Our Director Coco Yeonsoo Do Featured in The Economist on the Future of K-pop

The Economist recently published an in-depth article titled

“The risky plan to take the ‘K’ out of K-pop”, exploring how the K-pop industry is increasingly looking beyond South Korea and reshaping itself for a global audience.

The piece looks at the evolution of K-pop’s training systems, idol culture and musical style, as well as the growing trend of international talent development across markets such as the US, Europe and South-East Asia.

We’re proud to share that our Director, Coco Yeonsoo Do, took part in the article as an interviewee. Drawing on her first-hand experience within the industry, she offers an honest perspective on the realities of K-pop training — including its intensity, structure and the challenges faced by young artists entering the system at ever earlier ages.

Her contribution adds valuable insight into how the industry works behind the scenes, and why understanding this context is essential when discussing the global expansion of K-pop today.

You can read the full article here:

👉 https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/01/15/the-risky-plan-to-take-the-k-out-of-k-pop