Small agencies launch 90% of K-pop groups, but struggle to keep them alive: study

Nearly 90 percent of K-pop idol groups debuted under small and midsized entertainment agencies over the past 30 years, but groups from major agencies remained active for more than twice as long on average, according to a study released Monday. Of the 1,159 K-pop idol groups that debuted between 1996 and 2025, 1,042 groups, or 89.9 percent, came from small and midsized agencies, while 117 groups, or 10.1 percent, debuted under major agencies, according to the study led by Kim Jung-seop, a profess