Why the Philippines is a ‘very important market’ for K-pop, Korean music

Image: Twitter/@weareoneEXO via The Korea Herald

When Shim Mina took the Philippines by storm with “Answer the Phone” in the early 2000s, it was a sign that South Korean entertainment would assert its dominance in the country. Fast forward to the present, it’s hard to find a single Filipino who doesn’t know a single artist from the Korean music industry.

It can be said that the Philippines is one of the leading markets for Korean music—which is recognized by many industry giants. Even from X (formerly Twitter) data in 2021, the country emerged as having the third-highest number of K-pop fans in the world.

“The Philippines is a very important market to Kpop and K-music. [It is because] a lot of our fans are dedicated, and are located here,” KAMP Global CEO Tim Kim told reporters at a media conference in Pasay City as he cited the success of the survival show “Dream Maker” in the country.

“Dream Maker,” which aired its final episode in February 2023, was the driving force behind global pop group HORI7ON and all-Filipino unit New:ID.

Kim also pointed out that Filipinos’ love for music can be closely associated with South Korea’s dedication to the music industry. “Koreans love music. Through my experience here, I’ve learned that music is a very big part of Filipino culture.”

“There’s a big similarity there,” he continued, while noting an upcoming music festival that brings South Korean and Filipino music acts together. “This explains why I want to create an inaugural opportunity to create a platform where we can cross borders and experience the love of music together.”

ABS-CBN Global COO Aldrin Cerrado, on the other hand, believes that Filipino artists have the potential to succeed in the global music scene. “[We want] to bring Filipino talent to the international stage. It doesn’t just mean Filipinos here, but also Filipinos on the global stage,” he said.

But of course, the act of establishing local talent shouldn’t be based on Filipino fans who are not based in their home country.

“The goal is to make them be discovered not just by Filipinos but also by non-Filipino fans,” he said. “If you put them side by side with international artists, the base of discoverability becomes larger and bigger.”