Diversity & Representation · Indicator 6
Balance of local and international artists
What this indicator asks
How many of the artists who perform in Seoul are based in South Korea?
not scored
Over 3,200 artists (2,400 whose country is known) played on over 7,900 Seoul event line-ups, for events dated between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2026.
International artists are 63.6% of artists, but get 19.0% of bookings. On average, a local artist is booked for 18.3 events, while an international artist gets 2.5. So a local artist is booked 7.5 times more often than an international artist. Most international artists come from Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany.
The data counts an artist by the country on their profile, not where they live. An expert stated:
“A foreign-born DJ who lives and works in Seoul is participating in local cultural production, not simply importing something from outside.”
A participant said K-pop remixes used to go to big international DJs, but now go to local producers and DJs.