K-pop has its roots in traditional Korean music but has been influenced by various other genres from around the world. It emerged as a modern genre with the boy band Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 and became hugely popular in South Korea. K-pop later expanded internationally, especially in neighboring Japan, and the development of social media has helped K-pop groups like EXO, Blackpink, and BTS reach wider global audiences in the 2010s. BTS in particular has achieved unprecedented international success by co-writing and co-producing much of their own music which often focuses on themes of mental health, youth issues, and loving oneself.