Increase in Southeast Asian Members Among 4th-Gen Idols “What’s Behind K-Pop’s Shift?”

For example, NATTY, a Thai member of KISS OF LIFE, has emerged as a leading 4th-gen idol. SM Entertainment’s new girl group Hearts2Hearts includes Carmen, an Indonesian member. This reflects K-pop’s increasing focus on the Southeast Asian market.

With a population of 630 million, Southeast Asia is a key economic region with a fast-growing digital infrastructure and high demand for cultural content. K-pop agencies are now actively targeting this market, using local idols as a bridge to connect with fans.

Thailand has long been a major K-pop hub, producing stars like BLACKPINK’s Lisa, 2PM’s Nichkhun, GOT7’s BamBam, (G)I-DLE’s Minnie and NCT’s Ten. Recently, YG debuted two Thai members, Pharita and Chiquita, in BABYMONSTER, further solidifying Thailand’s position as a key market.

YG even established a joint venture, YGMM, with Thai entertainment giant GMM Grammy in 2021 to scout and train Thai talents.

Indonesia, the world’s 4th most populous country (270 million people), has a huge K-pop fanbase, yet few Indonesian idols have debuted. However, in February, Carmen debuted in SM’s Hearts2Hearts, making history as the first Indonesian idol under a “Big 4” agency.

To expand in Indonesia, SM opened a flagship store, Kwangya@Jakarta, in 2022, hosted SMTOWN LIVE in Jakarta, and recently set up various experiential spaces to commemorate SM’s 30th anniversary.

HYBE is eyeing Vietnam, incorporating Vietnamese language support into its AI voice project MIDNATT and launching Vietnamese BTS-inspired Korean language courses. This aligns with the presence of NewJeans’ Hanni, who is Vietnamese-Australian.

Rookie girl group UNIS debuted in 2024 with two Filipino members, Elisia and Gehlee, gaining strong traction in the Philippines. Meanwhile, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam are also opening up to K-pop’s influence.

With Southeast Asia’s passionate fandom and booming economy, K-pop agencies are embracing local idols and market strategies to strengthen their global dominance.