Asia’s popular culture wave that for two decades has been dominated by two giants. South Korea with its K-Pop wave and dramas, and Japan with its manga and anime, which is now undergoing a fundamental shift. A new force that is tough and colorful has risen from China, not through idol groups or ninjas, but through a small figure with pointed ears and a mysterious smile named Labubu. This figurine by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung is not just a toy but the spearhead of a huge wave of Chinese popular culture that is ready to challenge and even dictate global tastes. Labubu and his predecessors and companions raise provocative questions about whether we will soon say goodbye to the dominance of K-Pop and manga.
Labubu, as a character from The Monsters line by the Pop Mart brand, is a real example of how China combines the power of storytelling, design, and a brilliant business model. Pop Mart, which was founded in 2010, has transformed into a multi-billion-dollar blind box empire. In 2022, the company reported operating income of 4.62 billion RMB yuan, or around 679 million US dollars, with a net profit of 539 million RMB yuan, equivalent to 79.3 million US dollars. Its global growth is even more astonishing, with revenue in overseas markets soaring 147.1 percent in the same year. As of June 2023, Pop Mart has opened more than 500 stores in 23 countries and regions, including fashion centers such as Paris, London, and New York. Global market research institute Frost & Sullivan explained that Pop Mart successfully leverages consumer psychology through a blind box model that creates a sense of anticipation, collection, and community. This model is more than just a toy; it is a social and cultural experience that changes the way people interact with cultural products.
When compared to Korean and Japanese popular cultural commodities, there are fundamental differences in business models and accessibility. The Japanese industry is based on long and complex narrative stories such as manga and anime, where consumers invest time and emotions to follow a series. The merchandise is often expensive and aimed at serious collectors. While South Korea focuses on idolization through K-Pop, where fans not only buy music but also merchandise, concert tickets, and albums in various versions to support their idols. These ecosystems are built around human stars. On the other hand, Chinese products such as Pop Mart and Labubu are more abstract and decorative. Consumers don’t need knowledge of complicated stories to have them. The price is relatively affordable, around 15 to 30 US dollars per box, so it is impulsive and easily accessible to Generation Z and millennials. This is a lighter and more visual form of cultural consumption.
In terms of global impact and cultural adaptation, K-Pop and Korean dramas have managed to export Korean values, fashion, and language to the rest of the world through the Hallyu wave with cultural ambassadors such as BTS and Squid Game. Japanese manga and anime became the foundation of global subcultures such as cosplay and conventions that influenced artists and filmmakers in the West for decades. Chinese pop culture for now exports less specific Chinese lifestyles and focuses more on aesthetics and business models. People buy Labubu because its designs are unique and funny, not because it represents a specific Chinese mythology, even though some characters are inspired by it. It is a subtle globalization of products with universally accepted Chinese design DNA. The role of the government is also a crucial differentiator. China’s National Bureau for Cultural Exports and Imports actively encourages the export of cultural products as part of the national soft power strategy. Meanwhile, Korean and Japanese industries are driven by private companies with government support that is more facilitative.
Labubu is just a symptom of a larger creative ecosystem that is exploding in China. Donghua, or Chinese animations, such as The King’s Avatar and Mo Dao Zu Shi, have a huge fan base and compete directly with Japanese anime on streaming platforms, with the number of views reaching billions. Novel web platforms such as China Literature have become repositories of intellectual property, with millions of titles adapted into dramas and successful games, creating vertical synergies resembling the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The mobile gaming industry in the hands of Tencent and NetEase is becoming a global giant. Games like Genshin Impact from miHoYo or HoYoverse are not only financially successful, with annual revenues reaching billions of dollars, but also win the hearts of global players through the quality of animation and awesome stories with a distinctively Chinese twist.
Ultimately, the rise of Chinese pop culture is not a sign to say goodbye to K-Pop and manga. This wave is precisely a powerful new challenger that is diversifying and democratizing global tastes. The market now has more options where a fan can love Korean dramas, collect Labbubu figurines, and play Genshin Impact and still look forward to the latest manga chapters at the same time. The dominance of popular culture is no longer held by just one or two countries. Labubu and its ecosystem are symbols of a new era where China is no longer a follower of pop culture trends but rather a trendsetter. They have learned the recipe for success from Japan and Korea in terms of content quality, merchandising, and fan community and added manufacturing strength, innovative business models, and strong state support. This is not a war to be won, but rather an evolution in which the global pop culture stage is expanded with new players full of confidence. The right greeting is not goodbye, but welcome to competition. For fans around the world, this is good news because there will always be more interesting things to love.
The legendary singers reunite in Apple TV’s KPOPPED
Apple TV is set to host an unexpected Spice Girls reunion in its new competition show.
KPOPPED, which lands on the streamer on Friday (August 29), follows iconic Western musicians as they reimagine their hit songs in the style of South Korean pop music.
The stars are paired up with a Korean group and sent off to rehearse for a final performance, which will be judged by a Seoul-based audience.
The synopsis reads: “This energetic music series, starring PSY and Megan Thee Stallion, features surprising collaborations and behind-the-scenes moments of connection from iconic Western artists and top K-pop idols while they create genre-blending covers of their biggest hits.”
Spice Girls stars Mel B and Emma Bunton feature in episode two (Image: Apple TV+)
While PSY and Megan Thee Stallion are pegged as the stars of the show, the series also features Spice Girls legends Mel B or and Emma Bunton.
The duo will compete in episode two, where they team up with Korean girl group Itzy to reimagine their hit singles ‘Wannabe’ and ‘Say You’ll Be There.’
Alongside a modern performance of these chart-toppers, viewers will also be treated to behind-the-scenes footage of Emma and Mel as they prepare for the final battle.
The pair will perform together (Image: Apple TV+ )
But the celebrity appearances don’t stop there, KPOPPED also features fellow pop icon Kylie Minogue, R&B star Patti Labelle and rapper Vanilla Ice.
Other musicians taking the stage include Kesha, Eve, J Balvin, TLC, Boy George, Jess Glynne, Ava Max, and Boyz II Men.
As for the K-Pop groups, BILLIE, Itzy, KEP1ER, JO1, Ateez, STAYC, Kiss of Life, and Blackswan are all on the line-up.
KPOPPED lands on Apple TV+ tomorrow (Image: Apple TV+)
As viewers gear up for the series premiere, many have taken to social media to gush about its star-studded cast.
Taking to the trailer video’s YouTube comments, one person penned: “IT’S SOOOO INSANE to see Boys to Men, Kylie, Megan and Spice Girls, legends that have directly inspire K-pop be finally put together in a show with live K-pop performers!”
Someone else gushed: “The show hasn’t even come out yet, but I already think it deserves another season.”
A third fan said: “Never have I ever imagined Megan, Billie, Spice girls will do a show with K-pop groups! I’m happy for Blackswan they’re underrated! Best of luck Ateez, Itzy & Kep1er! This is going to be ICONIC.”
KPOPPED premieres on Friday, August 29 on Apple TV+
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, third from right, ordered the dismantling of some loudspeakers at the 38th parallel, the South Korean military reported on Saturday. File Photo by the Korean Central News Agency/EPA
Aug. 9 (UPI) — North and South Korea have begun removing some loudspeakers that were used to broadcast propaganda across the demilitarized zone at the 38th parallel.
The South Korean military on Saturday reported North Korea‘s removal of some of the loudspeakers, but it’s unknown if all of them will be taken away, the BBC reported.
The South Korean military “detected North Korean troops dismantling propaganda loudspeakers in some parts along the front line,” its leaders said in a prepared statement on Saturday.
“It remains to be confirmed whether the devices have been removed across all regions,” the statement said, adding that the South Korean military will continue monitoring the situation.
The BBC’s report suggested removing some of the loudspeakers might be North Korea’s way of responding positively to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s recent election win.
Lee became president in June and had campaigned on a platform that included improving relations with North Korea.
South Korea stopped broadcasting its own propaganda over loudspeakers positioned at the 38th parallel after Lee took office and earlier this week dismantled its loudspeakers.
South Korea often broadcast content that included news and K-pop music, but those broadcasts ended in June, and its military began removing its loudspeakers on Monday.
North Korea’s loudspeakers often aired annoying sounds, including the howling of wild animals.
North Korea has not confirmed its troops removed some of the loudspeakers at the demilitarized zone separating the two nations, The Independent reported.
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un seeks to eliminate the influence of South Korean culture, including language and pop music, to help preserve his standing as the nation’s supreme leader, according to The Independent.
South Korea had ceased its broadcasts at the 38th parallel for several years, but former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration resumed the broadcasts in June 2024.
Those broadcasts ended after Lee became president.
South Korea’s military completed the removal of anti-Pyongyang propaganda loudspeakers in the DMZ, officials said Wednesday. Photo courtesy of South Korea Ministry of Defense
SEOUL, Aug. 6 (UPI) — South Korea completed removing loudspeakers that had been installed along the DMZ to blast anti-Pyongyang messages across the border, military officials said Wednesday.
Around 20 speakers were completely dismantled by Tuesday afternoon, officials said. The military began the project on Monday, calling it a “practical measure that will help ease tensions between the South and the North.”
In June, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered the suspension of the broadcasts, which included news, K-pop music, and information about democracy and life in South Korea.
Seoul had resumed the Cold War-style propaganda campaign one year earlier in response to a series of provocations by North Korea that included floating thousands of trash-filled balloons across the border.
The North countered by broadcasting bizarre noises such as metallic screeching and animal sounds, disturbing residents in areas near the DMZ. Pyongyang quieted its own speakers after the initial suspension but has not yet appeared to take corresponding action to remove them.
As of Tuesday, there were “no movements by the North Korean military to dismantle their loudspeakers,” Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Col. Lee Sung-jun said at a press briefing.
President Lee has made an effort to improve inter-Korean relations since taking office in June. In addition to the loudspeaker suspension, his administration has also cracked down on activists floating balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border.
Last month, Seoul repatriated six North Koreans who drifted into southern waters on wooden boats and announced plans to return the remains of another North Korean national found near the maritime border.
Pyongyang did not respond to the repatriation plan by a deadline on Tuesday afternoon, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said. Local government officials will conduct “a respectful funeral in accordance with procedures for handling unclaimed bodies,” the ministry said.
North Korea has rebuffed Seoul’s attempts at rapprochement so far.
Last week, Kim Yo Jong — the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — said Pyongyang had “no interest” in responding to efforts by the Lee administration to thaw relations, citing Seoul’s “blind trust” in military ties with the United States.
The allies are scheduled to hold their annual large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise this month. Pyongyang frequently condemns the joint drills as rehearsals for an invasion.
It was 2015 when Minhyuk of K-pop powerhouse group Monsta X first appeared at the KCON mainstage in L.A. Back then, baby-faced and bleached blond, he exhibited plenty of cheeky confidence.
Clad in black and white, he sported shorts emblazoned with the phrase “knock, knock,” a nod to the group’s hard-hitting debut single “Trespass.” It was the first time the rookie, only 21, was meeting his American fans onstage at what was then known as Staples Center, now Crypto.com arena.
Only three months after their debut, the then-seven-member outfit (singer Wonho amicably departed in 2019) already had fans holding up signs for them in the crowd.
Ten years later, Minhyuk, now 31 and only slightly less baby-faced, sits in a conference room at the Mondrian Hotel, where the group has a day lined up of press activities surrounding their return to KCON LA 2025, only now as headliners on Night 2 of the three-day-long festival last weekend of all things trendy in Korean pop culture.
Clad in a neutral-toned pinstripe collared shirt, he, along with his four bandmates, could be young executives at a business casual lunch. Only their toned physiques and rapper Joohoney’s punchy yellow hair give any signal of their pop star status.
Although its the start of a long day, you can tell they are enjoying being with each other, back in the swing of things . Typically quiet, dancer-singer Shownu quipped “Invest in Bitcoin!” to a question on what he would tell his debut self, and the members sometimes chatted among themselves a bit before who deciding who would answer.
While their return to KCON marked the first U.S. appearance of the group reunited after an extended break, their Connect X concert in Seoul a few weeks ago was their first time performing as a group in two years. “I was nervous,” Minhyuk says of those first moments back. “But when I was on the stage, I felt so alive.”
Tall and dark-haired with a quiet authority, singer Hyungwon adds, “Seeing the love of our parents’ eyes in that moment … and the look in the [fan’s eyes], it’s the same feeling as from before.”
Monsta X backstage at KCON.
(Monsta X)
Last month, they also made their first appearance at Waterbomb, South Korea’s signature summer music festival, where artists and audience alike get soaked and where Shownu went viral as he tore off his white T-shirt to reveal an impressively muscular torso.
“Everybody, all the members, care about their health and body right now, he says. We always try to keep fit and healthy.”
Memes and fan-cams aside, their focus on health rings poignant as the sixth member I.M, was unable to join the group this time due to a back injury. As the band’s most fluent English speaker, the rapper, lyricist and producer’s acerbic wit helped ground the group’s sound, and his team deeply feels his absence.
Monsta X represents a vanguard of artists whose strong group dynamics strain beyond the milestone that used to be a breaking point for past K-pop groups: South Korea’s mandatory military service.
The group’s return to KCON is especially significant not only because it heralds a new era for them, but they return to the festival that helped cement their star status in the United States and abroad.
Main vocalist Kihyun, whose powerful notes help cut through the group’s aggressive signature sound, said that first KCON in 2015 was one of their best memories as they were shocked by the audiences response.
“I want to feel that same feeling we had from our first performance tomorrow,” says Hyungwon about their return to KCON. Joohoney, the group’s main rapper, jumps in. “Back then, we did a meet-and-greet, and we had a stage performance together with Got7. We saw their signs in the crowd, but then we also saw signs for us, so we were very happy,” adding that in a full-circle moment, Jackson Wang, the breakout soloist from Got7, will be performing the same night with them.
Further underscoring their continued relevancy, Maggie Kang — director of the popular film “K-pop Demon Hunters — cited Monsta X as one of the inspirations for the film’s fictional group, Saja Boys. “We could kind of tell and could see that the music style and vibe in the movie is similar to Monsta X, but we didn’t know exactly. We are very thankful,” said Joohoney.
Shaney Hwang, marketing coordinator for CJ ENM America, the Korean conglomerate that puts on KCON, remembers attending the festival as a high school student in New York, tracking the group’s rise, later catching them on tour. “Personally, as someone who has always been watching K-pop, I do feel that Monsta X, compared to other groups [who debuted] around their time, made themselves very present to the U.S. fans whether it was from live performances such as at KCON LA in 2015 and ‘16 or even through music collaborations with Western artists such as French Montana and Gallant much earlier than other groups did.”
“I always thought they had great music,” she adds. “And now, it’s really special because it’s their 10th anniversary and we feel very honored for this to be such a full-circle moment.”
It’s a moment that led Monsta X fans to make KCON this year a priority. Over dinner in Koreatown the night before their performance, Ani Ash, from Texas, and her friend Choua Yang, a 45-year-old tech trainer from Green Bay, Wis., talked about their devotion to the group.
“I’m not really a K-pop person,” confesses Ash, 28. “But what drew me to them was their style. How they can switch different genres so easily and still keep their characteristics.” Both friends met online and run fan bases for the group.
“I’ve been a Monbebe since 2021,” says Yang, referring to the group’s fandom moniker, which combines their name and the French word bébé. “My daughters introduced me to K-pop, and one of them was trying to get me to like Monsta X. I think it was their vast discography and the diversity in their music that caught my attention. They’re mature men, especially compared to the newbies who are 20 years old. I just really like them, and I started hosting the fan base.”
Ash and Yang’s devotion speaks to the staying power of Monsta X, which is still adding new fans while nurturing older ones willing to grow alongside them and spend money and devote time to see them. And until they return to touring full-time (Minhyuk says perhaps in 2026), KCON was the one of the few places devotees could see the group reunited.
That devotion, a strong feature of K-pop, runs deep. Ash, for example, was inspired by Minhyuk — who paints in his spare time — to reignite her passion for art, leaving the medical field to become a Houston public school art teacher.
The crowd roared as Hyungwon and Shownu opened Saturday night’s performance of their sensual song “Love Me a Little” with more lyrical choreography than what the team itself is best known for.
Monsta X at KCON 2025.
(Konuk Ryu)
There was even more palpable excitement as a platform rose from the 360-degree stage to reveal the five performing members back triumphantly, all clad in sharp black suits with glittering accents.
After performing “Beautiful Liar,” the darkly EDM single off of their 2023 EP “Reason” and “Who Do You Love,” Joohoney shouted, “Everyone we’re back in L.A.!” before slipping into “Play it Cool” — their club hit featuring Steve Aoki — and ending with the Dream Stage version of the classic “The Gambler” where contest-winning Monbebes performed with them. “Make some noise for I.M!” Joohoney shouted at one point.
The group will be busy upon returning to Seoul as preparations are underway for a new album called “X,” releasing Sept. 1.
While all members participated in songwriting, it will also feature production from Compton-bred producer Dem Jointz, who has composed for Rihanna, Kanye West and Janet Jackson, as well as other prominent K-pop groups of recent years like EXO and aespa.
Careful not to release spoilers, they pondered the question of what kind of movie genre the upcoming project would fit into. “Um, horror?” One of them blurts out before others begin to chime in, laughing. “Romantic comedy?” Hyungwon jokes before they finally agree that sci-fi is probably the best fit.
Reached by email from Seoul, where he is recuperating, I.M also talked about the upcoming album. “It’s special to us because it shows a side of Monsta X we haven’t tried before. From the sound to the concept, we poured our hearts and ideas into every step of the way. We gave it our all and filled it with thanks to the fans who waited for us. I hope they can feel that when they listen.”
The music talent, also known as Chae Ryujin, announced the exciting news on Instagram Live.
“This isn’t a hobby, it’s my life. I’m trans. Because I wasn’t an ordinary person, I couldn’t reveal everything from the start. My goal was to take it slow. I’m just going with my goal,” she revealed.
Cherry first made waves in the K-pop sphere when she appeared in the 2016 reality TV series “Boy24,” which featured a group of young hopefuls competing for a spot in the titular band.
While she didn’t make the group, it didn’t stop her from becoming a fan favourite. In 2022, Cherry joined the new K-pop group JWiiver, which released one mini-album, JTrap, before disbanding in 2024.
Since sharing the heartwarming news, the beloved talent has been showered with supportive messages from fans on social media.
“As someone who has been following Ryujin forever now I couldn’t be more proud… she’s so brave,” one person on X/Twitter wrote.
Another fan on Reddit echoed similar sentiments, writing: “Omg ryujin, i’m so happy for her!! I’ve followed her since jwiiver and she seems so much happier now. I’m so glad she feels comfortable in her identity!”
A third social media user commented: “Trans rep in kpop. She’s so beautiful, you go girl!”
In response to the overwhelming support, Cherry took to Instagram on 21 July to deliver a heartfelt message to her fans.
— ryujin folder 🏳️⚧️ (@ryujin_folder) July 19, 2025
“Hello, I’m Chae Ryujin. In recent days, a lot of international fans. Thank you for your support and love. I read a lot of DMs with appreciation. I’m sorry I couldn’t reply to you one by one,” she wrote.
“I’ll live my second life happier. I would appreciate it if you continue to love and support us. I’ll do my best on YouTube, so please subscribe to my YouTube channel”
Cherry joins a growing number of K-pop idols who have come out as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Halfway through the concert, the beloved singer – whose real name is Song Byeong-hee – announced that he was “f**king proud to be part of the LGBTQ+ community,” resulting in thunderous applause from the audience.
Bain then performed a cover of Lady Gaga’s iconic LGBTQIA+ anthem, ‘Born This Way,’ while enthusiastically waving a rainbow flag.
Global girl group KATSEYE also made headlines when two of their members came out as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
In March, Lara Raj confirmed that she was queer while on Weverse, an app that focuses on the interaction between fans and their favourite music artists.
“I knew I was half a fruitcake when I was like eight. So I really was wanting everybody,” she wrote. “Honestly, before eight. Isn’t fruitcake such a good way to explain it without saying it?”
SEOUL, June 12 (UPI) —North Korea appears to have stopped broadcasting loud noises towards the South, Seoul’s military said Thursday, one day after South Korea halted its anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker campaign near the demilitarized zone.
“Today, there were no areas where North Korea’s noise broadcasts to the South were heard,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to reporters.
The North had been broadcasting bizarre noises such as metallic screeching and animal sounds since last year, as Cold War-style provocations escalated along the inter-Korean border.
Newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has vowed to lower tensions with Pyongyang, and on Wednesday ordered the suspension of the South’s propaganda broadcasts of K-pop, news and information across the border.
Lee’s office said that the move was made “to ease the military standoff between the South and the North and to open the way to restoring mutual trust.”
It was also meant to “alleviate the suffering of residents in border areas who have suffered due to North Korea’s noise broadcasts,” spokeswoman Kang Yoo-jung said in a briefing Wednesday.
Seoul resumed the propaganda broadcasts roughly one year ago in response to a series of provocations by North Korea that included floating thousands of trash-filled balloons across the border.
Lee, who won a snap election on June 3 to replace impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol, vowed during his campaign to suspend the loudspeaker broadcasts as well as prevent defector groups from floating balloons with anti-Pyongyang leaflets and USB drives over the border.
On Thursday, Lee pledged to swiftly restore communication channels with the North.
“We will stop wasteful hostilities and resume dialogue and cooperation,” he said in a speech marking the 25th anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit between former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
“We will restore the crisis management system that prevents accidental clashes and avoids heightening tensions,” Lee said in the speech, which was read on his behalf by a senior official at a commemorative event in Seoul. “To this end, we will strive to quickly restore the inter-Korean dialogue channels.”
The two Koreas reestablished a military hotline in 2018 during a period of detente. However, the North stopped answering the daily calls in 2023 as relations soured amid expanded U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises and a hardline stance by former President Yoon.
