South Korean boy bands refer to South Korea's all-male
idol groups who account for a large portion of the
K-pop industry. Korean boy bands have aided in the global spread and promotion of Korean culture through their demonstrated prominence and popularity. The emergence of hip-hop music act
Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 shifted the focus of the Korean music industry to teen-centred pop music.[1] Idol bands of young boys or girls were formed to cater to a growing teenage audience. In 1995,
Lee Soo-man, the founder of
SM Entertainment, brought the idol
trainee system to South Korea, which further solidified the format for idol bands and modern Korean pop culture.[2]
Boy bands from the late 90s and early 2000s, such as
H.O.T.,
Sechs Kies,
Shinhwa, and
g.o.d, who were trained with the idol system, are cited to help build the foundations as the first successful all-male groups in Korea and as pioneers of the first
Hallyu Wave.[3] From 2007 onward, second generation groups, such as
BigBang,
TVXQ,
Super Junior,
2PM,
Shinee,
Beast, and
Infinite, continued to grow the popularity of boy bands domestically in Korea, as well as globally through the second phase of
Hallyu.[3] The rise of groups such as
Exo and
BTS in 2012 and 2013 launched the third generation of boy bands and introduced K-pop to mass global appeal.[3] BTS, in particular, has attained mainstream Western appeal with number-one hits on the
Billboard charts and multiple collaborations with several global artists, including
Coldplay,
Nicki Minaj, and
Halsey. Other major boy bands that debuted from 2012 onward include
Seventeen,
NCT,
Tomorrow X Together,
Stray Kids,
Ateez, and
Enhypen, all of whom continue to garner widespread attention and build K-pop's global appeal.[3]
Generation 1
South Korean boy bands that debuted in the 90s to 2002, arranged in alphabetical order.
^Circle Chart did not exist at that time. However, the song received 3,000,000 sales.[4]
^Circle Chart did not exist at that time. However, the song peaked at #4 on the MIAK charts for the month of January 2004. It entered the
Circle Album Chart in 2014 and peaked at #12 for the week of January 12–18, 2014.
^Circle Chart did not exist at that time. However, the song received 4,173,225 sales.[4]
^"한국 최초 연습생 출신 가수 김완선 보아가 벤치마킹.(in korean)". chosunilbo. April 5, 2016.
Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021. [Lee Soo-man training system benchmarked Korean trainee singer Kim Wan-sun in the 1980s, and then the trainee system was introduced.]
South Korean boy bands refer to South Korea's all-male
idol groups who account for a large portion of the
K-pop industry. Korean boy bands have aided in the global spread and promotion of Korean culture through their demonstrated prominence and popularity. The emergence of hip-hop music act
Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 shifted the focus of the Korean music industry to teen-centred pop music.[1] Idol bands of young boys or girls were formed to cater to a growing teenage audience. In 1995,
Lee Soo-man, the founder of
SM Entertainment, brought the idol
trainee system to South Korea, which further solidified the format for idol bands and modern Korean pop culture.[2]
Boy bands from the late 90s and early 2000s, such as
H.O.T.,
Sechs Kies,
Shinhwa, and
g.o.d, who were trained with the idol system, are cited to help build the foundations as the first successful all-male groups in Korea and as pioneers of the first
Hallyu Wave.[3] From 2007 onward, second generation groups, such as
BigBang,
TVXQ,
Super Junior,
2PM,
Shinee,
Beast, and
Infinite, continued to grow the popularity of boy bands domestically in Korea, as well as globally through the second phase of
Hallyu.[3] The rise of groups such as
Exo and
BTS in 2012 and 2013 launched the third generation of boy bands and introduced K-pop to mass global appeal.[3] BTS, in particular, has attained mainstream Western appeal with number-one hits on the
Billboard charts and multiple collaborations with several global artists, including
Coldplay,
Nicki Minaj, and
Halsey. Other major boy bands that debuted from 2012 onward include
Seventeen,
NCT,
Tomorrow X Together,
Stray Kids,
Ateez, and
Enhypen, all of whom continue to garner widespread attention and build K-pop's global appeal.[3]
Generation 1
South Korean boy bands that debuted in the 90s to 2002, arranged in alphabetical order.
^Circle Chart did not exist at that time. However, the song received 3,000,000 sales.[4]
^Circle Chart did not exist at that time. However, the song peaked at #4 on the MIAK charts for the month of January 2004. It entered the
Circle Album Chart in 2014 and peaked at #12 for the week of January 12–18, 2014.
^Circle Chart did not exist at that time. However, the song received 4,173,225 sales.[4]
^"한국 최초 연습생 출신 가수 김완선 보아가 벤치마킹.(in korean)". chosunilbo. April 5, 2016.
Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021. [Lee Soo-man training system benchmarked Korean trainee singer Kim Wan-sun in the 1980s, and then the trainee system was introduced.]