Why the overseas market is crucial for K-pop idols

It is because of overseas tours.
Overseas tours are the most profitable and efficient revenue source among idol activities.
As you know, the profitability of various goods sold in connection with the concert is greater than the concert itself.
Since goods are manufactured products, they have good margins.
They are better than albums or digital music.
This is where the value of the Japanese market is confirmed.
Japan is the second-largest concert market in the world and is the closest neighbor to Korea.
Taking a plane is not much different from going from Seoul to Busan.
In other words, whether or not they break into the Japanese tour market dramatically determines an idol's profitability.
It is possible to make money through domestic popularity alone without an overseas market.
There is an event market within Korea.
However, the efficiency is extremely low.
In cases where a solo artist, like a trot or ballad singer, moves alone,
the profitability is decent because they split the share with the company and keep the rest, and scheduling is smooth.
Since idol groups consist of multiple members, after several rounds of settlement, the individual amount each member receives is small,
and because they are so active, their schedules are tight.
They have to travel all over the country for events,
and they might have to travel five hours by car just for a 30-minute performance,
repeating that lifestyle every day.
They have to balance that with broadcast activities, advertisements, YouTube activities, etc., to earn a large sum of money.
It is physically exhausting, and rushing through travel due to time constraints can lead to accidents.
It is not a way for a human to live.
If you are active as a high-tier idol, the overseas market is a necessity, not an option.
K-pop didn't grow and swap the roles of domestic and overseas—the main base and the multi-market—for no reason.
The overseas market has not just increased the market size;
it has served as a land of freedom that liberated K-pop idols from the constraints of the narrow domestic market.