K-pop has become a multibillion-dollar global success. This growth has been driven by viral choreography, high-concept music videos and a highly passionate fanbase that functions like an unofficial global marketing team.

Wanting to expand its international appeal, the genre is opening up to more non-Korean idols (the name for K-pop performers) than ever. This desire led to Korean entertainment group Hybe (creators of mega-group BTS) partnering with the American record label Geffen Records (a division of Universal Music Group) to discover and launch global pop groups using the intensive K-pop training system. This collaboration produced the reality show Pop Star Academy from which the global K-pop girl group Katseye was created.

The group debuted in 2023 and consists of members from South Korea, the Philippines, the US and Switzerland. Out of this project also came the group Saint Satine, which features members from Japan, the US and Brazil.

There is a huge expectation from some fans for K-pop idols to flawlessly nail complex choreography, maintain immaculate visuals, and project a sort of unbreakable hardworking image. However, these groups have faced teething problems, including Saint Satine recently losing one member and Katseye having one member on a temporary break. And they aren’t the only international groups to experience these problems.

Despite having all the markers of K-pop groups (such as singing in Korean and going through the rigorous K-pop training system) fans are questioning whether these groups can even be considered K-pop at all.

So what is going on with the K in K-pop?

One non-Korean member

The........

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