Korean culture has blown up in America through its presence on the shelves of beauty stores, famous clothing lines and, most evidently, the media.

“Hallyu,” a term that means “the Korean wave,” was coined to describe Korea’s international influence on the entertainment industry through its popular music (“Kpop”) and TV dramas (“Kdramas”).

Kpop first became popular in Asia in the 1990s, but due to social media and the internet, it became an international phenomenon with music videos racking up billions of views.

But Kpop is not just a genre of music. It is a multi-media performance that encompasses several elements, such as fashion, choreographed dances and certain standards of beauty. It is designed to reach multiple audiences; most songs include English lyrics that anyone can understand.

Kpop idols train under their entertainment company labels for three to five years, honing various required skills such as learning multiple languages, singing, rapping, dancing and acting before getting the chance to perform on stage. Idols mostly debut in groups with about five members, but these can range from three to thirteen.

Not all idols are ethnically Korean. Labels hold global auditions, so the industry ends up hosting a wide range of ethnicities. Many groups also make their initial releases in Korea but then branch out into Japan and China and eventually break into sub-units and solo artists.

It is competitive industry that introduces around 50 new groups per year. But even after launching there is no guarantee for fame. But here are two major groups.

Big Bang

Big Bang is a five-member boy band that has been active since 2006. Heavily praised, they gained recognition because they write, compose and produce their own music. All five members were able to branch out as soloists. One of their most popular songs, “BANG BANG BANG,” released in June 2015, reached over 150 million views on YouTube. It was awarded Song of the Year and nominated for Best Dance Performance at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards and ended up topping multiple international charts.

EXO

EXO is a 12-member boy band that has been active since 2011. EXO is divided into EXO-K (Korean) and EXO-M (Mandarin) to promote music simultaneously in Korea and China. They are most well known for their song “Growl” (July 2013) that gained over 100 million views on YouTube and also won “Best World Song” at the World Music Awards. It also won Song of the Year at both the MelOn Music Awards and the KBS Music Festival.

Kdramas

Just as popular and well known as Kpop are Korean TV dramas, also known as Kdrama.

Kdramas are 12- to 24-episode “mini-series” that differ from the typical “American” multi-seasonal show. Each Kdrama has a unique style distinctive of its screenwriter and director, unlike many American series that have multiple directors and writers. In addition, all episodes are not filmed in advance.

With Kdramas, scripts can change based on feedback and ratings from viewers. For example, How I Met Your Mother is an American TV show with a nine-season continuous plot; its finale was filmed in advance. If it were a Kdrama, it would have had a more compact plot and the finale might have ended differently based on what the viewers wanted.

Like American shows, however, Kdramas are easily accessible online and even have their own categories in Netflix and Hulu.