Seoul Lures Multinational Talents to Globalize Korean Pop

K-Pop Star Luna attends a news conference to announce her Broadway debut in 'KPOP, The Musical' in New York City, US, March 30, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
K-Pop Star Luna attends a news conference to announce her Broadway debut in 'KPOP, The Musical' in New York City, US, March 30, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
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Seoul Lures Multinational Talents to Globalize Korean Pop

K-Pop Star Luna attends a news conference to announce her Broadway debut in 'KPOP, The Musical' in New York City, US, March 30, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
K-Pop Star Luna attends a news conference to announce her Broadway debut in 'KPOP, The Musical' in New York City, US, March 30, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

From Indian Korean pop (K-pop) idols to Swedish songwriters, South Korea's music industry is now a hotbed of global talent -- a smart strategy as it aims for world domination.

K-pop bands have long included non-Koreans: Blackpink's Lisa is Thai, while Japan and China are both well represented, and Korean-American singers have topped the local charts, according to Agence France Press (AFP).

But after megastars like Psy and BTS brought K-pop to a global audience, the South Korean entertainment agencies behind almost all the popular groups are recruiting further afield. DR Music's girl group Blackswan only has two Koreans in its six-woman line-up, and last month added the industry's first Indian "idol", who joins Brazilian and Senegalese members.

In the United States, a Korean-American K-pop singer, AleXa, recently won NBC's American Song Contest, the U.S. version of Eurovision.

Though she sang in English, her training in Seoul made her stand out. Stage direction and teaching the singer how to deal with techs and lights make a key part of the Korean pop training.

At ZB Label, part of industry powerhouse Zanybros, which has produced thousands of K-pop music videos, signed AleXa because “they believe she has the "full package" and saw her potential as a young Korean-American to appeal to K-pop's growing global fandom,” said Angelina Foss, creative director at South Korea's ZB Label.

AleXa, who has studied dance since she was two, said: "I trained every day of the week. I had weekly evaluations, which is a very big thing in the K-pop industry," she said.

After months of work, her bosses decided she was ready to "debut" as a fully-fledged star.

AleXa’s songs are written in Sweden but produced in Seoul with a US audience but global YouTube views in mind.

K-pop recruiters are fanning out across the world, with agencies hosting auditions in cities including London, Bangkok, Sydney and Tokyo, but at the same time global talent is flocking to South Korea.



Meghan Markle's Netflix Show Delayed Due to LA Fires

Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File
Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File
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Meghan Markle's Netflix Show Delayed Due to LA Fires

Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File
Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File

A new Netflix series starring Meghan Markle, the actress wife of Britain's Prince Harry, has been delayed due to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, the Duchess of Sussex said Sunday.
"With Love, Meghan," an eight-episode lifestyle and cooking show, had been due to debut on the streaming platform on Wednesday.
But with blazes that have killed at least 16 people still burning across Los Angeles, and thousands of homes destroyed, it has been pushed back to March, AFP said.
"I'm thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California," Markle said in a statement.
Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of the city.
A Netflix statement called the show a "heartfelt tribute to the beauty of Southern California."
The delay was made at "the request of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and with the full support of Netflix.... due to the ongoing devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires," it said.
Last week, Harry and Meghan were seen in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena, comforting survivors of the fire.
They also issued a statement urging Californians to open their homes to evacuees.
"If a friend, loved one or pet has to evacuate and you are able to offer them a safe haven in your home, please do," said a statement posted to their official website.
A publicist did not respond to AFP request for comment on whether the couple had personally hosted any evacuees.
But a report in Britain's Telegraph said they were sheltering "friends and loved ones who have been displaced by the wildfires."
The pair had also donated "clothing, children's items and other essential supplies," it said.
A trailer for "With Love, Meghan" previewed the "Suits" star sharing tips on cooking, gardening, crafting, flower arranging and hosting.
Guests will include celebrated chef Alice Waters, actress Mindy Kaling and close friend Abigail Spencer, one of Markle's "Suits" co-stars. Harry appears briefly in the trailer.
Since stepping away from their official royal duties in early 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been cut off from the royal purse, forcing them to develop their own sources of income.
Their partnership with Netflix yielded the much-talked-about "Harry & Meghan," a six-episode docuseries launched in December 2022.
In March 2024, Meghan launched the lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.