[FACTCHECK] Not even chart-topping success can drag these K-pop artists out of obscurity

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[FACTCHECK] Not even chart-topping success can drag these K-pop artists out of obscurity

Published: 25 Jun. 2023, 15:40 Updated: 27 Jun. 2023, 19:58

Stray Kids [JYP ENTERTAINMENT]

The term “nugu,” meaning “who” or “who is that” in Korean, has been part of the K-pop lingo gaining widespread use among listeners in the 2020s. In a highly saturated sea of idol groups, it has been used to refer to lesser-known artists as “nobodies.” Although it was first used to deride obscure acts, the word has been gaining more positive connotations over time, and is now used to describe under-appreciated groups waiting to meet their heyday.

Lesser-known Korean acts tend to seek breakthroughs abroad rather than in Korea, since foreign K-pop fans are more likely to search for underrated "hidden gems" and give their support to them. Unearthing and promoting nugu groups has become a shared pastime for global K-pop fans. Yet, this phenomenon has recently sparked a heated debate: What does it take — or not take — to be nugu?
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