From opera to gugak, K-pop companies bid for new IP across genres

As K-pop evolves into a global entertainment system rather than a single genre, styles that once existed only as occasional influences within idol music are beginning to emerge as standalone businesses backed by major entertainment labels.

From classical music and gugak to live bands and electronic dance music, Korea’s entertainment giants are increasingly expanding beyond K-pop’s boundaries, building a new slate of genre-based intellectual property.

The clearest recent example comes from SM Entertainment, which surprised the music industry last month by announcing an exclusive recording partnership with world-renowned soprano Sumi Jo through its classical and jazz label SM Classics.

Jo became the first recording-exclusive artist signed under the label, linking one of Korea’s most globally recognized classical musicians with the company that helped systemize modern K-pop.

The official cover art for “Continuum,” the 40th anniversary special album by legendary soprano Sumi Jo, set for release through SM Classics / Courtesy of SM Entertainment

At a press conference held Wednesday to celebrate the partnership, SM Chief A&R Officer Lee Sung-su described Jo as someone who globalized Korean music long before K-pop’s worldwide boom.

“K-pop was able to expand globally because it was designed with international audiences in mind from the very beginning,” Lee said.

Jo echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the collaboration was not simply about blending different genres.

“I wanted to introduce classical music to more people through SM’s global network and content capabilities,” she said. “I wanted artists with firmly established identities to create a completely new musical language.”

The Vienna Symphony Orchestra reinterprets hit songs by EXO, Red Velvet, NCT and aespa with full orchestral arrangements during its “Wiener Symphoniker X K-Pop” concert held in Vienna, Feb. 16, bringing SM Entertainment’s IP into the realm of classical music. Courtesy of SM Entertainment

The company has steadily expanded its presence in the classical sphere in recent years. In February, SM Classics staged “Wiener Symphoniker X K-Pop” at Vienna’s Konzerthaus, presenting orchestral reinterpretations of K-pop songs.

SM described the project as an unusual attempt even within the classical world, noting that the arrangements preserved the “DNA” of the original songs while reconstructing them through classical harmony and counterpoint techniques. The company also highlighted its adoption of K-pop’s collaborative production structure, where multiple composers jointly participate in orchestration.

Beyond SM Classics, SM also launched contemporary R&B label KRUCIALIZE in 2024, while continuing to operate ScreaM Records, its EDM-focused dance music label home to DJs like IMLAY and Mar Vista.

Gugak duo Dodree is managed by JYP Entertainment subsidiary INNIT Entertainment. The act combines traditional Korean music with contemporary K-pop production. Courtesy of INNIT

JYP Entertainment has likewise been broadening its musical boundaries beyond K-pop through various genre-focused projects.

One of the company’s most visible experiments emerged through its subsidiary INNIT Entertainment, which debuted the Korean traditional music duo Dodree in January.

Formed by contestants from the audition program “The Ddanddara” (2024), the duo combines traditional Korean instrumentation and vocal techniques with contemporary K-pop production.

At the same time, JYP has continued investing heavily in live band music, a field that has historically received less attention within the idol-centered K-pop ecosystem. The company’s strategy has been to apply K-pop’s rigorous training system and production methods to live bands, aiming to create performance-driven acts capable of competing within the broader entertainment market.

The results have been apparent. DAY6 has consistently ranked high on local music charts with each release, while junior labelmates Xdinary Heroes has also steadily expanded its concert scale.

Fans cheer as rock band DAY6 hosts a solo concert in Hong Kong, Jan. 18, as part of its “DAY6 10th Anniversary Tour ‘The DECADE,'” celebrating the band’s 10th debut anniversary. Courtesy of JYP Entertainment

Industry observers say the shift reflects both opportunity and necessity.

“Thanks to K-pop’s global fan platforms and distribution infrastructure that exist today, genres like gugak and classical music can now reach overseas audiences under the broader umbrella of Korean music,” an industry insider working for a major entertainment agency told The Korea Times, on the condition of anonymity.

“There has also been growing fatigue within the industry over having become too dependent on the idol format, and album sales growth has begun to slow. In that sense, the recent wave of genre expansion may also be about agencies trying to diversify risk and build longer-term business portfolios,” he said.

Still, the insider cautioned against viewing every crossover as meaningful artistic expansion.

“These genres outside K-pop carry their own histories and cultures. If companies simply apply K-pop’s production methods without fully understanding those foundations, the results may feel superficial.”