Korean pop music, better known as K-pop, has in recent years become a genuinely global phenomenon, with acts such as BTS and Blackpink frequently outselling the best known American or British bands. But could the next wave of music from the east be a different kind of pop? From Kazakhstan (Q-pop) and Kyrgyzstan (KG-pop) perhaps?
Off the radar – to a certain extent at least – South Korea has been boosting its economic presence in Central Asia for some time, serving as a more liberal influence than the region’s traditional partners, Russia and China.
But this influence has not been limited to economics: South Korea is making a major cultural impact too.