K-pop

noun

ˈkā-ˌpäp 

: popular music originating in South Korea and encompassing a variety of styles

The opening ceremony, which took place Friday in Pyeongchang, South Korea, featured several songs from notable K-pop artists as teams circled the stadium.

—Kimberly Yam

Examples of K-pop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The halftime show performers BTS (co-headliner) The popular K-pop group returns after military conscription forced its multi-year hiatus. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 July 2026

The artist list, like the tournament, touches every corner of the world, from K-pop to modern American country music to Nigerian rap to Ava Max. — Jack Cosbie, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2026

Also featured in the film is the K-pop singing group Saja Boys — Jinu, Mystery, Abby, Romance and Baby — who are concealing their identities as demons. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

The initiative forms part of CJ ENM’s Music Creative eco-System (MCS) – which encompasses IP planning, platforms and artist management – and is aimed at driving the global expansion of K-pop. — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 15 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for Korean pop

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for K-pop

• bop
• chop
• cop
• crop
• drop
• flop
• fop
• hop
• knop
• lop
• mop
• op