kpop1-7, Exercise 1: Size figures and the big companies

Model answer:

Example pair: the 2012 figure (US$3.4 billion gross for the Korean music industry in the first half of 2012, per Billboard) and the 2017 figure (an estimated US$5 billion revenue for the K-pop industry). They cannot be directly compared: one is for half a year and the other is an estimate, one covers the Korean music industry and the other the K-pop industry, they come from different years and owners, and the article gives no method for either. (Another valid pair: the 2019 BTS figure, a share of GDP, against any of the others.)

"Big Three": SM, YG and JYP, the three biggest companies in terms of sales and revenue. "Big Four": the same plus Hybe, after its growth. Neither is a measured ranking because the article gives no sales table behind either label; they show common usage.

Source: Wikipedia, K-pop (Agencies; Sales and market value).