Seung Nam Kim shares the strategy behind the global success of K-pop

Seung Nam Kim, the producer at YG Entertainment recently participated in a panel titled “K-pop Music Production Strategies for the Global Market” alongside Ryan Farley, managing director of U.K.-based independent record label Cooking Vinyl.

He later spoke about it in an interview with Variety as well.

In that chat Kim revealed that A&R is more than just style or trends, and was quoted saying, “A&R matchmaking isn’t just about style – it’s about emotional language. The first step is identifying what kind of sound the team needs right now. From there, we refine it through references and find the right creators, not necessarily just the biggest names, who can translate that emotion into sound.”

He further explained to the outlet the differing preferences between Western and Korean audiences and explained how, “International listeners often connect with tone and groove before lyrics, whereas Korean audiences crave lyrical storytelling, emotional nuance, and even silence – those ‘empty moments’ that carry weight.”

Later in the interview Kim shared that, “working across cultures can be challenging, “Collaborating with global songwriters can sometimes involve language barriers, different workflows, and cultural misinterpretations, but it’s precisely through these moments of friction that non-formulaic, genre-bending sounds are born,”

It was only when concluding did Kim also talk about the future of K-pop, and said, “I believe K-pop will continue to evolve by incorporating more co-creators from diverse countries and cultures.” He added, “Music’s power to create emotional resonance and human connection across languages and backgrounds is what will keep K-pop relevant and thriving in the global mainstream.”