A J-POP song highly popular in South Korea [with a Korean-language cover too!]
Japanese music is gaining attention among younger generations in Korea.
Of course anime plays a role, but in recent years the influence of social media has helped people enjoy music from all over the world, regardless of country.
Through things like dance collaborations between idols and programs such as the “Japan-Korea Top Ten Show,” we can feel the growing exchange between Japanese and Korean artists, as well as the spread of J-pop and Showa-era pop.
For a long time, sales of Japanese records were restricted in Korea, but now it’s great to see them becoming popular and spreading thanks to various influences.
Let’s all enjoy the J-pop that’s so popular in Korea!
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Popular J-POP Songs in South Korea [With Korean Covers Too!] (41–50)
My Past Life, Many Lifetimes AgoRADWIMPS（COVER：DAY6）
The animated film Your Name, directed by Makoto Shinkai, became a huge hit not only in Japan but around the world.
Its insert song Zenzenzense by RADWIMPS also gained popularity in Korea along with the movie.
Set to a driving, exhilarating melody, the song expresses a great love that suggests we have been connected for decades, even centuries, in a way that mirrors the film’s story.
In Korea, it has been covered by the four-member band DAY6 and singer-songwriter Lee Juck, among others.
Just as in Japan, many people in Korea sang this song at karaoke.
The Zero Sense10-FEET
An uplifting rock tune driven by 10-FEET’s aggressive style and grounded beats.
As the ending theme for the hugely popular film THE FIRST SLAM DUNK in Korea, you can really feel the anime’s strong influence.
The fact that tickets for the event held before their first-ever show in Korea in July 2023 sold out immediately also speaks to their popularity.
The shout-like parts are cool too, and this track fired up listeners’ hearts in Korea.
It truly sets your heartbeat racing, as if igniting a flame!
Odoru-LoopFurederikku
The title track of the mini-album “oddloop,” which marked their major debut in Japan in September 2014, this song is characterized by its highly addictive dance-rock sound.
The music video on YouTube has surpassed 100 million views worldwide, and in Korea it has become established under the Hangul title “오도루프.” At the 2024 Busan International Rock Festival, a massive sing-along broke out, and the song is often cited as the one that gets crowds most fired up at live shows.
It was also used as the ending theme for the anime “Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches” and in a Uniqlo commercial, and has spread again to younger generations via TikTok.
In Korea, even lyric translations and cheer guides have been developed, and it has become a familiar presence at rock festivals and concerts as a “song everyone’s heard at least once.”
Close your eyes (quietly closing my eyes)Hirai Ken (COVER: Chon Jeuku)
The 20th single by singer-songwriter Ken Hirai, who has created numerous masterpieces with his gently enveloping vocals and heartrending edge voice that tightens the heart.
Written specifically as the theme song for the film “Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World,” its story—framed as an answer song to the heroine’s message—truly stirs the emotions.
In 2005, a remake cover by Korean singer Jung Jae-wook was released and became a major hit, further boosting his popularity.
It’s a timeless J-pop classic that reaffirms how a beautiful melody can cross oceans.
Good job, summer!HALCALI
A track from the 2003 album “HALCALI Bacon” has gone massively viral in Korea thanks to TikTok.
HALCALI is a Tokyo-born female duo known for their breezy pop-rap that blends J-pop and hip-hop.
This song is a summer anthem that captures the bittersweet feelings of a girl reluctant to let the season end, and it’s affectionately known in Korea as “수고했어, 여름” (“Good Job, Summer”).
Produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka of Fantastic Plastic Machine, the stylish track pairs lyrics steeped in tender crushes and nostalgia, creating a retro-cute vibe somewhere between city pop and J-hip-hop.
It even entered Spotify’s Viral Chart in Korea in 2025, accelerating its reappraisal alongside the Heisei retro boom.
It’s perfect for those moments when you want to say ‘well done’ to yourself at summer’s end.