P1Harmony is a group in their 6th year since debut, enjoying immense popularity in the global music market.
Their 9th mini-album reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 main album chart this past March.
ATEEZ, in their 8th year since debut, saw their new album enter the Billboard 200 at No. 1 last week, marking their third time topping the chart.
Such achievements are rare in the current K-Pop market.
Among the 14 K-Pop groups that have reached the top 5 on the Billboard album charts, P1Harmony and ATEEZ are the only ones not affiliated with the four major entertainment agencies.
Industry insiders say that with soaring production costs and intensifying capital competition, it has become difficult for small and medium-sized agencies to nurture a "second BTS."
[Woo Seung-hyun / Chairman of the Korea Music Industry Association: It is common to hear in the industry that it costs 10 billion won to create and bring an idol group to a trajectory of success, so we are in a high-cost environment....]
As the number of new artists entering domestic charts also declines, a red light has turned on for the future of K-Pop.
[Choi Hwi-young / Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism: I think we are at a point where questions are being raised about how long the momentum of K-Pop can last.]
Measures such as support funds and the introduction of tax credits for production costs are being discussed to protect small and medium-sized agencies, which serve as the backbone of K-Pop.
[Kim Jin-woo / CEO of RBW: Funds that support content, such as mother funds or growth funds, are constantly being released. However, K-Pop is not a primary objective. Movies are included, and games are as well.]
High rental fees for performance venues in local regions, which are even more expensive than in Seoul, and a lack of performance infrastructure are also cited as issues that need to be resolved for the growth of K-Pop.
The government has selected 10 teams, including the group RESCENE, for its newly established overseas expansion support project for small and medium-sized agencies this year. It announced that it would double the scale of support starting next year and discuss tax credits for production costs with financial authorities.
"Costs 10 Billion Won" K-Pop Crisis Theory... To See the 'Miracle of Small Agency Idols' (July 13, 2026, 8 O'Clock News)
Reported by Kim Kyung-hee | Written by Bae Jun-hwi | Video Editing by Kim Jong-tae | Design by Kim Ye-ji | VJ by Oh Se-kwan | Produced by SBS Digital News | Video courtesy of FNC Entertainment, KQ Entertainment, The Muze Entertainment, GREATM Entertainment
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