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The franceinfo Talk looks at the wave of Kpop, Korean k-culture which crosses continents. Boy bands, Blackpink, BTS, so many artists and groups from South Korea who have established themselves in world culture, France is not immune to the phenomenon. Ludo Pauchant receives Savannah Truong, creator of the Kick Café concept store in Paris, Simon Clair, author of “Korea, K-Culture”, Lauréline Neel, producer and host of podcasts, host of Kick Radio and Youliiane K-Pop influencer.
Blackpink, EXO, Twice or even BTS : vsare K-pop groups multiply the albums and thousands of fans around the world, which continue to increase. There are many clips that exceed a billion views on YouTube, proof ofa devouring passion and an immense success of the korean k-culture wave.
K-pop generation
“Hallyu”, a term literally meaning “Korean wave”. Whether it concerns gastronomy, music, films or fashion, the four corners of the world are discovering and becoming passionate about the charm of South Korean culture.
There K-pop, meaning “Korean pop”, was born in the 1990s. This musical style became widely popular from 2012 with the famous title Gagnam Style by Psy, and its choreography which conquered the continents. This musical style with its catchy rhythm, energetic choreography, clips and colorful clothing is attracting more and more young people (and not so young people).
Symbol of Korean “soft power”?
Across the world, young people listen to K-pop boy band clips on repeat, promote cosmetics from Seoul, learn to speak Korean and fantasize about South Korean culture. For the director of the Korean cultural center in ParisIl-Yeul Lee, the “promotion of our culture to foreigners was designed by the government”, he asserts, “not only drama, but also K-pop, which the government supported with subsidies”.
