[Please answer 2009] The key to K-POP's attack on the Chinese market: SUPER JUNIOR-M

This article only introduces the sub-group SUPER JUNIOR-M, and then I will open an article to introduce the whole group of SUPER JUNIOR~

• Debut: 2008-04-08
• Members: Eunhyuk (joined in 2011), Siwon, Zhou Mi, Donghae, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun, Henry
• Suspended activity: Sungmin (joined in 2011)
• Departing member: Han Geng (former captain, retired in 2009)

CT (Culture Technology, Cultural Technology) is a system used by SM Entertainment to promote Kpop culture to the world. The first idol group launched by this system is SUPER JUNIOR's sub-group "SUPER JUNIOR-M". M stands for Mandarin (Modern Standard Chinese), and as the name suggests, SJM is a sub-group that focuses on the Chinese-speaking market.

In addition to being a member of Brigade SJ, they also joined Zhou Mi, who was born in Wuhan, China, and Henry, who is Chinese-Canadian (his father is from Hong Kong and his mother is from Pingtung, Taiwan).

When SJ first debuted, there was a plan for an entrance and graduation system. Henry almost joined SJ as a new member like Kyuhyun. He once performed together on the stage when SJ released the second album. However, this system was strongly rebounded by fans, and the plan was abandoned. It is also established that SJ will not add new members and officially become a fixed group.

Henry made his official debut in 2008 with Zhou Mi and SJ members to form SJM. Although Henry and Zhou Mi are not members of the team, they have a good relationship with SJ members other than SJM and often support each other's activities~

SJM is mainly active in China, Taiwan and Thailand. It not only releases Chinese albums, but also promotes local variety shows, appears in TV dramas, receives advertisements and endorsements, and is also printed on official Chinese stamps. Due to his great efforts in managing the Asian Chinese market, he has gained a very high popularity. In 2010, he was also shortlisted for the "Best Singing Group" in the Taiwan Golden Melody Award.

In 2011, in order to promote the new album "Too Perfect", he even stayed in Taiwan for two months. The song "Sweet Happiness" in this album also composed the music with Jay Chou and the lyrics of Fang Wenshan. The title song "Too Perfect" has become a cute password among members and Taiwan fans because of its homophonic "Taiwan Girl"~

During the long stay, not only did he promote albums and hold autograph sessions, he also appeared on many Taiwan variety shows, such as "Variety Big Brother", "Entertainment 100%", "Let's Be a Friend", "Entertainment@Asia", "Just Love JK", "Japanese and Korean Music Crazy", etc., were quite representative entertainment programs in Taiwan at that time, and also regularly appeared in "Entertainment E Generation" on China Radio and Television Station, and even had an exclusive travel program "Celebrities Lead the Way" on Taiwan Dongfeng TV Station. , the members shuttled to various attractions in Taiwan to experience the local culture and food.

At the same time, members Siwon and Donghae also starred in the Japanese comic adaptation Taiwan idol drama "Gorgeous Challenge" with Taiwanese actor Chen Yihan.

The very down-to-earth members have also learned Taiwan's "phonetic", and also use their spare time to exercise and play basketball in Taiwan's parks, attracting many fans to watch. The two-month long stay is an unforgettable memory for SJM and Taiwan fans. Although SJM has not had group activities in recent years, but now the members come to Taiwan to hold activities, and they often bring up little stories about their life in Taiwan~

During the Long Stay period, Donghae and Siwon met a Taiwanese named Michael on the streets of Taipei. He was usually a Taiwanese businessman doing business in China. Because he had a tumor and was still waiting for the inspection report, he was drinking on the roadside in depression. , smoking, Donghae encouraged him to take good treatment, he would definitely get better, and said that his father's tumor had been cured. In fact, Donghae's father died of cancer several years ago, but he hoped that he could use white lies to encourage Michael not to give up on himself. Donghae even posted on CY (a popular blog service in Korea at the time) asking everyone to pray for this Michael, Later, when a Taiwanese fan met Michael himself, he said that his tumor was benign, and he was very grateful to Donghae and Siwon for being so kind and caring to a strange foreigner.

Before SJM, SM Entertainment also asked BoA and TVXQ to release Chinese versions of songs in an attempt to enter the Chinese market, but they still focused on the Korean and Japanese markets, unlike SJM, which directly focused on the Chinese-speaking circle, their success , led the Korean groups of other companies to recruit Chinese members and release Chinese songs. The younger EXO of the same company also has EXO-M and NCT's WayV team specializing in the Chinese market.

After the Korean Wave successfully entered the Chinese market, stars in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan have also followed the Korean idol's style and popular music style, but it has also caused Chinese variety shows to often reproduce Korean dramas without authorization, or some Chinese idol groups directly copy Korean dramas. The situation of the group concept occurs.

Therefore, SM Entertainment took the lead in leading the Korean group to recruit Chinese members and sing Chinese songs. In fact, it also aroused the dissatisfaction of many Koreans who were xenophobic and even hated. In particular, China has a large population and is one of the international powers. Most Chinese members are Chinese nationality, even Thai Chinese or Taiwanese, often choose to invest in the embrace of the "motherland" for commercial interests... or the political stance of Chinese nationals, often hurting the hearts of Hong Kong and Taiwan fans 🥲

Also because Chinese capital and culture have penetrated into various places in recent years, Korean dramas and Korean dramas have appeared in the placement marketing of many Chinese brands. In addition, many Chinese members of the Korean group use the Korean pop music scene as a springboard. After their popularity rose, they announced that they would withdraw from the team and return to China for solo development. Although everyone has different career plans, it is inevitable that they will be affected by the development of the original group. Some people are disgusted.

All of the above situations have made Koreans even more dissatisfied with the continuous expansion of the Chinese-language market by Korean brokerage companies. They believe that SM Entertainment is the culprit behind this trend, helping Chinese culture penetrate South Korea and destroying the Korean performing arts ecology.

However, SM's move did successfully push the Korean Wave to all parts of Asia, and later Korean groups had the opportunity to follow up and even go to the world stage.

It can be said that Korean stars recruit Chinese and attack the Chinese market. It can be said that there are advantages and disadvantages. Like us Taiwanese fans, not everyone can learn Korean, but because the Chinese market is large enough, Korean stars are attracted to work hard, so that we also have the opportunity to enjoy idols talking The intimacy of a common language.

My IG account: @haru.and.g1.day (full of star chasing things)

please answer 2009

Please read the instruction manual carefully

• The years of debut and release of the singers reviewed are about 2003-2012, mainly the second-generation groups, there may be solos, and the so-called 2.5th generation to the beginning of the 3rd generation may appear blurred.
• 2️Most of the works after 2009, I also entered the kpop pit in 2009, and the Korean wave began to spread to the whole Asia and the world around 2009, so I chose "Please answer 2009 Reply 2009" as the project name.
• A plan that is quite selfish, just like Cheng Shiyuan in 1997 has selfishness towards HOT. I will post a lot of groups I like, and some groups may not be posted at all. Don't take it seriously.