Pent-up demand
Lee of CT Investments and Contents Technologies said the creative content businesses that this fund makes accessible to global investors will thrive in the longer term, with borders reopening and countries such as South Korea and Japan lifting quarantine and testing rules for tourists.
“There is significant pent-up demand among existing fans and K-pop artists have been deliberately releasing new albums in time for the reopening,” he said, adding that many artist groups have recently resumed their world tours and concerts.
Financial analyst Lee Ki-hoon at Hana Financial Group said the pandemic proved the genre benefitted from its music business being more “visual concept” oriented, as seen through its social media outreach.
“Its global fandom is seeing a trickle-down effect from groups like BTS and BlackPink, as they were direct beneficiaries of YouTube – it isn’t limited by time or location,” Lee Ki-hoon said in an October report.
BangtanTV, one of BTS’ YouTube channels, has 71.5 million subscribers, while BlackPink’s channel has 82.7 million subscribers.