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Chapter 02 of 5

The Idol Factory

Auditions, training camps and contracts: how K-pop stars are made.

1. The Plan

   Cultural technology

   Lee Soo-man called his method "cultural technology": a system to produce and export stars, like a factory exports products.

2. The First

   H.O.T.

   In 1996 SM launched H.O.T., a five-member boy band. They were a huge hit and are often called the first K-pop idol group.

3. The Fans

   Colour-coded fandom

   H.O.T. fans waved white balloons at concerts. Fan groups with their own colours became a K-pop tradition.