“Hallyu at Risk? K-POP Japan Concert Proves Otherwise”

10,000 fans gather for 6 Korean bands

The popular Korean wave, or “hallyu,” of Korean dramas may be on thin ice but the hallyu of K-pop is well alive.

Six Korean singers (Shin Hye-seong, Jun Jin, Wheesung, Tei, SG Wannabe, Super Junior-Happy) held the joint concert entitled “3rd K-POP Super Live” in Tokyo last Jan. 31.

The singers talked with the audience in Korean and Japanese and the viewers cheered passionately with glowsticks and signs when their favorite singers came to the stage. Despite the lack of any fancy stage setting or special effects, audience members stood up and cheered from the very first song.

The most spectacular response was for Sin Hye-seong and Jeon Jin, members of the Korean idol group Sinhwa, who command a large fan base in Japan. Japanese fans spent the night at the hotel lobby where the two singers stayed and cheered their performance waving luminous orange-lit glowsticks.

Jeon, who performed the concert’s closing, showcased powerful dance and ballad numbers including “Wa” and “Love Doesn’t Come” throughout the show. He said, “If Japanese fan support for Korean singers continues, we can continuously visit Japan to perform.” He also earned applause when he promised to learn more Japanese.

Sin took to the stage with a band and sang his hits “Awaken,” “Because It’s You” and “Same Thought.” He said, “I recently shot the second mini album music video for my third album in Sapporo and will visit Japan again with new songs.”

Meanwhile, Super Junior-Happy opened the day’s concert. After delivering greetings in Japanese, they sang “Cooking Cooking!,” “Sunny” and “Pajama Party.”

Tei and SG Wannabe, who have already held solo concerts in Japan and boast a solid fan following, featured their signature powerful vocals. Tei showcased his hits “A Miracle-like Story” and “Love leaves its scent” as well as displayed superb stage manners and fluent Japanese.

Many audience members sang along with SG Wannabe’s “Timeless” and “Partner for Life” in Korean.

Korean and Japanese entertainment business officials at the concert said the event was meaningful in that it showed that K-POP can revive the hallyu boom, which started because of Korean dramas and is said to be losing steam.

Source: KBS