K-pop (an abbreviation of Korean pop; Korean: 가요 kayo) is a musical genre originating in South Korea, which is characterized by a wide variety of audiovisual elements. Although it incorporates all forms of Korean popular music, such as trot and folk music, the term is more often used to refer to songs produced by idol groups.

In 1992, modern K-pop was ushered in with the formation of Seo Taiji & Boys, whose successful experimentation with different music styles had sparked a paradigm shift in the music industry of South Korea. As a result, the integration of foreign musical elements in song production has become a common practice in the K-pop industry.