A brand new report has proven Europe because the quickest rising marketplace for Okay-pop and different Korean popular culture content material – or “hallyu”.
In response to non-profit organisation Korea Basis’s annual International Hallyu report, revealed in cooperation with the Soiuth Korean Ministry of Overseas Affairs, there’s an estimated 13million hallyu followers in Europe as of 2022, per The Korea Instances. That quantity is a 37 per cent improve from the 12 months earlier than.
In its report, the Korea Basis means that Europe might be used as a springboard to develop demand for Korean popular culture within the West. “Hallyu has gained a powerful foothold throughout Asia, so we have to develop a method to achieve a a lot wider viewers outdoors of Asia,” stated the organisation.
Compared to Europe, Asia and Oceania nonetheless make up the lion’s share of demand for Korean popular culture, accounting for over 73 per cent of all hallyu followers.
The report claims that of the estimated 178million hallyu followers around the globe, practically half (84million) are in China. Southeast Asian nations Thailand and Vietnam path behind in second and third place with 16.8million and 13.3million respectively.
Elsewhere within the report, the Korea Basis famous the wholesome return of hallyu fan communities over the previous 12 months – rising from 1,464 in 2021 to 1,684 in 2022 – with the lifting of pandemic restrictions around the globe.
In different information, BTS label HYBE has dropped its bid to amass Okay-pop company SM Leisure following a dialogue with competitor Kakao. The announcement got here simply days after Kakao made a big tender supply to change into SM’s largest shareholder to purchase as much as 35 per cent of the corporate at ₩150,000 per share.