The perennial debate in the South Korean K-pop scene over "who truly paved the way" has flared up once again. BIGBANG member Kang Dae-sung (강대성), known as Daesung, recently discussed bandmate Kwon Ji-yong's (권지용), known as G-Dragon, influence on Hallyu music during a broadcast, directly stating his belief that G-Dragon had "paved the way for everything" since 2006. This comment quickly divided online opinion, with some supporting Daesung's assertion, while others extended the discussion to BTS (방탄소년단), igniting a generational fan debate.
In fact, discussions within the K-pop community about "who paved the way for Hallyu" have never ceased. Earlier this year, BIGBANG member Dong Young-bae (동영배), known as Taeyang, spoke with CNN about K-pop's global market development and BIGBANG's role in bringing Hallyu music internationally. When asked about K-pop's current global influence, Taeyang said, "Fortunately, we opened the door for many K-pop groups that debuted later to enter the global market, giving them opportunities to perform on stages worldwide. I wouldn't say we created everything, but I'm truly happy to have contributed to this development."
However, Taeyang's remarks at the time drew dissatisfaction from some netizens, with many arguing that BTS's contributions cannot be overlooked when discussing K-pop's global reach. Taeyang's recent Instagram posts were flooded with comments like "BTS paved the way," keeping the debate about Hallyu's development alive. Now, Daesung's public praise for G-Dragon has once again brought the topic back into the spotlight.
During a recent broadcast, Daesung stated about G-Dragon, "I think G-Dragon paved the way for everything!" He further emphasized, "Everything since 2006, right? I'm very sure of it." Given that BIGBANG debuted in 2006, and G-Dragon, as the group's leader and core creative force, has long held significant influence in music creation, stage performance, and fashion, Daesung's statement is seen as a strong affirmation of his bandmate's status.
Many fans agreed with this sentiment, believing that G-Dragon not only forged a distinctive personal musical style but also profoundly influenced subsequent K-pop artists. Some even jokingly remarked that Daesung's statement sounded like something fans would say on social media to assert their idol's status, but they also praised his courage in directly expressing his affirmation for his bandmate.
However, another faction of netizens disagreed, finding the remarks somewhat awkward and even extending the discussion to BTS's global influence. Some netizens pointed out that whether it's BLACKPINK (블랙핑크) fans emphasizing the group's contribution to K-pop's internationalization, or supporters of BIGBANG and G-Dragon affirming their status in Hallyu's development, each fandom seems to want their idol to be seen as the "pioneer," leading to these recurring disputes.
One netizen even stated directly that if one truly paved the way for an entire industry, there would be no need to constantly emphasize one's status; instead, media outlets, Billboard, and international mainstream publications should be the ones to prove the influence.
Furthermore, some believe that while G-Dragon's status in the K-pop scene is undeniable, BTS was the crucial force that further broke through language and regional barriers, propelling K-pop onto the global mainstream stage. These netizens emphasized that BTS's achievements and influence in the international market cannot be ignored, and while acknowledging the contributions of predecessors to Hallyu's development, the efforts of later artists in globalizing K-pop should also not be overlooked.
Some netizens even dug up past incidents, claiming that individuals associated with BIGBANG had been involved in unfriendly social media posts towards BTS, thereby questioning whether animosity already existed between the two fandoms. However, these claims are personal opinions of netizens and are not sufficient to determine the stance of the group members.
As Daesung's comments continue to spark discussion, the debate has expanded from G-Dragon's individual musical influence to the contributions of different generational groups like BIGBANG, BTS, and BLACKPINK to K-pop's development. There is still no consensus on who truly deserves the title of "pioneer," once again highlighting K-pop fans' intense focus on their idols' historical status.
