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For years now, the Korean wave, or Hallyu, has been spreading all around the world. Mostly due to the hype over the Korean entertainment industry, Korea is now a famous and trendy destination for travelers looking for new experiences. More and more, people are attracted to this country and its diverse culture. Some are more interested in the traditional side of Korea, others are all about technology and entertainment. No matter which category, this huge rise of interest in South Korea has enabled the country to open to the rest of the world and share its culture more than ever before.
Just a few years ago, it was rare to come across K-Pop goods, or even hear a Korean song on the radio in France. But nowadays, the Hallyu has been almost normalized and it is more frequent to see Korean albums in regular books or music stores. Not only this but those interested in the Korean culture have started to create events and more related to the country of morning calm. So let's take a look at how far the Hallyu spread across France as of now.
1. The availability of K-Pop merch in common stores
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Around 5 years ago, it was still quite a struggle to find K-Pop goods in France. Except for a few albums from the most famous groups such as BTS or BLACKPINK, it was hard to find other albums in stores. Nowadays, not only there is a diversity of albums to choose from, but there are even other goods from official companies such as lightsticks, POP figures, and many more. Of course, the price is higher than in Korea, but to fans, having the possibility to buy on-site is such a pleasant experience that they are willing to add the extra fees. For years the only option French K-Pop fans had was to order online, thus paying shipping fees that are often outrageous. Now not only do they not have to wait weeks or months to receive their products, but it is even cheaper than ordering online. As the demand for K-Pop products becomes bigger, stores are delivering more goods, to the point that what used to be a part of a shelf in the music section is now an entire area of the music section in book and music stores. Some individual shops that aren't part of big brands also sell K-Pop albums, but for most of them, it is only old albums from older generations.
2. Concerts, movies, and Korea-related events
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One of the first very popular K-Pop events in France was the Kcon 2016 in Paris, since then, more events have seen the light, either in the capital or even in other cities such as LUMINOUS' and MCND's concert in Toulon during the "Manga Show" a convention for all Asia lovers. Not only this, but Korean concerts, that are hardly accessible to fans living overseas are played in theatres for a one-time experience. Even if seeing a concert on-screen will never be the same as living it on-site, having the chance to see the concerts as they are held in South Korea is a unique chance French fans are aware of. Not all countries are streaming Korean concerts. BTS had multiple movies of their concerts in the past, this year, it is MAMAMOO's turn to be on the big screen. And even back in 2021, there was a pop-up event held in Paris following the hype around the K-Drama "Squid Game". The pop-up was held in a café where the staff was dressed in red suits like the game masters in the drama, and visitors could experience the famous dalgona game, also present in the game. The fact that such an event was made possible is proof that K-Dramas are getting very popular in France, to the point that fans want to have related events and real-life experiences of what they saw in K-Dramas. And apart from events directly related to Korea, other events about Asia, especially Japan include more and more booths for Korean culture and goods. For example this year, at the "Japan Expo Paris" - one of the biggest gatherings for manga, anima, gamers, and Asian culture lovers - the two booths dedicated to Korea, especially K-Pop goods, were so crowded it was impossible to get a picture of the product sold, and many of them got sold out in no time. This shows just how much the Hallyu is strong and trendy in France.
3. The rise of K-Drama in the charts of streaming platforms
As mentioned above with the "Squid Game" event, K-Dramas are getting more and more popular among French people. Taking a look at streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, or even Disney + in France, many K-Dramas are accessible on those platforms, and often part of the Top 10 lists, or most popular shows of these platforms. Before most K-Dramas were only available on smaller platforms, mostly dedicated to Asian series such as Rakuten Viki, thus K-Dramas couldn't be found by anybody. Only those who used or knew about the platform would be aware of the newly released K-Dramas. But nowadays with dramas being produced on such big platforms, used by all types of people, some who might already love K-Dramas, and some who might not even know what it is, the visibility of K-Drama considerably rose. And as the K-Drama fan community keeps growing, the dramas are more likely to be promoted on the main page of each platform, which attracts even more viewers to consume this content. This is a never-ending circle that brings K-Dramas into the light, hopefully, as it gets more popular, other events like the "Squid Game" one will be held for overseas fans to enjoy.
4. The Korean wave that opened a door for creativity
Of course with its one-of-a-kind entertainment industry, the spread of the Korean wave has become an opportunity for many to show off their talent. Singing, dancing, or even rapping, the next big thing can be hidden among French fans. Indeed as years passed by, many dance groups, also called crew, have seen the light, shooting covers in the most beautiful places of France and sharing their talent and love for K-Pop. The one above is just an example, there are of course many more talented crew among French cover groups. Apart from artistic creativity, the accessibility of South Korea and its culture has also enabled some to open YouTube channels about Korea. On those types of channels, there are often informational videos about Korea, videos that explain about the cultures and traditions, or even exploration videos of those who had the chance to travel there. And even among those channels that seem common, some knew how to distinguish themselves, for example by not only explaining Korean games but actually playing them in the video, or even getting inspiration from Korean content to do a French version of it. Surely the Hallyu became an opportunity for many to try out new things and display their talent in front of people from all around the world.
5. Webtoon, K-culture, and Korean food
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Korean literature books are still not easy to find on the shelves of French libraries, yet there is some progress. The most recent one is the translation and arrival of Webtoons in libraries. So far, the only Asian comics we could see were mangas. But in a year or two, we can also find more easily some of the most famous Webtoons such as "True Beauty" or even "Itaewon Class" that both got their drama adaptation. While they are still being categorized as mangas, when there will be enough webtoon, they will surely be put on a shelf with the right label on it. Apart from Webtoons, there are also many books about Korean culture, especially the entertainment industry. there are many books talking about the group BTS, their story, and how they could become so successful. Because even if the Hallyu has been present in France for years, some are still confused about what it is, where it comes from, and how it could become so big among people with such a different culture. Those books are a good way to understand this Korean phenomenon that grew worldwide. The last genre of Korean books that can be found in France is cooking books. French people are growing fond of Korean cuisine, and many want to learn how to cook many of the dishes they see in their favorite series. because of that, many books about Korean food have also been published in the past few years. And for those who don't know how to cook or are too lazy to do so, a ton of Korean restaurants have also emerged in the biggest cities in France, this way everyone can have a bite of Korea's most delicious plates.
Overall, the Hallyu have greatly impacted France, especially the younger generation that is very into K-Pop, but all in a good way. It both helped some find a new hobby or talent, but it also helped Korea open to a new country and share and develop its culture overseas. In the end, it is a win-win situation, but surely the situation will keep changing, and growing, and a few years from now who knows what the Hallyu will be like in France.
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