ID :
187362
Thu, 06/09/2011 - 05:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/187362
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S. Korean pop groups arrive in Paris for shows amid fanfare
PARIS (Yonhap) - Some of South Korea's biggest pop groups arrived on Wednesday in the French capital for upcoming concerts amid much fanfare, as hundreds of eager French fans greeted their favorite artists at the largest airport here.
Popular acts TVXQ, SHINee and f(x), all managed by South Korean agency S.M. Entertainment, landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport, with about 700 members of a fan group, Korean Connection, chanting their names and singing their songs.
The three "K-pop" groups and other S.M. acts are scheduled to perform in Paris this Friday and Saturday. These will be their first concerts in Europe.
S.M. initially scheduled only one show for this Friday at Le Zenith de Paris concert hall, which seats about 6,000, but later added another show for Saturday. Tickets for the first show sold out in 15 minutes, prompting hundreds of French fans to rally in front of the Louvre Museum to demand an extra show.
The pop groups made a quick exit from the airport, passing through screaming fans jostling for a closer look. Their mere appearance reduced some to tears.
"I've waited for more than three hours, but I barely saw their faces," said a schoolgirl fan. "I took some photos, but nothing came out clearly."
Another fan, a high school student, said she was also frustrated with the bedlam that followed the pop groups' arrival, but added, "At least I got to see K-pop stars in person, so I am pleased with that."
K-pop has recently gained worldwide popularity through video-sharing Web sites, such as YouTube, and social networking services (SNS). Up until recently, Japan and parts of Southeast Asia had been the international domain for K-pop.
S.M. manages its own YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/smtown) and a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/smtown).
The agency said earlier this week that highlights of the Paris shows will be released on the YouTube channel and that it will upload the latest pictures of its artists on Facebook.
The S.M. tour stopped previously in Seoul, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Shanghai and will return to Tokyo in September this year. S.M. officials said fans in other parts of Europe and South Korea have held rallies asking for K-pop concerts in their countries.
Popular acts TVXQ, SHINee and f(x), all managed by South Korean agency S.M. Entertainment, landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport, with about 700 members of a fan group, Korean Connection, chanting their names and singing their songs.
The three "K-pop" groups and other S.M. acts are scheduled to perform in Paris this Friday and Saturday. These will be their first concerts in Europe.
S.M. initially scheduled only one show for this Friday at Le Zenith de Paris concert hall, which seats about 6,000, but later added another show for Saturday. Tickets for the first show sold out in 15 minutes, prompting hundreds of French fans to rally in front of the Louvre Museum to demand an extra show.
The pop groups made a quick exit from the airport, passing through screaming fans jostling for a closer look. Their mere appearance reduced some to tears.
"I've waited for more than three hours, but I barely saw their faces," said a schoolgirl fan. "I took some photos, but nothing came out clearly."
Another fan, a high school student, said she was also frustrated with the bedlam that followed the pop groups' arrival, but added, "At least I got to see K-pop stars in person, so I am pleased with that."
K-pop has recently gained worldwide popularity through video-sharing Web sites, such as YouTube, and social networking services (SNS). Up until recently, Japan and parts of Southeast Asia had been the international domain for K-pop.
S.M. manages its own YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/smtown) and a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/smtown).
The agency said earlier this week that highlights of the Paris shows will be released on the YouTube channel and that it will upload the latest pictures of its artists on Facebook.
The S.M. tour stopped previously in Seoul, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Shanghai and will return to Tokyo in September this year. S.M. officials said fans in other parts of Europe and South Korea have held rallies asking for K-pop concerts in their countries.
