1st generation K-pop groups

The pioneers. These groups wrote the rulebook in the 90s and early 2000s: the idol system, the fan clubs, the dance-heavy comebacks that every later generation borrowed from.

27 1st generation groups in our catalog, from Seo Taiji and Boys (1992) to TVXQ (2003). 22 are still active or back. Best represented label: SM (3).