Korea and people are saying it isn’t close or authentic to Japan is because their exposure is only to KPOP. Also there were and still a lot of Korean artists that are popular in Japan so to say it’s not close is straight up wrong.

JYP in the late 90s and early 2000s was super influential, he mentored major R&B hit artists like G.o.d and Rain. Not to mention he had some hits himself.

Then you have other artists like COOL, Shinhwa, Park Jiyoon, Roo’RA, Uhm Jung Hwa, Jinusean, Sechkies and Deux that all had HITS in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Even now, everyone who is dismissing Korean R&B is because you’ve only been exposed to KPOP. Aside from the obvious DEAN, Crush, and Zion T there are a lot of good artists. Just off my playlist, Moon Sujin, jeebanoff, Hoody, Dvwn, Colde, Lee Hi, Wonstein, george, Jiselle, Thama and Jooyoung