The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in 2012 in music in South Korea.
Notable events and achievements January 11–12 – the 26th Golden Disc Awards take place, the first time it was held in January. Super Junior and Girls' Generation win the grand prizes. January 31 – Girls' Generation become the first K-pop group to appear on an American late night talk show, performing the English version of "The Boys" on the Late Show with David Letterman. February 1 – Girls' Generation similarly appear on Live! with Kelly, the first U.S. morning talk show appearance from a K-pop artist. February 29 – Kiha & The Faces and IU win the grand prizes at the 18th Korean Music Awards. June – The Korean music industry grosses nearly $3.4 billion in the first half of 2012, according to Billboard estimates, a 27.8% increase from the same period a year prior. June 22 – Show Me the Money airs its first season, which is considered a pivotal work in making hip hop a mainstream genre in South Korea. July 28 – 2NE1 embark on their New Evolution Global Tour, considered the first world tour by a K-pop girl group. September 10 – Big Bang announces their three concert dome tour in Japan, making them the first Korean artist to perform at three dome stadiums in a single tour. September 26 – Psy's "Gangnam Style" attains a peak of number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest for a K-pop song on the chart. October 16 – KCON 2012 takes place at the Verizon Amphitheater in Irvine, California, the first K-pop dedicated convention in the United States. November 18 – Psy becomes the first Korean artist to perform at the American Music Awards. November 19 – The third annual Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards take place. Psy, Song Chang-sik and Geum Sa-hyang are awarded the Order of Cultural Merit; Park Seong-yeon and Kim Chang-wan receive the Presidential Commendation; and Na Yoon-sun, 2NE1 and Lee Eun-ha receive the Prime Minister's Commendation. November 24 – "Gangnam Style" becomes the most viewed video on YouTube with 805 million views, surpassing Justin Bieber's "Baby". November 30 – Psy, BigBang, and Super Junior win the grand prizes at the 2012 MAMA. December 14 – Busker Busker, Beast and Psy win the grand prizes at the annual Melon Music Awards. December 18 – "Gangnam Style" is ranked number one on YouTube's list of top trending video of 2012. December 21 – The music video for Gangnam Style" becomes the first video in YouTube history to surpass 1 billion views.
Award shows and festivals Award ceremonies + 2012 music award ceremonies in South Korea Date Event HostJanuary 11–12, 201226th Golden Disc AwardsIlgan Sports and JTBC PlusJanuary 19, 201221st Seoul Music AwardsSports SeoulFebruary 22, 20121st Gaon Chart Music AwardsKorea Music Content AssociationFebruary 29, 201218th Korean Music AwardsKorean Popular Music Awards Committee November 19, 2012 3rd Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards Korea Creative Content Agency November 30, 2012 14th Mnet Asian Music Awards CJ E&M (Mnet) December 14, 2012 4th Melon Music Awards Kakao M
Festivals + 2012 televised music festivals in South Korea Date Event Host December 28, 2012 KBS Song Festival Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) December 29, 2012 SBS Gayo Daejeon Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) December 31, 2012 MBC Gayo Daejejeon Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)
Debuting and disbanded in 2012
Debuted groups
100% 15& 24K 2BiC A.cian A-Jax A-Prince AOA B.A.P Big Star BTOB C-Clown Crayon Pop Cross Gene D-Unit EvoL EXID EXO Fiestar From the Airport Gangkiz Girls' Generation-TTS GLAM Hello Venus Hyungdon and Daejun JJ Project Lunafly Mr. Mr. NU'EST Puretty Rainbow Pixie She'z Skarf Skull & Haha Spica Sunny Days Tahiti Tasty The Barberettes The SeeYa The Solutions Tiny-G Two X VIXX Wonder Boyz ZE:A Five
Solo debuts
Ailee Allen Kim Anda Baek A-yeon Ben Han Seung-yeon John Park Juniel Kim Sung-kyu Lee Hi Loco Stephanie Yong Jun-hyung
Disbanded groups 2NB Big Mama Black Pearl Broken Valentine JQT Loveholics T-max
Releases in 2012 First quarter January Date Title Artist Genre(s)3 Funky Town T-araDance, Disco5 Neo SpiritNS Yoon-GPop It's Teen TopDance10 100% Ver. MBLAQPop, Dance13 The Grasshoppers Sunny HillDance20 Vintage Wanted K-pop26 Warrior B.A.PHip-hop, R&B27 Hit U Dal ShabetDance31 Grown-Up F.T. IslandRock
February Date Title Artist Genre(s)1 Se7en Second Mini Album Se7enR&B, Pop2 Welcome To The Block Block BHip-hop6Thank YouF-iVR&B, Ballad7 New Breed Jay ParkHip-hop, R&B8 Russian Roulette SpicaDance, R&B9 My Angel M. StreetBallad14 I Need You K.WillBallad20 Touch Miss ADance, Electronic22 Re-Issue Brave GirlsDance29 Alive Big BangElectronic, Hip-hop
March
Date Title Artist Genre(s)7Love Diary C-RealDance8 Sweet Rendezvous Nine MusesDance12 F.Scott Fitzgerald's Way Of Love 2AMPop, R&B14 Ignition B1A4 Dance19 Sherlock ShineeElectronic, R&B 20 The Boys Becomes Adult Monni Rock23 The Return ShinhwaDance26 Ear Fun CNBLUEPop rock29 Painkiller SpicaDance, R&B
Second quarter April Date Title Artist Genre(s)3 Born to Beat BtoB Dance9 Mama Exo-KElectronica, R&B Volume Up 4MinuteElectropop10 Slip Away NellRock12 Alone SistarDance, R&B2 GuysBaechigiHip hop 17 Spaceensum DaybreakRock 18 Everyday II Girl's DayDance, ballad25 DoraDora U-KISSElectropop27 Power B.A.PHip-hop, Pop punk For Century Ultimate Zest F.Cuz Dance28 Spring Park Jin YoungR&B, Ballad29 Twinkle Girls' Generation-TTSDance, Electropop30 Welcome To The Block (repackage) Block BHip hop
May Date Title Artist Genre(s) 8 "Bounce" JJ ProjectHiphop9 Une Année ApinkDance Venus Hello VenusDance10 Ulala Sensation Part 1 Ulala SessionPopShadeBroken ValentineRock11 Spring of a Twenty Year Old IU Ballad14 Tarantallegra Kim Junsu (JYJ)Pop15 Infinitize InfiniteDance16 State of Emergency DMTNDance17 Ulala Sensation Part 2 Ulala SessionPop21 2PM Member's Selection 2PMDance, R&B Bloom G.NAPop23 Born to Beat (Asia Special Edition) BTOBDance24 Ignition (Special Edition) B1A4Dance27Good BoyBaek Ji-youngK-pop30 Illusion M.I.BHip-hop
June Date Title Artist Genre(s) 1 Myname 1st Single Myname R&B 3 Still Alive Big Bang Dance, Hip-hop3 Wonder Party Wonder Girls Dance, Ballad4ArtistTeen TopDance5 The Special To Kiss Me U-KISSDance6 Bang Bang Dal ShabetDance, Electropop7 My First June JunielPop rock8 Timeless: Begins Cross GeneElectronic13 Electric Shockf(x)ElectropopLove StyleBoyfriendDance20FlashbackAfter SchoolPop, Dance 22 Hu+man2BiCR&B25 I'm Da One Jo KwonDance28 Loving U SistarDance, R&B
Third quarter July Date Title Artist Genre(s)3 Day by Day T-araDance4 Sexy, Free & Single Super JuniorR&B, ElectropopLike a Wave Hello VenusDance Spectacular ZE:ADance8 23, Male, Single Jang WooyoungDance10Run to You LED ApplePop rock11 Action Nu'est Dance12Bigstart Big StarDance15 Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1 PsyDance, Hip-hop18Skinship NS Yoon-GPop19 No Mercy B.A.PHip-hop, PopNot Alone C-ClownDance22 Midnight SunBeast Dance Only One BoA Dance, R&B27Racer ChaosDance
August Date Title Artist Genre(s)2 Welcome to Business D-UnitDance3 Summer Special 'Be Ma Girl' Teen Top K-pop, R&B6 Spy (Sexy, Free & Single Repackage)Super JuniorR&B, Electropop9 SpectrumTastyDance10 Let Me Explode!EvoLDance13 Hippity Hop EXIDDance, R&B14 Rising Sun E7Dance16 Phantom CityPhantomHip-hopMystery AbleDance20Double UpTwo XDance22 PandoraKaraSynthpop23 Sol Bi Neun OttugiSol BiDance27 Phoenix ZE:APop30 CrashB.A.PHip-hop, Pop31 VistaFiestarDance
September Date Title Artist Genre(s)4 Mirage T-araDance10 I'm BaekBaek A-YeonR&B Five Treasure Box F.T. IslandRock12 Press Play BtoB Dance, R&B Lipstick Orange CaramelDance, Electropop13 Poison SecretDance, Electropop15 One of a Kind G-DragonHip-hop20 Stop Girl U-KISSDance Hypnotize AndaPop Principle of My Soul NaulR&B24 Catch Me TVXQR&B, Electropop29 Girl's Secret Party 84LYPop
Fourth quarter October Date Title Artist Genre(s)4Blossom Big StarDance5 Talk About S GainDance, Electronic102.0 10cmAcoustic folk11The Third Album Part 1 K.WillBallad15 Independent Women Part III Miss ADance16 Blockbuster Block BDance, Hip-hop Invitation AileeDanceOpen The Door Wonder BoyzHip-hop19 99 Epik High Hip hop21 Melting HyunaDance, Hip-hop23Stop It B.A.PHip-hop, R&B24Vol. 5 Be RenewedChu Ga-yeoulFolk31 PYL Younique Volume 1 Younique UnitDance
November Date Title Artist Genre(s)1 Journey Home Kim Jong KookPop6 HelloA-PrinceDance7 The Next Big Thing Roh Ji-hoon Dance8 Janus BoyfriendDance I Will Protect SM☆SHPop9 We Don’t Stop FiestarDance12 In the Wind B1A4Dance13Have, Don't HaveDal ShabetDance, Synthpop15 2MYXA-JaxDanceYoung LoveC-ClownPop19Another MeKim Sung-kyu Pop rock20 1&1 JunielPop rock21 LonelySpicaDance, R&B22 ForestLee Seung-giBallad26 Humanoids TVXQElectronica, DanceThe First CollageYang Yo-seob R&B28I Got The FeelingBig StarDance30 Kara CollectionKaraDance
December Date Title Artist Genre(s)4Now and ForeverWaxR&B, Ballad6Love U The SeeYaR&B115 Point 5 JoosucHip-hop12What Are You Doing Today? Hello VenusDance13Antique Romance Sunny HillDance
Charts List of number-one hits of 2012 (South Korea) List of number-one albums of 2012 (South Korea)
See also 2012 in South Korea List of South Korean films of 2012
References