100+ Kpop Trivia Questions & Answers

Question: What does "K-pop" stand for?

Answer: Korean popular music

Question: In which country did K-pop originate?

Answer: South Korea

Question: What is the Korean term for domestic pop music?

Answer: gayo

Question: Name three music genres that are incorporated into K-pop.

Answer: Pop, hip hop, R&B

Question: When did the term "K-pop" become popular internationally?

Answer: 2000s

Question: Which boy band is credited with the emergence of modern K-pop "idol" culture in 1992?

Answer: Seo Taiji and Boys

Question: What is the term for the youngest member in a K-pop group?

Answer: maknae

Question: What type of contracts are K-pop idols often subject to, which are considered restrictive?

Answer: "Slave contracts"

Question: Which two K-pop groups from 2003 marked a new generation of K-pop idols?

Answer: TVXQ and BoA

Question: What percentage increase in revenue growth did K-pop experience in 2018?

Answer: 17.9%

Question: As of 2019, where does Korean popular music rank among the top ten music markets worldwide?

Answer: Sixth

Question: Which two K-pop artists led the revenue growth according to the IFPI's "Global Music Report 2019"?

Answer: BTS and Blackpink

Question: In 2020, K-pop became the fastest-growing major music market with what percentage growth?

Answer: 44.8%

Question: What is the process called when K-pop idols release new music and promote it, even without a hiatus?

Answer: Comeback

Question: What is the Korean term for "Grand Prize" awarded at music awards?

Answer: daesang

Question: What phrase is used to describe K-pop's global spread through social networking and TV shows?

Answer: Korean Wave

Question: Which K-pop boy group is known for their intense choreography and hit songs like "Fantastic Baby"?

Answer: Bigbang

Question: What is the term used by fans to describe their strong support and admiration for K-pop idols?

Answer: K-pop stan

Question: Which K-pop girl group is known for their hit songs "DDU-DU DDU-DU" and "Kill This Love"?

Answer: Blackpink

Question: Which K-pop boy group gained international fame with songs like "God's Menu" and "Miroh"?

Answer: Stray Kids

Question: What is the name of the popular live group competition that forms temporary K-pop groups through auditions?

Answer: Produce 101

Question: What term is used for the main track of a K-pop album, usually promoted with a music video?

Answer: Title track

Question: What is the average cost reported in 2012 to train one Korean idol under SM Entertainment?

Answer: US$3 million

Question: What online platform is commonly used for K-pop's audiovisual content to reach a worldwide audience?

Answer: YouTube

Question: What is the process called when K-pop groups perform with coordinated movements and formation changes?

Answer: Choreography

Question: When did modern K-pop "idol" culture begin?

Answer: 1990s

Question: Which group's debut in 1992 is considered the start of modern K-pop's "idol" culture?

Answer: Seo Taiji and Boys

Question: After a slump in early idol music, which two artists from 2003 helped K-pop gain traction internationally?

Answer: TVXQ and BoA

Question: What event is known as the first K-pop act to perform on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2024?

Answer: Seventeen

Question: What was the first known Korean pop album released in 1925?

Answer: I Pungjin Sewol

Question: Who is regarded as the "godfather of Korean rock" for his role in developing Korean rock music?

Answer: Shin Joong-hyun

Question: Which K-pop group had the first music video to reach one billion views on YouTube?

Answer: Psy with "Gangnam Style"

Question: What year did the Kim Sisters become the first Korean group to release an album in the United States?

Answer: 1959

Question: What was the first K-pop music award ceremony hosted by the Korean government?

Answer: Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA)

Question: Which K-pop group was the first to top the Japanese Oricon music chart?

Answer: TVXQ

Question: Which 1995 record producer founded SM Entertainment?

Answer: Lee Soo-man

Question: What significant change occurred in the K-pop industry after the 1997 Asian financial crisis?

Answer: Focus on building cultural influence through music and seeking new markets

Question: Which K-pop group’s debut marked the resurgence of idol groups in Korean entertainment in 2003?

Answer: TVXQ

Question: What K-pop group was the first to reach number one on the Billboard 200 with their album "Love Yourself: Tear"?

Answer: BTS

Question: Which K-pop group’s "Gangsta" dance includes point choreography?

Answer: Noir

Question: What was the first K-pop act to headline at Lollapalooza in 2022?

Answer: J-Hope

Question: When did the K-pop group H.O.T. disband?

Answer: 2001

Question: Which K-pop group was the first foreign boy band to top the Oricon music chart with "Purple Line"?

Answer: TVXQ

Question: Which K-pop group’s single "Coincidence" became popular in many Asian countries during the 2002 World Cup?

Answer: Baby Vox

Question: In what year did BTS win Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards?

Answer: 2017

Question: What is the first K-pop group to headline at Coachella in 2023?

Answer: Blackpink

Question: What was the first K-pop group to release an English-language album in Taiwan?

Answer: Diva

Question: Which K-pop group’s song "Jumping" was released simultaneously in Korea and Japan to much success?

Answer: Kara

Question: Which K-pop group’s 1996 hit "Candy" exemplifies coordinated costumes and props usage?

Answer: H.O.T.

Question: Which K-pop group performed in Pyongyang, North Korea, in March and April 2018?

Answer: Red Velvet, Lee Sun-hee, Cho Yong-pil, and Yoon Do-hyun

Question: What are the three biggest K-pop entertainment companies often referred to as?

Answer: The Big Three

Question: Name the three entertainment companies considered as the 'Big Three' in K-pop.

Answer: SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment

Question: Which record label was established first among SM, YG, and JYP?

Answer: SM Entertainment in 1995

Question: What is the joint management company founded by the Big Three in 2011?

Answer: United Asia Management

Question: What is the name of a training center in Seoul that develops dance skills for K-pop trainees?

Answer: Def Dance Skool

Question: What type of contracts have K-pop agencies been criticized for?

Answer: Binding contracts, sometimes called "slave contracts"

Question: Which agency had the highest revenue in 2019 among the Big Three?

Answer: SM Entertainment

Question: What regulation did the South Korean Fair Trade Commission pass on March 7, 2017, regarding trainee idols?

Answer: New regulations to protect trainee idols from unfair terms and working conditions

Question: What is "cultural technology" in the context of K-pop?

Answer: A concept of rigorous training and management of idols

Question: What percentage of South Korea's GDP was accounted for by BTS in 2019 according to IFPI?

Answer: 0.3%

Question: What is the term for chart manipulation in K-pop?

Answer: Sajaegi

Question: Which platform became the first distributor of K-pop on iTunes in 2009?

Answer: DFSB Kollective

Question: What K-pop record label has the greatest market share?

Answer: SM Entertainment

Question: What is the main responsibility of K-pop management agencies?

Answer: Recruiting, financing, training, and marketing new artists as well as managing their musical activities and public relations

Question: In what year did K-pop record labels reach a combined revenue of over $500 million?

Answer: 2018

Question: What is the equivalent of an extended play in K-pop called?

Answer: Mini album

Question: Which K-pop group’s training is described as rigorous, encompassing singing, dancing, language skills, and media handling?

Answer: H.O.T.

Question: Which K-pop group's founder established YG Entertainment after Seo Taiji and Boys?

Answer: Yang Hyun-suk

Question: Who established JYP Entertainment in 1997?

Answer: Park Jin-young

Question: What is the average duration trainees spend preparing before debuting in K-pop?

Answer: Undetermined amount of time, often many years

Question: What is the method K-pop agencies use to select trainees?

Answer: Auditions or scouting

Question: What type of training do K-pop trainees receive besides singing and dancing?

Answer: Foreign languages, etiquette, attitude, media handling

Question: Which K-pop group’s revenue was reported as $4.65 billion in 2019 according to IFPI?

Answer: BTS

Question: What was the first K-pop group to sell over 890,000 concert tickets in Japan?

Answer: TVXQ's Tohoshinki Live Tour

Question: How are K-pop idols’ public images managed by their agencies?

Answer: Strictly controlled, including behavior, diets, love lives, and avoiding scandals

Question: What movement is K-pop's global popularity part of, also known as the Korean Wave?

Answer: Hallyu

Question: Which K-pop group’s "Gangnam Style" was cited by U.S. President Barack Obama as an example of Korean culture's global influence?

Answer: Psy

Question: Which K-pop group’s "Hit Song" "I Know" marked a revolutionary moment in K-pop history?

Answer: Seo Taiji and Boys

Question: What fashion style did Seo Taiji and Boys adopt that influenced subsequent K-pop groups?

Answer: Hip-hop aesthetic

Question: What law did South Korea pass in 2014 regarding K-pop idols?

Answer: Law to regulate the music industry, protecting idols under 19 from unhealthy labor practices and overtly sexualized performances

Question: What term refers to K-pop's adaptation and integration of foreign musical elements?

Answer: Hybrid genre

Question: Which K-pop artist is known for working repeatedly with fashion designer Jeremy Scott and being labeled his "muse"?

Answer: CL

Question: What kind of fashion is characterized by bright colors, mix-and-match styling, and sports brands in K-pop?

Answer: Street style

Question: Which K-pop choreographer focuses on making routines flattering and complementary to the music?

Answer: Rino Nakasone

Question: What is a criticism of K-pop's reliance on English phrases?

Answer: They are seen as meaningless and not contributing to authenticity

Question: What is "sajaegi" in the K-pop industry?

Answer: Chart manipulation through bulk purchasing of albums or using bots to boost streams

Question: Which K-pop idols' suicides notably shook the industry?

Answer: Kim Jong-hyun and Goo Hara

Question: What term describes the K-pop industry's pressure on idols to appear perfect and flawless, often undergoing cosmetic surgery?

Answer: Lookism

Question: Which K-pop group's performance at the American Music Awards led to their song peaking at number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100?

Answer: BTS with "DNA"

Question: What is the criticism regarding K-pop's sexualization of idols?

Answer: Sexualization of minors and pressure to wear revealing clothing or dance provocatively

Question: Which law in South Korea guarantees K-pop idols under 19 the basic rights to learn, rest, and sleep?

Answer: The 2014 regulation law

Question: What term refers to the oldest or most experienced member in a K-pop group?

Answer: Leader

Question: Name a K-pop group that formed through a reality TV live group competition.

Answer: I.O.I, VIXX, Twice, Pentagon, Wanna One, X1

Question: Which K-pop choreographer starts routines by expressing the feeling or meaning of the lyrics?

Answer: May J. Lee

Question: What K-pop group's choreography was featured in "Gangsta"?

Answer: Noir

Question: Which K-pop group's member Sulli faced cyberbullying leading to her suicide?

Answer: f(x)

Question: What type of dance move involves changing formations rapidly during performances in K-pop?

Answer: Formation changing

Question: What is a "debut showcase" in K-pop marketing?

Answer: An event consisting of online marketing and television broadcast promotions to introduce a new idol group

Question: What is the highest achievement in South Korea's music charts called when a song tops real-time, daily, and weekly charts simultaneously?

Answer: Perfect All-Kill

Question: Which K-pop group's debut included vibrant streetwear and a hip-hop aesthetic in 1992?

Answer: Seo Taiji and Boys