Reinventing Traditional Media in the Platformized K-Pop Industry: CJ ENM’s Strategic Adaptation Through KCON

Abstract

This study analyzes how CJ ENM strategically responds to structural transformations driven by globalization, digitalization, and platformization in the global K-pop industry. Employing Bilton’s framework distinguishing the zone of risk and the zone of exploitation, it examines CJ ENM’s strategic repositioning through idol production and the KCON fan convention. Through participant observation and interviews at KCON Japan 2024, the study reveals how CJ ENM leverages vertical integration and intellectual property control to manage market uncertainties and maximize profitability. However, tensions between corporate objectives and authentic fan engagement highlight potential limitations of top-down management in fan-centric markets. The findings contribute to a deeper theoretical understanding of traditional media conglomerates’ strategic adaptations to the structural disruptions driven by digital platformization and globalization.