Online K-Pop festival gives backstage pass to Korean culture

Seoul: The online festival is a backstage pass to Korean culture. Photo / Unsplash, Sava Bobov

On the verge of global superstardom, 2020 was a mixed year for Korea's top cultural exports.

Last year the Bangtan Boys (BTS) broke 15 Guinness World Records for international chart topping success and Bong-Joon Ho took the Oscar for best picture back to Seoul for Parasite – the first foreign language film ever to win the accolade.

It was a shame then, the year Korean culture went global, international travel shut down.

However, Korea's pop-stars, movie makers and celebrities are determined not to let the purple patch pass them by and many have gone online to cash in on this new-found global success.

In November the snappily named "Bang Bang Con: The Live" became the world's largest online concert, broadcast from Seoul to 756,000 fans in 100 countries. That's 15 Eden Park stadiums, and $24m in ticket sales at once.

Musical acts and artists are determined to ride the Korean Wave wherever it takes them.

For the Inside K-Pop festival this means ditching the stadium concerts for a day in the life on the streets of Seoul. A programme of online events invites fans for a week of fashion, photography and fast food.

As it turns out the internet has helped foster an appetite for all aspects of the Korean culture - from movies and music to obscure internet trends.

The phenomenon of Mukbang – a genre of video broadcast in which thousands of strangers watch someone else eat – has fostered a huge online community outside Korea. It's a thing.

Next week the virtual K-pop festival hopes to give travellers and music fans around the world a taste of life on the Korean peninsula.

A collaboration between Warner Music Korea and online booking platform Airbnb, there will be 14 online events focusing on a different aspect of the country's culture. Each one hosted by a famous face from the music scene.

Experiences include a Mukbang tour of Korean convenience store food with Monsta X, a doe-eyed photography tour of Seoul with Handong and a tour of a traditional Hanok guest house at the Gyeongbokgung palace.

The festival is running from 25-30 January, in English, Korean, Chinese or Japanese.

Ticketed via the Airbnb website, events go on sale on 21 January. Ever wanted to eat kimchi with a K-pop star? This is you chance.