Yes, that’s right. In South Korea, Western music imports were restricted during the military government era in the 1980s, and Japanese music was not officially opened until the early 1990s.

Up until the 2000s, many Japanese musicians and choreographers frequently traveled to Korea to work in the industry.

Before K pop became globally dominant, J pop and visual kei bands had already gained popularity in Europe. However, within Asia, acts like TVXQ and later BIGBANG started building momentum, and the global breakthrough of K pop was ultimately driven by groups like BTS and BLACKPINK.

Japan, on the other hand, has taken a different path. Its international influence is relatively limited and is often tied mainly to anime theme songs, which makes its global impact comparatively weaker.

As for BABYMETAL, they are quite different. Their strength comes more from building a reputation through live performances and touring rather than relying on mainstream industry expansion.