K-pop in 2019: BTS, Blackpink break new ground, but deaths and scandal tarnish image of Korean music industry

BTS topped the charts across the world, Blackpink broke records on YouTube and Twice made history on their groundbreaking tour of Japan

The ‘Burning Sun’ sex abuse and corruption scandal, the deaths of singers Sulli, Goo Hara, and Cha In-ha, and vote rigging, cast a shadow over bands’ successes

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K-pop boy band BTS topped the charts across the world in 2019 and were presenters at the 61st Grammy Awards, significantly raising the visibility of K-pop acts.

Published: 10:00pm, 7 Dec 2019Updated: 4:01pm, 18 Feb 2020

K-pop was in a strange place at the end of the previous decade. Its biggest artists, such as Rain, BoA and Wonder Girls showed potential to take the sound global, but there was a disconnect between the excitement for the music in Asia and the rest of the world.

Fast forward to 2019 and the K-pop scene is at an all-time high in terms of commercial success and global interest, with this past year being perhaps the industry’s biggest to date.

From the boundaries pushed internationally to the darkness that seeped into the pop-culture consciousness, 2019 was a significant year for K-pop as it moved forward with a new-found rush of interest while reckoning with a series of tragedies and scandals.

These were some of the biggest developments in K-pop during 2019.

SuperM, the “supergroup” of boy band members from SM Entertainment acts Shinee, EXO, NCT and WayV, had the year’s least expected success.

Superstars shine brighter

BTS’ roll-call of achievements grew in 2019 as the boy band broke new ground for South Korean artists. Early in the year, they took part in the world’s most prestigious music awards ceremony as presenters at the 61st Grammy Awards, a moment of critical visibility for South Korean artists.