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130 free K-pop trivia questions with answers — music quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
140 free K-pop trivia questions with answers. Are you a true K-pop fan? Put your knowledge of Korean pop music to the test with our comprehensive 130-question trivia quiz. From iconic groups like BTS and BLACKPINK to chart-topping hits and industry achievements, this quiz covers everything you need to know about the global K-pop phenomenon.
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Q 01What is considered the debut year of the first K-pop idol group, H.O.T.?
1996
H.O.T., often credited as the first K-pop idol group, debuted under SM Entertainment in 1996. Their successful formula became the model for many K-pop groups that followed them.
Q 02Which girl group, nicknamed 'The Nation's Girl Group' and behind 'Gee' and 'I Got a Boy', debuted in 2007?
Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation, also known as SNSD, debuted on August 5, 2007, with 'Into the New World' and came to be called 'The Nation's Girl Group'.
Q 03Which South Korean artist achieved global fame with the viral hit 'Gangnam Style' in 2012?
Psy
Psy's 'Gangnam Style,' released on July 15, 2012, became a global phenomenon and was the first video on YouTube to reach one billion views. Its distinctive 'horse dance' became a worldwide craze.
Q 04Under which entertainment agency did the popular boy group EXO debut in 2012?
SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment split EXO into EXO-K and EXO-M sub-units for Korea and China at the April 8, 2012 debut.
Q 05Backlash over Seo Taiji and Boys' 'Shidaeyugam' helped abolish what in South Korea in 1996?
Music pre-censorship
Music pre-censorship was abolished in 1996: the ethics committee had rejected the lyrics of 'Shidaeyugam' in 1995, forcing Seo Taiji and Boys to release it as an instrumental, and fan protests helped end the pre-review system.
Q 06BLACKPINK, YG Entertainment's first new girl group in seven years, debuted with 'Square One' in what year?
2016
BLACKPINK debuted on August 8, 2016, with the single album 'Square One', as the first girl group YG Entertainment had launched in seven years.
Q 07Which K-pop boy group includes members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook?
BTS
BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member group that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment (now HYBE). They are widely regarded as one of the most popular K-pop groups globally.
Q 08What is the official fandom name for BLACKPINK?
BLINK
BLINK is a portmanteau of 'black' and 'pink', revealed on January 17, 2017, signifying that fans are with the group from beginning to end.
Q 09Wonder Girls, of 'Nobody' fame, debuted under which agency in 2007?
JYP Entertainment
JYP Entertainment's Wonder Girls became the first South Korean act on the Billboard Hot 100, with 'Nobody' in 2009.
Q 10Which K-pop girl group was the first to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival?
BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK made history as the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella in 2019, and later returned as headliners in 2023.
Q 11Which second-generation K-pop boy group scored its first No. 1 hit with 'Lies' in 2007?
BIGBANG
'Lies' was BIGBANG's first No. 1 hit in 2007 and won Song of the Year at that year's Mnet KM Music Festival, cementing the group as second-generation leaders.
Q 12ITZY's "Dalla Dalla" became the fastest K-pop group debut video to pass how many YouTube views?
100 million
'Dalla Dalla' passed 100 million YouTube views about two months after its February 2019 release, making it the fastest K-pop group debut video to reach that mark at the time.
Q 13Which BTS member is known as the leader of the group?
RM
RM, whose full name is Kim Nam-joon, is the leader of BTS. He is also a prominent songwriter and rapper within the group.
Q 21'Gangnam Style' forced YouTube to upgrade its view counter from a 32-bit integer to what?
64-bit
YouTube switched its view counter to a 64-bit integer in December 2014 after 'Gangnam Style' approached the 32-bit maximum of 2,147,483,647 views; the new ceiling is over nine quintillion.
Q 22EXO debuted in April 2012 with which single?
Mama
EXO's debut single 'Mama' was released on April 8, 2012 by both sub-units, EXO-K in Korean and EXO-M in Mandarin, after the pre-release tracks 'What Is Love' and 'History'.
Q 23In K-Pop terminology, what does the term 'maknae' refer to within a group?
The youngest member
The 'maknae' is the youngest member of a K-Pop group, a term widely used in South Korean culture to denote the youngest person in any group or family.
Q 14In which year did BIGBANG officially debut?
2006
The debut came on August 19, 2006 at YG Family's 10th anniversary concert, which is how the 'Kings of K-Pop' got their start.
Q 15Which K-pop group is known for its 'infinite expansion' system of multiple sub-units?
NCT
NCT, short for Neo Culture Technology, is a boy group formed by SM Entertainment known for its unique concept of having an unlimited number of members divided into various sub-units based in different cities around the world.
Q 16On what date did "Gangnam Style" become the first YouTube video ever to reach one billion views?
December 21, 2012
Psy's "Gangnam Style" crossed a billion YouTube views on December 21, 2012, the first video to do so. YouTube marked it with an animated dancing Psy icon beside the view counter.
Q 17In January 2023, BLACKPINK's 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' became the first K-pop group video to pass how many YouTube views?
Two billion
'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' passed two billion YouTube views in January 2023, the first video by a K-pop group to do so; it had also been the first to reach one billion, in November 2019.
Q 18Which of these EXO members left the group in 2014 after suing SM Entertainment?
Kris
Kris (Wu Yifan) filed suit against SM Entertainment in 2014 and left EXO; Luhan and Tao followed, leaving a nine-member lineup.
Q 19BTS debuted in June 2013 with which single album?
2 Cool 4 Skool
Neither the album nor its lead single sold particularly well at the time; the group had spent years living together and practising up to 15 hours a day.
Q 20Which boy group's 2009 single 'Sorry, Sorry' was the title track of its third album?
Super Junior
Super Junior released 'Sorry, Sorry' in March 2009 as the title track of their third studio album; it became one of the year's biggest hits across Asia.
Q 24Which 2NE1 single won Song of the Year at the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards?
I Am the Best
'I Am the Best' (June 2011), produced by Teddy Park, won Song of the Year at the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards and became 2NE1's signature song.
Q 25Blackpink's debut single album Square One contained 'Whistle' and which other track?
Boombayah
'Boombayah' was the other track on 'Square One' (August 2016); it topped Billboard's World Digital Songs chart while 'Whistle' gave BLACKPINK their first Korean No. 1.
Q 26In K-Pop culture, what does the term 'aegyo' typically refer to?
A cute display of affection
Aegyo is a Korean term that describes a cute, charming, or affectionate display, often involving voice, facial expressions, or gestures.
Q 27Which member serves as the leader of the K-Pop boy group EXO?
Suho
Suho is the leader of the K-Pop boy group EXO, which debuted under SM Entertainment in 2012.
Q 28Which of these is a fixed sub-unit of the K-Pop group NCT, known for being based in Seoul?
NCT 127
NCT 127 is a fixed sub-unit of NCT, based in Seoul, with '127' representing the longitude coordinate of the city. WayV is a China-based unit, NCT U has a rotational lineup, and NCT Dream originally had a rotational concept.
Q 29Which of TWICE's mini-albums carried the hit 'Cheer Up'?
Page Two
'Page Two', released on 25 April 2016, carried 'Cheer Up' and also held 'I'm Gonna Be a Star', the theme song of the survival show that formed TWICE.
Q 30Which EXO sub-unit debuted in 2016 with the EP 'Hey Mama!'?
Exo-CBX
Exo-CBX, named for the initials of Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin, debuted in October 2016 with the EP 'Hey Mama!', a nod to EXO's debut single 'Mama'.