K-Pop Invades France

South Korea’s SM Entertainment brought some of its clients to Paris the weekend of June 11 for a series of concerts that may have had more meaning in Seoul than in the City of Light.

Though the shows were reportedly sold out and covered by the French press, they were headline news back in Korea.

The English-language Korea Times ran a story that declared, “K-pop Takes European Fans by Storm” and the Don-a Ilbo newspaper implied that “all Parisians” were obsessed with the concerts, which featured European debuts by two of SME’s biggest acts, Girls’ Generation and Shinee.

According to an interview in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal with Bernie Cho, who helps Korean artists distribute content directly to fans, the Paris shows were significant because France has always been an important “launching pad” for Korean artists in the world, though in the past it’s mainly been in terms of movie actors and directors.

“Hopefully,” said Cho, “Korean bands, singers and musicians can now follow in their footsteps.” He also pointed out that Korean pop acts have good exposure in Europe over the Internet, especially on YouTube. “The challenge and opportunity for Korean music in Europe is making the move from online to offline.”

In related news, Shinee followed up their Paris appearance with one in London, where it put on a showcase at famed Abbey Road studios. According to Bernama.com, “hundreds of fans” showed up at the studio to greet the five-man R&B vocal group.

Only 44 were selected by SME through the group’s Facebook page to watch the showcase inside the studio.

Though the group records for EMI, which has been closely associated with the studio, mainly through The Beatles, Shinee’s newest single will only be available through EMI in Japan.