Welcome to the KPop Group Chat

Soojin Kim

Hey everyone! Welcome, welcome! I can't believe I’m finally recording Episode One of The K-Pop Group Chat—this has been such a long time coming, and honestly, I’m kind of nervous, but mostly super excited to start hanging out with you all! If we haven’t met yet, I’m Soojin Kim, your host, and basically your internet unnie for all things K-pop. I grew up in Seoul, so K-pop is, like, woven into every part of my life. You know, in Korea, you hear idol songs everywhere—at the convenience store, in taxis, even blaring out from those random phone shops on every corner. But it wasn’t until middle school that I started really becoming a fan. My first concert—oh my gosh, I’ll never forget it. It was at Olympic Gymnastics Arena, and I mostly remember the rush of lights, everyone singing along, and for the first time, feeling like I belonged to this gigantic, happy group...full of people who just got it. That sense of belonging, honestly, that’s where the whole idea for this podcast was born. The K-Pop Group Chat is my little dream—an online hangout that’s chill, friendly, maybe a little chaotic, but always welcoming. Whether you’ve been a stan since first gen idols or just heard your first NewJeans song last week, this is where you can come fangirl, debate, laugh, and totally geek out without any judgment.

Soojin Kim

So, what are we actually gonna do here every week? I didn’t wanna just talk at you like some DJ—this is the Group Chat, so if you’re picturing comfy blankets, snacks, and a bunch of stans shrieking about comeback teasers… you’re in the right place! Each episode, we’ll break down all the hottest comebacks, swap our top bias picks—I mean, mine changes weekly, I’m not even kidding—and dive into fan theories. Some of those theories get wild! We’ll also have weekly segments that let you join the convo, like polls and voice notes. And you better believe we’re going to talk about stuff like BTS’s huge global moment or, for example, the way NewJeans just… exploded everywhere, right? Every week is different, so sometimes we’ll dig deep and sometimes we’ll just be yelling about how amazing an idol's hair looked in the music video. Oh, and, honestly, something I keep thinking about is how K-pop fandom is, um, it’s just so different from other music communities. I mean, we’re not just listening to music and bouncing, right? There’s so much interaction, memes, streaming parties, really like this family vibe that’s hard to describe to anyone who hasn’t experienced it. If you’re here, you get it—and if you don’t, you will soon, trust me!

Soojin Kim

And here’s what I might be most excited about—I want YOU to be part of the show. You can send me your K-pop stories, vote in weekly polls to choose episode topics, or hop in our official group chat to, I don’t know, argue about whose comeback was legendary or which idol eats pizza the weirdest way. I’m always going through submissions and I’ll do regular shoutouts, too, so don’t be shy! I want this to feel like you’re at a sleepover, group call vibes, all of that. Oh man, actually, speaking of debates, this one time my friends got into the most dramatic chat about BLACKPINK versus Red Velvet—like, who owned the concept better, whose stages are more legendary. It started off totally unserious and then weirdly, after the debate, two of my friends who barely knew each other ended up forming their own K-pop trivia team, so... see? Debate brings people together! That’s the heart of this podcast—fun, a little bit silly, and always, always connected by our love of the music and the fandom. So, go grab your lightstick, get comfy, and let’s make every week in the Group Chat something to look forward to. New episodes will drop every week, so keep your DMs open. Thanks for listening to the very first episode, and I cannot wait to see what kind of K-pop chaos we get into together!