Heavily Discussed in Indonesia, Here's a Long List of Secret Number's Struggles in Korea

Kapanlagi.com - Debuting as a multinational rookie girl group, Secret Number has caused a stir among K-Pop lovers in Indonesia. One of the members of Secret Number, Dita Karang, is the first Indonesian girl to join a K-Pop idol group in this ginseng country.

The keywords Secret Number and Dita Karang even made it into the trending topics on YouTube and Twitter for Indonesia on their debut day, May 19, 2020. However, it turns out that the group consisting of Dita, Lea, Denise, Jinny, and Soodam still faces the harshness of the South Korean entertainment industry.

1. Popular Because of Indonesian Member

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A South Korean online community discusses the popularity of Secret Number as a rookie group regarding their MV views and debut stage on YouTube. As of June 10, 2020, Secret Number's debut MV, 'Who Dis?', has been viewed over 13 million times. Meanwhile, their debut stage on the music program M COUNTDOWN has garnered 4.5 million views and continues to increase. However, the reactions from Korean netizens were unexpected.

In the comment section, many believe that Secret Number's achieved popularity is thanks to Dita, the Indonesian member who is surely admired by K-Pop fans in Indonesia. The post discussing the explosion of Secret Number's MV views also received more dislikes (136) than likes (7) as it is seen as part of promotion.

2. Not Very Popular in South Korea

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The names Secret Number and Dita Karang are almost never absent from global and local news in the homeland, such as when Secret Number does a live broadcast on their official account or when chatting with Dian Sastro. Secret Number has also been interviewed by several media outlets, one of which is KBS WORLD Indonesia. Every article that discusses Secret Number is always flooded with thousands of comments from netizens, of course, the dominating comments come from Indonesian K-Pop lovers.

This is in stark contrast to the news coverage in South Korea. Articles discussing Secret Number tend to have few or even no comments from netizens.

3. Not Everyone in Korea Likes K-Pop Idols

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Furthermore, Secret Number's struggle in South Korea is also hindered by the stigma attached to K-Pop idols. In South Korea itself, not everyone likes this genre of music.

One netizen on an online Q&A site revealed that Korean people are divided into three groups in responding to K-Pop genre, there are those who are crazy about K-Pop, those who are indifferent, and there are also those who are disturbed and even hate it. Some say that the growth of K-Pop culture is considered to be damaging the music industry in Korea.

4. Demands of Newly Debuting K-Pop Idol Groups

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As newcomers in the Korean entertainment industry, rookie K-Pop idol groups are expected to bring something new in various aspects such as concept, visual, and musicality. In doing so, their existence will be noticed by K-Pop enthusiasts.

Rookie groups are also expected to have their own unique characteristics that differentiate them from other idols, considering the number of new debuts happening around the same time. This competition not only applies among groups but also among members within the same group.

In addition, rookie groups must actively promote themselves to gain recognition from the public, both in South Korea and globally. The group that captures the most attention and is positively talked about will be selected as the Rookie of the Year, marking the initial success in their K-Pop career.

5. Becoming a Popular K-Pop Idol Group

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The struggle of K-Pop idols doesn't stop there. A group must maintain their existence and achieve higher popularity over time.

The popularity of K-Pop idol groups can be seen from several aspects. The first is physical and digital album sales. The more their songs and works are accessed by the public, the bigger their name becomes. If physical and digital album sales are high, they will automatically dominate the charts both locally and internationally. They also have the opportunity to win various music programs and extend their list of achievements.

Beyond music programs, the popularity of a K-Pop idol group is also proven by their frequency of appearances in various events, such as reality shows, interviews, and magazine photoshoots. It is not uncommon for some K-Pop idols to venture into other fields such as acting.

The popularity of K-Pop idols is certainly inseparable from the number of fans who support their activities in the entertainment world. Therefore, building a good relationship with fans through social media and events such as fan meetings and concerts has a significant impact on surviving in the Korean entertainment industry.

The career journey of Secret Number is still long ahead. Don't forget to always support Dita Karang and Secret Number, KLovers! Success always!

(kpl/rsp)