Trendy songs in South Korea: A roundup of hit songs
These days, K-culture—centered around K-pop—has become mainstream in Japan, hasn’t it?
One of the defining elements of K-culture is surely its music.
Here, we’ll be introducing some of the latest hit songs from Korea!
We’ve picked out tracks lighting up various charts: not only songs by popular idols, but also artists with enduring support in genres like trot and ballads, as well as Japanese songs that are gaining popularity in Korea.
There are countless amazing masterpieces, so feel free to use summaries like this as a starting point and dive deeper!
- A Korean song you often hear on TikTok. Trending K-pop.
- K-POP Popularity Rankings [2026]
- Guaranteed to hit repeat: Energetic K-pop songs that will lift your mood
- Korean karaoke songs: beloved tunes from popular ballads to K-pop
- K-POP Masterpieces & Best Hits [Latest and Classic Popular Songs + Editor’s Select]
- [Korean popular music] Popular trot songs. Masterpieces by trot singers.
- Nothing but famous and hit songs! K-pop tracks recommended for Gen Z
- K-POP and Korean tear-jerker songs: tracks that deeply resonate and bring you to tears
- Stylish K-pop and Korean songs. Songs with a nice vibe.
- [2026] Cool! K-pop dance tracks that make you want to move
- Popular K-pop and Korean songs that brighten up YouTube Shorts
- [2026] A roundup of popular K-POP hits that were trending this year
- Today's recommendation! K-pop songs
Trendy Korean songs: A collection of hit songs (91–100)
Live My Lifeaespa
This is a new song by aespa, a four-member girl group from South Korea.
It’s included on their album Armageddon, released in May 2024, and features a striking new sound with pop-rock elements.
The lyrics, which emphasize the importance of living true to yourself, are deeply moving.
Some have noted that it even carries a Taylor Swift–like vibe.
It’s a track that symbolizes aespa’s musical evolution and has been highly praised by fans.
The song offers courage and hope for everyday life and is an uplifting listen.
It’s also perfect for a summer drive.
123-78BOYNEXTDOOR
A sophisticated track that fuses jazz and R&B, showcasing a new frontier for BOYNEXTDOOR.
Since their debut a year and a half ago, they’ve made remarkable strides, and this piece stands out as a bold musical experiment from their album “No Genre.” Member Woongnak contributed to the lyrics, weaving the loss of love into poetic lines.
The delicate melodies and refined chord progressions sprinkled throughout the medium tempo gently envelop the sense of heartache.
Following its release in May 2025, the song reached No.
6 on Korea’s Melon chart.
It’s a perfect choice not only for those looking to overcome the pain of love, but also for anyone seeking music with a warm touch amid an urbane atmosphere.
The Small Spring (작은 봄)고추잠자리
Korean indie group Gochu Jamjari, known for their acoustic sound and poetic lyrics, has drawn attention with this gentle mid-tempo ballad from their album “작은 봄,” released in April 2025.
Its delicate imagery beautifully layers scenes of nature awakening after the snowmelt with emotions shifting from winter to spring.
Released on SoundCloud ahead of the album on March 30, the track has already garnered high praise from Korea’s indie scene.
The harmony and arrangement—where each member’s musicality blends seamlessly—are outstanding.
It’s a piece that keeps you company on a quiet spring morning or whenever you want to calm your mind.
멸종위기사랑LEE CHANHYUK
Lee Chan-hyuk, the creator behind the music of sibling duo AKMU.
Having confronted the profound theme of “death” in his 2022 solo work ERROR, he returned with a track included on his second album EROS, released in July 2025.
This piece questions the value of love—a precious thing on the verge of extinction—as if it were something endangered.
Blending a nostalgic 1960s pop sound with majestic, gospel-like choral arrangements, it paints a sweeping sonic landscape.
It’s a song that helps you rediscover the essential emotions we tend to lose sight of in everyday life.
Recommended for nights when you want to mull things over while savoring the meaning of the lyrics.
Immerse yourself in Lee Chan-hyuk’s worldview, which consistently brings us deeply philosophical music.
OMGNewJeans
No sooner had they debuted than NewJeans stirred up a fresh breeze in the K-pop scene.
This is a track they released in 2023 that drew global attention, even making headlines for setting the fastest record to surpass 10 million views.
Are they singing about unexpected joy? It feels like a love song yet carries a complex vibe, leaving room for various interpretations and perspectives.
The music video has also inspired many theories, and while its mysterious worldbuilding is captivating, their cute performance and nostalgic charm shine through as well.
idolYOASOBI
It became the first Japanese-language song to reach No.
1 on Billboard’s Global Excl.
U.S.
chart—a killer tune from 2023 that’s hitting fast.
As the theme song for the anime “Oshi no Ko,” it reflects the strong popularity of Japanese anime in Korea as well, and on TikTok many idols like TWICE, LE SSERAFIM, and ENHYPEN are dancing to it.
The song is packed with impact and catchy appeal.
It’s also ranking high on Korean charts for subscription services like YouTube Music and Apple Music.
Even among YOASOBI’s explosive hits, this situation is unprecedented; it looks set to sweep not only Korea but the entire world.
Pink VenomBLACKPINK
BLACKPINK, the hugely popular Korean group affectionately known as “Burupin” in Japan, had been focusing on solo activities for a while, so Pink Venom drew major attention even before its release as their first new song in some time.
The music video, made with a massive budget, is incredibly cool, and racked up 90.4 million views within just 24 hours of its YouTube debut—an astounding figure that placed it third all-time among male and female artists worldwide.
Musically, the track blends the hip-hop elements BLACKPINK has been embracing recently with an oriental flair, resulting in a uniquely addictive sound.
