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The revival of Korean Pop

Korean Pop stepped in India way back in 2012, when Psy sensationalised peppy beats and vivacious dance moves through his global hit 'Gangnam style'. Soon after Psy's hit, the K-pop wave became dormant, only to come back with a bang in 2016. Thereafter, prominent K-pop groups like EXO and BTS gained popularity in the country, clearly indicating the revival of K-pop. In India, where Bollywood and English music dominate, the rise of K-pop and the emergence of its fan base is an intriguing journey.

But what actually caused the sudden acceleration of K-pop? Students at the Korean Cultural Centre said: "K-pop is a complete package. You can witness dancing, singing, and visuals all in a power-packed performance and that's what gives K-pop the popularity it has." Many K-pop followers also believe the 'style' and 'personality of the k-pop stars - like the boys of the BTS - is very appealing and people tend to follow them. Also, the lively beats compel them to tap their feet, making it their favourite option to enjoy.

But for sure, it has some drawbacks. "One of the drawbacks K-pop has is the language barrier, which sometimes nullifies the feel and the aura of K-pop," said the K-pop academy's dance instructor Hyeongju Cho." Indian students are quite familiar with K-pop style since they've watched many videos on internet and TV. They are very accustomed to the dance and try their best to cover it but the language is the only barrier," he informed.

Despite athe odds, the art is becoming popular and is no longer confined to a particular region.

More than two lakh Indians are following K-pop and the number is increasing every day. Seeing the popularity, K-pop Contest India 2018 initiated by Korean Cultural Centre, India, buckles down to reach out to other Indian music enthusiasts.

K-pop Delhi regional round, which aims to select the Indian representatives for K-pop event in the world was held on June 16. The event was graced by the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India - H.E. SHIN Bongkil, Director of Korean Cultural Centre India. Among 1216 participant from India, 95 Delhi participants were able to make it to the regional round. Beside Delhi the regional rounds also happening in Mumbai, Chennai, Patna, Bengaluru, Odisha, Hyderabad, Mizoram and Manipur till June 30. The winners will participate in India Grand Finale round at Siri Fort

Auditorium on July 9 at 06:00 pm. The winners will have the final stage in Korea.

India and Korea are linked in two ways, be it the historical blood relation with the 'Kim' dynasty or the alike choices and taste for music.

Director (Korean Cultural Centre) Kim Kum-pyoung believes such competitions and initiatives are a great step towards strengthening the cultural exchange between the two countries. Also, the competition will implicitly flatter the South Korean President Moon Jae-in during his visit to India next month. But most importantly it is going to be a sheer delight for the K-pop lovers.

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