Hallyu Wave in London


By

Madeleine Moehling

KOREAN MUSIC MAKING ‘HALLYU WAVES IN THE UK

With the Winter Olympics this year having been held in Pyeongchang, South Korea was able to take on the world stage like never before.  This opportunity allowed the country to showcase something that is uniquely Korean, K-pop music.

People from all across the globe were able to experience K-pop in a way they might not have been able to before, and after watching the groups perform they took to the Internet to express their newfound interest in the genre.

While all of this isn’t new to any fan of the genre, for most of the general population, it seems like K-pop is coming out of nowhere and taking the world music stage by storm. But for any k-pop fan this idea simply isn’t true!

For example the popular all boy group, BTS was at the AMA’s that had 11.0 million viewers (headlineplanet.com, 2017) in 2017, and performed again in 2018 at the Billboard Music Awards.

Here’s a video of their 2017 performance in case you missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joJ-3cAjjbQ

Both GOT7 and BTS’s world tours are in full swing this year. BTS made further history when they sold out a stadium tour at Citi Fields, home of the New York Mets, in 20 mins! (metro.co.uk)

But none of this success would have been possible without what is known as the ‘Hallyu wave’ or the ‘Korean wave’ that begun its course in the 80’s and is still happening today. This article will explore the Korean wave and how you can experience it in London.

The first Hallyu wave
What is commonly considered as the ‘first’ Hallyu wave began during the 1980’s, with the mass exportation of Korean television dramas and films to other Asian countries such as Taiwan, China and Japan.  But what would become ‘K-pop’ as we (in the western world) know it would not really come into its own until the early to mid 1990’s when Korea as country was experiencing major economic growth and when the large corporations such as Hyundai and Samsung realised they could use ‘popular culture’ and Korean Pop, to their advantage.

So companies such as SM entertainment, YG entertainment and JYP entertainment began to open and flourish due to support from the Korean government as well as these large corporations.  And artists needed to not only being musically gifted but also should be well-rounded entertainers, knowing that they will have to make appearances on various television shows (for example Weekly Idol), sometimes even before their official debuts as artists. These two giant industries, television and music needed each other to bring in viewers and create fans.
BTS on Weekly Idol in 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FlRgZzgmNU


Weekly idol rookie groups 4TEN, KNK & ASTRO:

While K-pop, as we know it has only recently become quite popular in the West, this type of music has been making waves of change since its beginnings. Korean pop music became some of the first music that was not totally influenced by Korean television, and some groups even began bringing on their own musicians rather than using the ‘house’ ones that a television company might provide.  This defiance was a major moment in Korean pop history, this is one of the many small victories that the music industry has won against those who would want to mould it into something easy digested for entertainment purposes only.

But what is commonly thought of as the defining moment where K-pop began to truly pick up momentum in Western Europe as well as the U.S. can, for most can be pinpointed to the 2012 release of popular K-pop star, PSY’s song ‘Gangnam Style’.  And for some this song became the start of the second “hallyu wave”.



The popular song and explosive music video was among YouTube’s most viewed video until 2017 when ‘Despacito’ replaced it for the top spot. While PSY’s song was seen as a ‘one off’ in the west, it was a great achievement for the Korean Music industry and opened the door for Korean music that had never been done before this moment. While the Wonder Girls were signed with Will.i.am and toured with the Jonas Brothers in 2008, they were not able to enter and stay in the Western Music market and people’s minds the way that PSY was able to a few years later.

Since PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’ seven years ago, K-pop as a genre has only gained more traction in Western Europe and the States. This popularity can be seen in the immense international fan bases of groups such as BIGBANG, SHINee, BTS, EXO, Red Velvet, GOT7, and Twice to name a few.

These groups along with most other K-pop groups have garnered international attention and status for their work. The recent rise in international recognition is partly due to the 2018 winter Olympics, but also a much larger part can be attributed to the Internet, its connectivity, as well as YouTube being used as a platform for sharing the artists MV’s, dance videos, interviews, as well as fan made videos.   

When YouTube first became a popular sharing platform, the big three music companies in Korea SM, JYP and YG entertainment all created YouTube channels for promoting each of their artists. But major differences can be seen between these companies usage of the platform. While SM and JYP seem to use theirs often, and have created large fan bases from their YouTube presence, YG doesn't use this platform as much, seeming to prefer more traditional methods of getting their artists out.   

But because of the Internet and its ability to connect those from all across the world, K-pop has not only branched out into other Asian countries, but also across the globe in a way that honestly would not have been possible pre-internet.  And because we live in an ever increasingly connected world, this genre of music has garnered so much support from so many different groups of people, that as a K-pop fan, I am just excited to see the next steps of the ‘wave’ and where it will take us all.  

 Discover the Hallyu wave right here
Because London is so culturally diverse, there are several ways that you can experience the Hallyu wave without having to leave London! Here are just a few of the ways that you can do that.  An interesting fact about London is that the city has the largest Korean population in Europe (independent.co.uk, 2015). And due to this, it also boasts some of the best ways to experience the ‘Hallyu’ wave in Europe.   

 The New Malden high street! This corner of London has the largest Korean community in Europe and some of the best Korean restaurants and karaoke bars in London.

 To get your K-pop merchandise fix, why not head over to Seoul Bakery! If you ask at the till, they will take you down the stairs into K-pop heaven filled with posters, cds, wristbands and more!

Greek street in the Soho area is also worth a visit!  Have dinner at Bimbibap, a Korean restaurant that doesn't hide its love for K-pop with k-pop music blaring and BIGBANG posters on the walls.

 Head across the street to Gaza Soho for some bingsu (Korean shaved ice) and some of the best coffee culture this side of Seoul.

 For a night out, why not check out Young Bros. K-pop parties. They were recently mentioned on BBC! The parties are well worth a visit. And there is one happening in August, you can buy tickets here https://www.youngbroskpop.com/

So to wrap this up, some of the top songs / artists that have changed the way k-pop has been received will be put here. Please enjoy and hopefully after you read this article, get out there and enjoy K-pop to the max!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pdj4iJD08s (Blackpink: Playing With Fire)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mQk7Evt6Vs ((G)I-DLE: LATATA)



This article was written by guest contributor Madeleine Moehling a student at Richmond, The American International University in London. She is doing her Masters thesis on K-Pop in the UK.

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