K-Culture Expands Its Footprint in London, Paris, South Africa and Beyond – “K-Pop Is My Own Joy”

Hallyu is evolving beyond being a simple cultural phenomenon to include the establishment of overseas hubs. Seoul has risen as one of the five major fashion capitals, with K-culture centered spaces and events continuously opening in key cities. New Malden in London, UK, is known as the largest Korean community area in the country. The third London Hallyu Festival was held there from the 26th to the 28th. On the first day of the event, K-food tastings, K-beauty product demonstrations, and introductions to lifestyle products took place, with local consumers showing great interest by trying various Korean foods. On the second day, a K-pop competition and a K-style market were organized, where participants performed songs and dances by K-pop idols. On the third day, a global audition hosted by HYBE’s Pledis label was conducted, attracting hundreds of participants from the United States, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, and other regions. In Paris, France, the depth of Hallyu culture is becoming evident. “Kick Café,” located near Porte de Saint-Denis in Paris’ 2nd arrondissement, is Europe’s first K-pop specialty café and concept store, serving as a sacred site for French K-pop fans. The name is an abbreviation of “K-pop is for Cool Kids,” and it offers Korean-style menu items such as bento boxes, ice cream desserts, ramen, and triangular kimbap. Small K-pop-related events are held almost weekly there. French fans have a unique approach to consuming K-pop. Just as not everyone in Korea is unaware of wine but only a few truly enjoy it, many people in France have heard of K-pop, yet relatively few are deeply immersed in it. French fans do not stick to just one or two groups; instead, they listen to an astonishingly wide variety of groups evenly. The more they learn, the more they show affection even for idol groups that are less well-known in Korea. Groups like Stray Kids, Dreamcatcher, and ENHYPEN first gained prominence overseas, while groups such as IVE and ONF also frequently visit France to increase their recognition. Even when BLACKPINK, BTS, and Stray Kids gather over 50,000 fans at Stade de France, French K-pop fans still engage in their fandom “secretly.” It is a fan devotion that is quiet and hidden, yet equally intense. At the Korean Culture Center in Pretoria, South Africa, a special exhibition titled “K-Pop Meets Traditional Korean Music” is on display until November 28th. The exhibition features actual traditional Korean musical instruments that appear in music videos by popular K-pop artists such as BLACKPINK and BTS, along with elaborate costumes from traditional performances and court dances, all presented alongside a variety of video materials. There is also a digital kiosk called “Guakak Sorisaengja” available for visitors to experience firsthand. Seoul is gaining a new status even within the fashion industry. Seoul’s streets have become the center of the aesthetic revolution sparked by K-pop. Seoul’s fashion philosophy is based on “controlled chaos.” It is characterized by proportions that should not work together but still function perfectly, colors that clash in the most harmonious way, and an architectural approach to layering that transforms the body into a living sculpture. K-pop idols act as trend engineers by pioneering gender-fluid silhouettes and normalizing the mixing of high-end and low-cost products. The top fashion houses—Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Celine, and others—no longer settle for hiring K-pop idols only as brand ambassadors. They invite these artists to collaborate in their ateliers, acknowledging that these creators make traditional celebrity endorsements seem outdated.