How I'd define generations in K-pop

[Ducky Mioda]

Please note that this is just my way of defining the different generations of K-pop - different people may have different ways to define them.

So I was thinking, "How would I define generations in K-pop?" - and here I am, somewhat inspired by the Pokemon franchise's generations to define the different gens and eras of K-pop! Here are the generations I've defined using that inspiration:

1. Generation Zero/Primordial Generation (April 1992 - September 1996) - I'd define this period as the generation where Seo Taiji's K-pop group defined the original formula for K-pop (hence the reason why I named this generation the "Primordial Generation" along with the name "Generation Zero").
2. Generation One/Colorful Generation (September 1996 - August 2000) - I'd say that this is the generation that started with H.O.T.'s 1996 debut and ended with BoA's debut. Also, the reason why I'd call this generation the "Colorful Generation" (along with the name "Generation One") is because the formation of SES a year after H.O.T.'s debut (as well as the subsequent debuts of different girl groups after that) added an amount of variety to the K-pop industry.
3. Generation Two/International Generation (August 2000 - December 2003) - I'd call this time period a generation of K-pop that started with BoA's debut, continued this thing called the hallyu/Korean Wave (something that started in the late-90s with Korean entertainment's reach expanding to other countries in Asia, which is why I decided to call this generation the "International Generation" alongside the "Generation Two" moniker), and ended with TVXQ's debut.
4. Generation Three/Eclipse Generation (December 2003 - August 2007) - My motivation for calling this time period the "Eclipse Generation" alongside the "Generation Three" moniker is the amount of K-pop groups that went inactive while it lasted (think of Fin.K.L, for example). However, that didn't stop new K-pop groups from forming - two of the examples of what I'd define as "third-generation K-pop groups" are Super Junior and The Grace.
5. Generation Four/Advanced Generation (August 2007 - May 2010) - I'd define this time period using both the "Generation Four" and "Advanced Generation" monikers all because of YouTube and how two of YG Entertainment's major groups at the time - BIGBANG and 2NE1 - broke the mold of what a K-pop group should be perceived as back then. SNSD, f(x), 2NE1, and 4Minute fall into my definition of a "fourth-generation K-pop group".
6. Generation Five/Viral Generation (May 2010 - August 2014) - The reason why I defined this time period using both the "Generation Five" and "Viral Generation" monikers is because of the amount of K-pop MVs that went viral during that time period - think of PSY's "Gangnam Style", for example. Plus, I'd consider groups like EXO, Dal Shabet, BTS, and EXID to be "fifth-generation K-pop groups", but not Red Velvet, as I'd consider their debut to be the start of another generation...
7. Generation Six/Rainbow Generation (August 2014 - May 2016) - I'd say that this generation of K-pop started with Red Velvet's debut and ended with I.O.I's.
8. Generation Seven/Produce Generation (May 2016 - November 2019) - My motivation for calling this time period the "Produce Generation" (along with the "Generation Seven" moniker) is Produce 101. I'd consider groups like BLACKPINK and Everglow to be "seventh-generation K-pop groups", by the way.
9. Generation Eight/Golden Generation (November 2019 - present) - I feel like the current generation of K-pop (I'd call it the "eighth generation of K-pop" along with the "Golden Generation" moniker for, well, various reasons) started last November, and is still ongoing...

 

[sachiana•。]

im part of the advanced generation 11 years of being a kpop fan

 

[LostInTheDream]

I usually go by 7 year gaps:
Gen 1: 1996-2003
Gen 2: 2004-2011
Gen 3: 2012-2019
Gen 4: 2020-2027
However there are some outliers, especially around 2018-2019