The new hallyu, or the new Korean wave, is spreading fast from Asia to the rest of the world, triggered by the so-called “K-pop Invasion” of Korean singers into Paris, France in June, 2011.

K-pop has enjoyed popularity throughout Asia from the late 1990s. But now it is dazzling fans from around the world, from Europe to Latin America and the Middle East, regardless of different languages, ethnic backgrounds, and cultures. The unprecedented international popularity of K-pop is attributed to excellent songs, energetic dance, the attractive appearance of singers, and well-established system of entertainment agencies. With the development of social networking services these days such as YouTube, K-pop is spreading instantly to the world. Thanks to this new online medium, Korean artists can communicate with their international fans. To sustain the new hallyu fad, Korean experts in the music industry are also making efforts to interact with the local culture by searching for talented global artists.

The new hallyu not only plays the role of imparting Korean culture to the world but also upgrades the nation’s brand image. In a nutshell, the nation will continue to make advances throughout the world via the expansion of K-pop to global fans.