In a nightclub in Seoul, the crowd cheered when Harim Choi played some of the latest K-pop hits. But the decade-old songs, like those by 2NE1 and Wonder Girls, seemed to have a special resonance for the partygoers.“The older songs bring us back to a time when we could simply enjoy the music, when we didn’t have to worry about the business behind it all,” Mr. Choi, a 26-year-old D.J., said.In recent months, an unusually public and acrimonious corporate feud involving major K-pop companies has captivated die-hard fans, casual listeners, artists and industry figures alike. At the center was SM Entertainment, a K-pop mainstay whose roster of artists includes Girls’ Generation. Circling it were two suitors: Hybe, the company behind BTS, a …
