
- [Daniel] Mm-hm.

And we tried not to show her.

We'd pick her up
and she'd just be exhausted,

and she'd get in
and we'd drive home.

The training system
was pretty rigorous
and it's pretty regimented.

That, for me as a dad,
was the hardest time,

seeing you anguish in obscurity
of where she's being pulled,

because she's still a trainee,

- but not a trainee
at the same time.
- Yeah.

Because she's had
some outside experience,
she's ready.

You're ready
at this point, right?

- [Jeon Somi] Mm-hm.
- You feel ready.

- I want more,
is what I've been feeling.
- [Daniel] Mm-hm. Okay.

We just really want to make it.

[Daniel] In 2016, Somi joined
another K-pop survival show,

Produce 101.

[host speaking Korean]

[Daniel] This time,
Sumi won first place,

and became the leader
of project group I.O.I.

[Jeon Somi] The whole
country watched it.

We got so much love
from everywhere.

Mm-hm.

And the team went on
for a year,

and then we disbanded.

When I watch
these young girls debut,

there's a little bit of me,
like, that feels very paternal.

- Like, you must have X10.
- She's a minor.

- Yeah.
- She's a minor, right?

You know,
when she's in a company,

they're basically
in charge of her.

I can't help her now
with what she does

'cause she's so far beyond
anything I can guide her,

but what I can guide her with

is just my life experiences
up to this point.

[giggles]

♪ There's nothing
I can do now ♪

♪ Will you love me... ♪

[Daniel] She's now
a solo artist

who's charted Top 10 singles
in Korea, the U.S., and beyond.

We have this song
that I wanted to punch
a few lyrics to.

[electronic percussion playing]

She's gone through
this regimented
training system,

and now she's able to bloom.

[singing in Korean]

[Daniel] Now looking
at where you are
in the K-pop landscape...

[Jeon Somi] Mm-hm.

...are you happy
with your place?

Do you feel like
that ambition that you have
has been satisfied?

I don't think
the ambition is satisfied.

I'm just here as a soloist,
trying my best
to prove a point.

[continues singing in Korean]

My background, my dad, my mom,
the culture, just being a girl,

like, I'm trying
to prove a point.

I've been learning a lot,
so I'm just, you know,

- like, soaking everything in.
- [Daniel] Good.

So let's see what...
where I go from now.

But I'm excited for me.

Well, I'm excited for you, too.

[Jeon Somi] I'm excited for me.

- Let's raise a glass to that.
- [Jeon Somi] Yes.

Let's raise a glass
to where you are now,

how far you've come
and where you're going.

- Thank you.
- Cheers.

[eSNa] Where are we?

You and I
are not good at direction.

I'm a tourist.

- [eSNa laughs]
- You've lived here
for how long?

It's pretty here, though.

[eSNa] It would
have been nice to...

- These red ones are amazing.
- I know, right?

[Daniel] I'm catching up
with my friend,

singer songwriter eSNa...

[in Korean]
♪ Because the truth is ♪

♪ There's no guy
Who looks only at me ♪

...a Korean-American
born and raised in L.A.

who moved to Seoul in 2010.

♪ Until the day
I meet a good man ♪

How long was it before
you got your first taste
of success in Korea?

[chuckles]

[in Korean]
It's not success.

- [in English] It was just--
- First taste?

It took three years.

One of my friends introduced me
to one of the top producers,

and he recognized,
I guess, the talent that
I had for writing.

And he was looking
for someone that
didn't just sing

but can also write
and produce songs.

Your hands look chilly, so...

One is peppermint,
one is chamomile.

Peppermint, please. Thank you.

- [indistinct chatter]
- [laughter]

[Daniel] After signing
with WA Entertainment,
now Rainbow Bridge World,

eSNa wrote
and composed hit singles.

[inaudible chatter]

There was a song that I did
called Ahh Oop! with...

It was a collaboration
between me and MAMAMOO.

And it was only
a two week promotion,

and this is a song
that was completely
written by me.

[Daniel] In 2015,
eSNa and MAMAMOO,

who were managed
by the same label,

performed the song
for a promotional tour.

Just days later,

eSNa says
the company pulled her.

What reason did they give you
that they were removing you
from the tour?

They had read some comments
made by netizens saying,

"MAMAMOO can do
this song by themselves,
why is she doing it with them?

She looks older than the girls.

Like, they shouldn't
do it together."

None of the comments
that were negative were

about my talent
or my ability to perform.

It was all very image-based.

[Daniel] Many came
down to size.

Is that in a contract
where they can specify

that you stay a certain weight?

I have never seen it
in a contract, like,
explicitly written.

So that was given
to you as the reason

- you were not going to appear.
- Yeah. Yeah.

How did that make you feel?

[chuckles in dismay]

Weight is something
that I have been battling

throughout my whole life.

When you're trying to be on TV,

they want you to look
a lot smaller

so that you look good on TV,
you know.

And to us, to people
that are from America,

that's actually really,
really underweight.

And I fought about it
with my company a lot,

because I was like,
"I'm not trying to be an idol.

Like, I'm a singer."

[Daniel] There are
expectations, right or wrong,

that idols uphold
traditional values

and sometimes
unrealistic beauty ideals.

But it's not just the labels.

Fandoms have
an outsized influence in Korea.

Some fans have launched
coordinated campaigns

against singers
and their companies
for perceived mistakes.

How would you compare
the Internet trolls
of Korea to America?

[exclaims]

I don't think
there's a comparison. It's--

They can cancel someone
in a minute in Korea.

That's how fast it spreads.

All in all, though,
you feel like...

there's still hope
here in Korea,

you'd rather be here
than anywhere else,

and that the industry
is something worth pursuing?

Yes, because I still have
a passion for wanting to sing

and wanting to act and dance
and be in front of the camera.

[Daniel] We reached out
to eSNa's former company
multiple times

to hear their side
of the story.

They did not respond.

We've known each other
for a long time.

We've talked about
some of these things privately.

But you want to share
this publicly now,

in the midst of K-pop
becoming a global phenomenon.

Why?

Because I think it's important

for people to know that K-pop
just didn't blow up
out of nowhere.

Because that's all you see,

is the outcome
of what they made.

- The product.
- Manufactured,

basically, that's what we are.
We're products
of these companies.

But I want fans to know
that we're all people,

you know,
and we're not a product.

[indistinct chatter]

[upbeat music playing]

[gasps]
Wait, this is so cool.

[upbeat music continues]

- Are you all right?
- [Annie] Hi.

- [Tarzzan] How are you?
- Good. I'm good.

I'm just looking at
all of your merch.

- [Annie] It's our first time.
- We haven't even seen it.

- [Daniel] Is that right?
- [Bailey] Yeah.

- [Annie] Wait.
So this is Tarzzan?
- [Tarzzan] Yeah.

- This is Bailey.
- [Woochan] Bailey.

So are these boxers,
like, sewn in?

Connected.

Basically, Tarzzan's,
like, signature style,
is to layer pants.

[Bailey] I hate to interrupt.

[all] Wow!

- [Tarzzan] That's cool.
- [Annie] Wait,
that's really cool.

[Daniel] It's a big day
for the five members
of ALLDAY PROJECT.

[host speaking Korean]

[Daniel] They're releasing
an EP, their first.

Six new tracks.

That means more marketing...

- [camera shutter clicking]
- [ALLDAY PROJECT chanting]

- [indistinct chatter]
- [Daniel] ... media...

and a whole lot of new merch.

[indistinct Korean chatter]

[speaking Korean]

[fans cheering]

[speaking Korean]

[in English]
Let's go.

[Daniel] This is a special
private listening party
for a few lucky fans

before the EP officially drops.

In Korea,
they call this a comeback,

no matter when
a group's last music
was released.

[fans cheering]

[speaking Korean]

[cheering continues]

LOOK AT ME
LET'S MAKE IT BIG

When we see them
at fan signings

and, like, people who come
frequently to these events,

we obviously recognize them.

Just comforting
to see familiar faces.

[Daniel] Like Stacy.

MY ONE AND ONLY
PLEASE WAVE FOR ME

Now, you came
with a bunch of signs
that you wrote for them,

- which they read
through the window there.
- Yeah. I know. That's crazy!

- That's exciting, right?
- Yeah.

- They make my day.
- Yeah?

Basically, yeah,
I'm just so in love with them.

I listen to their music, like,
for 4,000 times every day.

MY ONE AND ONLY
PLEASE WAVE FOR ME

[Daniel] I don't think
I've ever been obsessed
with a band like this.

The thing it reminds me of
is Beatlemania.

These clean-cut boys
from England,

and there was
a lot of teenagers
cheering for them.

There's a lot of cynicism
in the world today.

There are a lot of things
that are a little darker.

There's nothing wrong
with the brightness
and the innocence

of, like,
a teenager just loving music

and loving musicians
who make it.

[fans cheering]

[Daniel] That same night,
ALLDAY PROJECT's
ONE MORE TIME

shot up to number two
on Melon's Top 100 chart.

And not long after, this.

- ALLDAY PROJECT.
- [audience cheering]

[Daniel] The idols won
Rookie Artist of the Year

at the 2026 Golden Disc Awards,

a Korean equivalent
of the Grammys.

[in Korean]
Thank you so much.

[Daniel in English]
All of that in less than
one year from debut.

Things move fast in Korea.

[crowd clamoring]

It started with
a popular movement,

Koreans demanding
their voices be heard.

[inaudible singing]

Now they're singing
in the streets
of Seoul, literally.

And it's not all
commercially produced.

There's indie, metal, and more.

The global reach
of Korea's music industry
is a source of pride here.

[group singing in Korean]

But K-pop comes
with contradictions.

[pensive music playing]

Success requires
commitment and sacrifice

with no guarantees.

[speaking Korean]

[audience cheering]

[exclaiming]

[Daniel] That's one reason
fans connect so deeply
with those who do make it.

An aspirational pursuit.

[uplifting music playing]

[audience cheering]

When I was growing up,
only Western music
reigned supreme.

But no longer.

YUJIN
CUTE PUPPY

Korean storytelling
is resonating globally
like never before.

[Korean music playing]

And it's not just music.

[soft music playing]

[indistinct Korean chatter]