WHILE the K-pop industry is a global behemoth, its rise in Singapore has been driven, not just by star power and corporate giants, but the gamification of the merchandise (“merch”) and enterprising fans-turned-resellers.

“We do see a more prominent presence of K-pop official merchandising in Singapore (now),” says Dr Liew Kai Khiun, assistant professor of applied social studies at Hong Kong Metropolitan University, who noted the trend has been noticeable in the past five years.

K-pop agencies can be massive: Hybe, which is behind global sensation BTS, raised 962.6 billion won (S$976 million) in its initial public offering. Yet in Singapore, albums and merchandise are often bought, not just from official and licensed web-stores, but also from fellow fans and small businesses.