K-pop has seized control of the music world, emerging as a global phenomenon. With only four complete generations of artists, K-pop’s rapid growth shows the world that they’re just getting started and to expect more in the fifth generation.

From headlining festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza to breaking records, it takes an entire team of talented professionals to help these artists accomplish some of these viral moments. When artists find their perfect match among professionals for a project, magic happens.

Let’s look at five music industry professionals who have been key players in some of K-pop’s hottest groups and solo artists’ careers. From the recording studio to the stage, get to know who helps create the magic behind the scenes.

David Yungin Kim 

David Yungin Kim is a Korean American GRAMMY award-winning mix engineer shining a light on the technical side of music. He was born in Seoul, South Korea, but moved to Los Angeles at a young age. Kim started his journey into hip-hop music after being inspired by Nas’s debut album “Illmatic.” After studying at the Musician’s Institute and landing the opportunity to engineer for the muti-platinum and GRAMMY award winner Hit-Boy, Kim paved his way in hip-hop by contributing to the albums of top artists like Kendrick Lamar, Nipsey Hussle, Nas, and more. The three-time GRAMMY winner has taken his skills into K-pop as the mixing engineer on albums like BTS’s RM’s “Indigo,” Jimin’s “Face” and more. Kim’s most recent project is the single “NO LOWKEY,” which he created with artists Jessi and CAMO. It is just a taste of his upcoming album, “Did You Know?” 

Charlotte Wilson 

Charlotte Wilson is a multi-platinum songwriter who broke into the K-pop world in 2019 when JYP Entertainment picked up her song “Not Shy” as the lead single on ITZY’s second mini album. The UK-born songwriter has been composing songs since she was 12 and became a K-pop fan at 16 after seeing singer-actor Rain’s music video “I’m Coming.” Wilson has worked with some of K-pop’s most prominent names like ENHYPEN, The Boyz, Kai of EXO, and NMIXX. 

Joon-oh Jang and Ji-hye A

Have you ever wondered who the creative geniuses are behind the design of K-pop albums? Designers such as Joon-oh Jang and Ji-hye A bring them to life. This duo founded the Sparks Edition studio in Seoul, South Korea. The studio focuses on visual graphics such as brand identity, albums, editorials, and more. You may recognize some of their designs in K-pop, such as BTS’s album “Map of the Soul: 7,” STAYC’s “We Need Love,” and LE SSERAFIM’s “Anti-Fragile.” 

Sienna LaLau 

Hawaiian-born Sienna Lalau is in her early 20s and has made her mark in K-pop through dance. Lalau started dancing at three years old and competed in the Hip-Hop International dance competition with The Lab in Los Angeles. The young choreographer is well-known for her choreography and appearance in BTS’s “ON” and her stage performances with BTS, J. Lo, Ciara, and Justin Bieber. You can spot more of her choreography in XG’s “Left Right” and BLACKPINK’s “Pink Venom.”  

Kim Wook

One of the most highly requested stylists in K-pop is Kim Wook. The South Korean stylist has worked with all four big K-pop labels: JYP Entertainment, HYBE, SM Entertainment, and YG Entertainment.  His aesthetics and eye for detail are responsible for the iconic looks in music videos for EXO’s “Obsession,” Aespa’s “Savage,” SHINee’s “Don’t Call Me,” and more. He also styled BLACKPINK for their 2019 Coachella performance. His unforgettable styling earned him the “Stylist of the Year” award at the 11th Gaon Chart Music Awards.