The K-pop industry is shifting its strategy to put Korean identity front and center. As world-class idol groups such as BTS choose Korea's historic sites as the stage the moment they release new songs, content planning that fuses tradition and modernity is taking hold as the industry-wide trend.
◇ K-pop evolves into a "cultural platform"
BTS will release a new album, "Arirang," on the 20th and return to full-group activities for the first time in 3 years and 9 months. The symbolism is significant in that they chose the title of a traditional folk song that has carried the nation's sentiments for centuries as the album name.
The first stage will be the Gwanghwamun Square area in Seoul. The performance will begin inside Gyeongbok Palace, proceed past Gwanghwamun and the elevated stone terrace, and continue to a special stage on the north side of the square. The route itself—linking the Joseon dynasty's main palace and a modern urban square—was planned as part of the narrative.
HYBE, BTS's agency, said, "In light of the symbolism "Arirang" carries, we prepared the first stage in a space that represents Korea." HYBE is said to present a production that combines traditional symbols with cutting-edge performance technology. The performance will be broadcast live exclusively in 190 countries via Netflix.
BTS's return is directly tied to the company's earnings improvement. The securities market expects HYBE's revenue this year to expand to 4.2 trillion won, nearly double from a year earlier, and operating profit to surge tenfold to 530 billion won. Last year, HYBE posted revenue of 2.6499 trillion won and operating profit of 49.9 billion won.
Blackpink of YG Entertainment has also chosen a similar strategy. Blackpink released its third mini album, "Deadline," on the 27th and began full-group activities for the first time in 3 years and 5 months. Recently, Blackpink became the first artist in the world to surpass 100 million YouTube subscribers.
With the release of the new record, Blackpink simultaneously launched a collaboration project with the National Museum of Korea. They held a full-track listening session in the museum's main lobby, the "Path of History," and lit the exterior in pink. The members also took part in recording audio guides for eight representative artifacts, including the Gilt-bronze Maitreya in Meditation and a white porcelain moon jar.
The project stands out for combining K-pop IP (intellectual property) with the national cultural heritage. It is a strategy to expand music consumption into exhibition and experiential spaces, layering the fan experience.
The entertainment industry analyzes this trend in connection with the changing status of the K-pop industry. In the past, K-pop borrowed formats from overseas music markets and secured competitiveness with a differentiation strategy centered on group choreography and performance.
Recently, the strategy has been advanced by integrating traditional elements and Korean spaces from the content planning stage. As simultaneous releases via global OTT and music platforms have become routine, sites and cultural assets with clear symbolism function as core devices of the narrative rather than mere backdrops.
Pop music critic Lim Hee-yoon said, "The unique aura of traditional cultural heritage gives K-pop content symbolism and legitimacy," and added, "K-pop is now evolving into a cultural platform that mediates Korea's history and identity."
Lim went on, "These attempts must not end as one-off events," and noted, "A strategy is needed for Korea to grow into a soft power powerhouse through sustained communication and integration with traditional culture."
In fact, the OST "Golden" from the Netflix animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters," set against the backdrop of Korea's K-pop and cultural heritage, performed well on global charts, showing the potential of combining a Korean worldview with K-pop.
◇ Policy environment is shifting… K-pop–cultural heritage fusion gathers pace
The convergence of K-pop and cultural heritage aligns with the government's soft power strategy.
The Lee Jae-myung administration has presented a vision of becoming one of the "top five global soft power" nations and is emphasizing the strategic fostering of the cultural industry. In Sep. last year, Park Jin-Young, the head producer of JYP Entertainment (JYP Ent.), was appointed co-chair of The Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange. Through this, the government says it will build a public-private collaboration system and support the fusion of K-pop and traditional culture.
Kim Nam-jo, a professor in the Department of Tourism at Hanyang University, said, "Gyeongbok Palace is already a representative cultural heritage site steadily visited by overseas tourists, but with the BTS performance, it has a strong chance of becoming a 'holy site' for global fans," adding, "This concert is a critical opportunity to promote Korean culture worldwide, and strategic preparation is needed for how the government will expand and reproduce the image of Seoul, and further, the Republic of Korea, after the performance."
Kim also emphasized, "The process of operating a large-scale performance in an orderly and high-quality manner is the first task that shows Korean society's mature cultural capacity and public order," adding, "Not only the success of the content but also the level of on-site operations and urban management is directly tied to the national brand."