What defines K-pop? Beyond the nationalities of artists or its highly structured production system, the genre’s defining trait lies in its fan-driven business model.

As fans emerge as a core growth engine of the global music industry, CJ ENM's content platform Mnet Plus aims to engage both casual and devoted fans by ramping up investments in its original content lineup and interactive content.

“While ‘superfan’ platforms typically cater to deeply invested K-pop fans, we aim to become a K-pop content platform for the global ‘Zalpha’ generation, encompassing both hardcore and casual fans,” said Kim Ji-won, the senior vice president of Mnet Plus at CJ ENM, referring to Gen Z and Alpha audiences born between the late 1990s and 2010s.

The remark came during the CJ ENM Culture Talk event held at the company’s headquarters in western Seoul on Tuesday, where music critic and K-culture Lab founder Cha Woo-jin also spoke as a presenter.

Launched in 2022, Mnet Plus is a mobile app operated by Mnet, CJ ENM’s broadcasting channel specializing in K-pop-related content.

For many K-pop fans worldwide, the app primarily serves as a voting platform for Mnet’s award shows, such as MAMA, and audition programs, like its hugely successful K-pop audition franchise “Planet” (2021-) series, but Mnet also offers global livestreaming of its TV programs and other original content, such as the horror variety show “Sumbakkokjil.”

As of October, the platform had 40 million registered users and 20 million monthly active users, according to Mnet Plus.

In the third quarter in particular, the platform saw a significant surge in viewership, largely driven by the “Boys II Planet” audition program that ran from July through September, with the number of viewers who tuned in to the show’s finale on the platform exceeding 1 million. The upcoming 2025 MAMA Awards, scheduled for Nov. 28 and 29, will also be livestreamed with English subtitles on Mnet Plus.

Looking ahead, Mnet Plus plans to quadruple its investment in original content production next year compared to this year, though Kim did not disclose the exact figure.

“Our growth this year has been driven by users in Korea, Japan and China,” Kim noted. “But starting in 2026, we plan to expand our user base in North America, Oceania and Europe.”

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]