SM
WayV
NCT Wish
JYP
Boy Story
Nexz
HYBE
&TEAM
CJ
INI
JO1
Of course, there are female idols who have localized as well.
※ Why Localization?
Entertainment companies in South Korea generally share similar thoughts: they reach a limit in producing idols (things like reaching overseas market) -> mix in locals -> encounter another limit (like political issues) -> let's stick to locals only (current stage).
But now, even localization strategies have shifted:
-> It's hard to capture the domestic market, and localized groups usually don't gain a lot of international fans -> This affects their promotional activities in South Korea, attracting global attention, and gaining popularity in South Korea => Tend to actively promote in South Korea first before changing their directions
+ Localization is often just a facade. Companies now introduce newcomers without distinguishing them as localized, essentially no different from existing idol activities, so there's no reason to label them as such.
-I only know NCT Wish
-Is EXO-M the first in this field?
-A smart way to exploit locals to earn foreign currency, without tax evasion.
-If they're going to work in Korea, they need to study history properly before coming.
-So should we call them a Korean group? Or should we call them a group from that country?
-This is all new to me.
-Among the Japanese localized teams, NCT WISH has the most simultaneous activities in Korea and Japan, and the rest mainly just stays in Japan. However, as the other comment has stated, they are gradually adding the title of global group as they do a few activities on Korean music shows. I wonder what direction NEX7 will take.
-I'm just... I quit being a fan and stopped paying attention to idol gossip, but seeing this... I mean, I appreciate various attempts, but it doesn't feel like K-pop to me. Why only recruit foreigners and then make them do activities in Korea? It seems like they still treat Korean fans or the public as fools. It just makes me less interested in idols.
-NCT WISH seems to be putting a lot of effort into learning Korean, and you can see the members are close.
-In the end, it seems like it will end up with a mix of Koreans and foreigners, centered around Koreans again. Localized groups like in the post may gain popularity solely within the country but may not attract a pure K-pop fandom overseas... For example, if it's a Japanese localized group, they'll just become a Japanese J-pop group and only be seen by J-pop fans...
-Anyway, there are already so many idols, and now even localized idols are releasing albums and performing in Korea, and they're even appearing on year-end stages, so I feel like they're interfering too much...
-That's why they aren't remembered much as Kpop idols. I only know the group names vaguely.
-If you're going to come out on Korean music shows, bring Korean songs... It's really annoying to see them sing in Chinese or English.
-What were entertainment companies in Korea thinking when they created localized idols?
-I wish WayV would do more activities in Koreaㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ They've been on Korean broadcasts recently, but it would be nice if they released some Korean songs...
-I only know WayV and NCT Wish.
-WayV and NCT Wish just seem like Korean groups to me...ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-But is it because NCT Wish has Korean members? The members are really good at Korean... It seems like they'll become really popular in Korea.
-Honestly, I don't like them.
