K-pop lovers in Latin America are in for a treat.
The Korean Cultural Center of Latin America, which is based in Argentina, will hold a special K-pop contest at the 350-seat Samsung Studio in Buenos Aires on October 10 from 3 to 6 p.m.
Sponsored by Korea’s Samsung Corporation’s Argentinean offices and the Cultural Office of the Argentina, the event will be attended by Hallyu (Korean Wave) lovers from ten Latin American countries, including Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Peru, Chile and Paraguay.
This is the first K-pop contest to be held on such a large international scale.
A total of 281 performers from 92 teams applied to participate, including 32 teams and a total of 98 performers from Argentina, two teams and six people from Paraguay, 17 teams with 45 members from Mexico, 16 teams and a total of 64 participants from Chile, four teams for a total of 12 people from Columbia, five teams and 15 people from Venezuela, 11 teams and nearly 30 people Peru, one five-member team from Ecuador, three teams and 6 performers from the Dominican Republic, and one person from Costa Rica.
Argentina held two preliminary rounds before selecting its K-pop performers. Dance groups from other countries were required to submit sample videos of their performances for the screening process.
“We hope the upcoming show play a pivotal role in raising interest in Korean pop culture in the Central and Latin America region,” said Yi Chong-yul, director of the Korea Cultural Center in Argentina. “It’s important to open this function in Argentina, a country that will also participate in Korea’s G20 Financial Summit.”
The director added that he is also putting out all the stops in his efforts to promote Korea, and is in the process of asking Argentina’s Ms. Universe to be the promotional ambassador for K-pop. The event is also being widely advertized on channels including CNN Spanish and through an Argentinean ad agency. “The Culture Office of Argentina selected our K-pop contest as an ‘interesting cultural festival (Declarado de Interses Cultural por la Secretaria de Cultura de la Nacion)’,” said Yi.
In the past, Argentina was considered one of the toughest places for the Korean Wave. However, thanks to entertaining programs launched by the Korea Culture Center, Korean singing groups like Super Junior, TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, and the Wonder Girls now have some 1,000 active K-pop fans in the country.
“From what I gather from K-pop fan club managers that exchange Korean entertainment news through YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, the number of fans may exceed 10,000 when including Brazil and other neighboring countries across South and Central America,” said Yi.
For more information on K-pop events in the region, please visit: Centro Cultural Coreano en America Latina
(http://argentina.korean-culture.org/welcome.do)
source:Korea.net
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