Creativity isn't just for art; it's needed for every choice we make in everyday life.
CORTIS, a five-member K-pop group under HYBE Music often called "BTS' younger brother," said this on the 18th at Apple Myeongdong in Jung-gu, Seoul, during Apple Korea's 50th anniversary event "Spotlight: coloring outside the lines with CORTIS." Why did Apple invite rookie group CORTIS, which debuted seven months ago, to its 50th anniversary event?
All five CORTIS members—Martin, James, Juhun, Sunghyun and Gunho—take part directly in creative work such as music, choreography and video production. They focus on freely expressing their individuality and creativity outside the conventional frame. The group name CORTIS also comes from irregularly combining six letters from the English phrase "Color Outside the Lines." The team name signifies free creativity that breaks the mold.
Apple invited CORTIS to its 50th anniversary event because the group aligns with the company's core "thinking different" philosophy. Through this connection, on Jan. 16 Apple also released "GO!," a video of CORTIS' performance, as Apple Vision Pro content.
Apple was founded on Apr. 1, 1976. Since then, it has built an ecosystem of hardware—Apple II, Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods—and services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud and Apple TV. On the 13th of this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in a 50th anniversary letter on the official website, "Thinking different has always been a core value of Apple," and "The spirit of thinking different has led us to make products that help people express themselves, connect with each other and create amazing things." Cook also said, "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do," adding, "Here's to the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the ones who see the world differently."
Even before the 50th anniversary event, K-pop groups often appeared at Apple's major events. Building on filming a NewJeans music video with iPhone 14 Pro, Apple Korea invited NewJeans for a talk when it opened the Apple Gangnam store in Apr. 2023. At the time, Apple Korea let visitors enjoy NewJeans' hit "OMG" in spatial audio for a limited time at the store. Earlier, in Apr. 2022, at Apple Myeongdong in Jung-gu, Seoul, it presented "Today at Apple Music — Music Lab: SEVENTEEN Remix," where visitors could experience SEVENTEEN's new song "Darl+ing."
There are several reasons Apple is increasing collaborations with K-pop. First, K-pop's global influence and innovative image are seen as fitting Apple's promotion of creativity and technological prowess. There is also a strategic aim to strengthen market share and brand recognition by tapping the loyalty of K-pop fandoms and expanding contact with Generation Z.
Samsung and Apple have long formed a two-strong structure in the global smartphone market. In the 2025 global smartphone market share by shipments tallied by market researcher Counterpoint Research, Apple posted 20% and Samsung 19%. In Korea, Samsung Electronics performs far better on its home turf. According to global market researcher StatCounter, as of February this year Samsung's share in Korea's smartphone market was 58.31%, well ahead of Apple's 30.42%.
Hwang Yong-sik, a professor of business administration at Sejong University, said, "Apple appears to be increasing collaborations with K-pop to target younger consumers and to expand its market in Korea," adding, "However, because Apple already has a strong preference among those in their teens and 20s, targeting age groups where its user distribution is weaker would help expand its market share."