K-pop and Korean cuisine are surging significantly in popularity worldwide, indicating the strong influence of Korea’s culture exports that ride on the Korean Wave, or “hallyu,” according to the 2024 Global Korean Wave Trend Analysis Report. Countries in Asia accounted for the most voluminous content about the Korean Wave (50.6%), followed by those in Europe...
Category: K-Pop
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Why Filipinos are fascinated with ‘APT’
That “APT” is a global phenomenon is an understatement. Its official music video has amassed 815 million views on the YouTube channels of Bruno Mars and Rosé since it was launched in October 2024. Add another 45 million views from the duo’s live performance in the 2024 MAMA Awards. The catchy song ranked No. 1 in music streaming platforms such...
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BTS Army ‘Walk of Love’: Purple moving around the edges
Immediately at 7 a.m. on Sept. 8, a Sunday, you hear the music from the speakers as you walk across the park before even seeing the throngs of purple-shirted people gathered under the vast dome-like architectural canopy of the public space. The very center of this wide area is cordoned off in a square of...
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First K-Pop Academy in PH culminates in recital
The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC) has concluded the first ever K-Pop Academy in the country, a groundbreaking event that thrilled local K-Pop enthusiasts. The K-Pop Academy ran from July 5 to Aug. 2 and culminated in a recital on Aug. 3 that showcased the talent and hard work of the first batch...
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K-Pop fans and the seduction of merchandising
Korean entertainment companies are well aware of fans’ parasocial relationships with K-Pop idols, and take advantage of fans’ obsessive splurging tendencies by offering a slew of merchandise marked with their idols’ images. To book collectors, the woodsy smell of a new volume can be an emotional experience. To K-Pop fans and merchandise collectors, unsealing the...