British Fans Learn Korean to Engage Fully with K-Pop Culture

Katy Richards from Newport, Shropshire, has taken her passion for K-Pop a step further by travelling to South Korea to learn the language. Frustrated by the scarcity of English subtitles for her favourite songs, she wanted to experience K-Pop without relying on volunteer translations. Richards enrolled in a Korean language school at a university in Korea and found learning the alphabet surprisingly easy. Her enthusiasm for K-Pop led her to explore broader aspects of Korean culture, including dramas and other cultural exports. Richards runs the fan group Hallyu Doing, named after the term for the global spread of Korean culture. Meanwhile, Alex Howell, who opened the Lilak K-Pop shop in Shrewsbury in 2023, highlights the growing popularity of K-Pop in the UK and its increasing awareness among parents. The recent BTS comeback concert on Netflix attracted 18.4 million viewers worldwide, marking the first full performance of all seven members since their military service hiatus. Netflix also announced a sequel to the popular K-Pop Demon Hunters movie. Richards believes that as the younger audience of K-Pop movies grows, they will be more inclined to explore K-Pop music itself. The article reflects the increasing cultural impact of K-Pop in the West and the proactive steps fans are taking to fully immerse themselves in the language and culture.