Korean pop music, or K-pop, has been a favorite of many Filipinos since “Answer the Phone” by Shim Mina became viral in the Philippines in the early 2000s. It was quickly followed by the megahit “Nobody” by the Wonder Girls, a song-and-dance routine that became a most-requested Christmas-party number in 2008.

The first major K-pop concert held in the Philippines was Super Junior’s Super Show 2 in 2010. The rest is history as other K-pop songs became huge hits, like “Gangnam Style” by Psy in 2012 and “APT” by Bruno Mars and Blackpink’s Rosé last June.

Concerts have been a staple of the Korean music industry as these allow fans closer interaction with their Korean idols. Although K-pop primarily focuses on the youth, the real purchasing power lies with middle-aged Filipino women who are avid concert-goers.

This was one of the findings of an ongoing research by this author, which was presented recently at the 10th Philippine Korean Studies Symposium held at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

The research, titled “When Age is Just a Number: The Case of Middle-Aged Filipina K-Pop Concert-Goers,” seeks to understand the motivations of Filipino women in attending K-pop concerts. It was initially presented at the 10th Philippine Korean Studies Symposium held by the UP Korea Research Center as part of its policy-oriented research project with the support of the Korea Foundation.

Average age: 41

Eleven women, with an average age of 41, were interviewed for this project. Their names have been changed to protect their anonymity as part of the ongoing study.

They are either married or single, with or without kids, and they have watched at least one live K-pop concert from 2023 onward. A concert is defined in the study as a live musical performance in which the artist performs songs. Meet-and-greet events, which are generally interviews and personal interaction with fans, are excluded.

At the time of the interviews, the average number of concerts watched by the respondents is two. One respondent said she had already purchased tickets for six concerts. Their favorite K-pop artists vary from BTS and TXT to Daniel Kang and Enhypen.

Asked where they watched their favorite K-pop artists, more than half said they flew to other countries, such as Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, and the United States.

“Aurora” said she went to Seoul not just to watch the concert but also to fangirl in general. “I traveled solo to watch the concert and to visit K-drama filming locations,” she said.

Bonding opportunities

Some of the parent respondents said their primary motivation for attending concerts is to accompany their children. “Sienna,” who has two teenage girls, said her attendance at these concerts has made her look cool.

“My children’s friends think I’m cool because I understand what they like,” she said. “To be honest, because they have so many idols, I also find it difficult to catch up.”

“Tin,” also a mom to two girls, echoed the same sentiments. It used to be that she could not get her eldest child’s “trip.” When she won tickets to the Winner concert, “that’s when I understood why [my child’s] into K-pop,” Tin said, adding:

“Attending concerts has become a big bonding moment for us. She loves that I go with her, and I love that she’s not embarrassed to be with her mom.”

For “Gee,” who is single, being a K-pop fan has allowed her to become close to her two nieces. “My nieces introduced K-pop to me. They would tell me if there are new songs that I need to hear,” she said. “We would spend a lot of time discussing K-pop and, in the process, they would tell me updates about their life.”

The high cost of being a fan

That a ticket to a K-pop concert is not cheap is an understatement. A general admission ticket would cost around ₱3,000, but VIP seats would fetch as much as ₱20,000.

Official merchandise, such as photo cards, light sticks, shirts, would run into thousands of pesos. Fans also usually buy new clothes to wear to the concerts. A light stick alone costs at least ₱2,500.

And then there are fans who travel overseas to attend these concerts. Because some of the K-pop idols do not make a Manila stop, fans fly to other countries to watch their favorite stars.

“Cha” said she spent close to $1,000 to watch a concert with her daughter. This amount covered airline tickets and merchandise only. “We are both huge fans of BTS,” she said.

“Regine,” married with no kids, splurged even more. She spent some ₱400,000 to cover concert tickets, airfare, hotel accommodations, and merch. She watched BTS in Busan, South Korea, and BTS member Suga in Singapore.

This is why “Magbebenta ako ng kidney”—“I will sell a kidney”—is a common joke among K-pop concert attendees: The costs involved are high. Those who don’t attend concerts may be taken aback by the steep price, but K-pop fans say that each peso spent was worth it.

Every ticket, depending on the cost, comes with perks such as free posters or photocards, soundcheck access, and group photo op with the artist, among others.

The production value of concerts is also impressive, boasting stunning stage design and visuals, precise choreography, and memorable fan experience.

It is not a mystery why K-pop concerts are happening in the Philippines practically every week. Mounting these concerts is not merely a way for Korean artists to strengthen their fan base; concert organizers are also assured of raking in profits.

And the K-pop industry may be targeting the youth, but middle-aged Filipino women with time, energy, and disposable income are becoming a formidable force.

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