The rise of Korea’s musicians from local celebrities to international superstars is credited to Lee Soo-man, the godfather of K-pop. The industry he developed gave rise to groups like BTS, which has been the biggest-selling band in the world for two years running. Now, Lee has sold most of his stake in SM Entertainment, the company he founded, to one of its biggest rivals.

On this week’s podcast, hosts Mike Bird, Alice Fulwood and Tom Lee-Devlin delve into the world of K-pop and examine how the businesses making one of Korea's newest export industries operate. Author, Mark Russell, tells them how K-pop went global. Analyst, Bokyung Suh, breaks down the secret to its commercial success, and explains whether fans should fear a potential K-pop commercial monopoly.

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