Soompi is an English-language website providing coverage of Korean pop culture.[1] It has one of the largest international Internet communities for K-pop,[2] mostly concentrated in news and forums. With more than 23 million fans across all platforms, Soompi offers English and Spanish services.[3]
 | |
| Available in | English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Thai |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States (Global) Seoul, South Korea (Korean offices) |
| Owner | Rakuten Inc. (Viki) |
| URL | www |
| Registration | Optional |
| Launched | March 1998 |
| Current status | Active |
Since its establishment in 1998, Soompi has grown into one of the longest-running, and most frequently visited websites providing coverage of Korean music, celebrity news and entertainment.[4][5][6][7]
Initially its visitors were mostly Koreans residing in foreign nations, with over 1.2 million people visiting the site. However, as of 2012, the majority of its members are non-Koreans in the United States, Canada, Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia, among others.[8][9]
History
Soompi was founded in 1998 by Korean American web developer Susan Kang,[10][11] In February 2011, it was acquired by Enswers, Inc.,[12][13][14] a Seoul-based IT venture company specializing in video search technology,[15] and operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of it. When Enswers was acquired by another company, Soompi found a new home with Crunchyroll, a U.S.-based VOD site that specializes in anime, in 2013.[citation needed] Viki acquired Soompi on August 19, 2015.[16]
Soompi Awards
Soompi is also known for its annual Soompi Awards,[17] which began in 2005, and recognise K-pop and Korean drama acts.[18] Winners are selected partially based on fan voting and partially based on Soompi's music charts.[18]