Talent Agencies Becoming Tourist Spots for Foreign Fans

/Courtesy of SM Entertainment

Die-hard fans are known to wait for hours in front of a star's management agency or home just to catch a glimpse of their favorite singer or actor. In fact, many teenagers in Korea gather in front of management agencies all day long to see their idols.

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But these days it is not just locals making up the crowds outside the gates. Foreign fans of K-pop have joined the ranks of those seeking to get a chance to meet their favorite Korean singers.

One Japanese tourist who visited the country last month spent most of her time huddled in front of the agency that manages her favorite singer. "I was just happy to be able to walk down the same street as he does, and I got to see him up close and even take some pictures of him", she said. "I don't consider it a waste of time".

With the rising number of foreign tourists seeking to meet K-pop stars, shops run by management agencies selling products associated with Korean Wave celebrities are seeing a boom in sales.

"EverySing", a celebrity shop run by management agency SM Entertainment in the trendy Apgujeong area of southern Seoul, sees hundreds of customers each day. A karaoke room inside the shop features music melody machines and images of stars to make it appear as though customers are singing on stage with the K-pop groups. The shop also features coin-operated photo booths where they can get pictures of themselves standing next to images of their favorite stars.

K-pop fans are now emerging from outside Asia. SM Entertainment said, "Since May of this year, we have seen a surge in the number of tourists coming from North America and Europe as well".

A public relations official at JYP Entertainment said, "In the past, most of the fans were from Japan and China, but we have recently begun to see foreigners from various countries waiting in front of our offices".

C.J. Kim, who markets tour packages for K-pop fans in the U.S., said, "American fans of K-pop consider talent management agencies as must-see tourist spots".

"Some of them even wanted to visit the home of the parents of one member of [girl group] Girls' Generation member, so I took them to Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. That's how close they want to get to their stars".

The Korea Tourism Organization is moving to cash in on this trend by preparing a K-pop tourism package.