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K-pop craze in UAE: Korean wave sweeps universities, youth amid global influence

University students in the Emirates run Korean clubs, wear their makeup, learn their language and visit the country for gigs

"Ayy I never walk alone; If you and I are together, we can smile...; You never walk alone, no matter how far apart we are."

This BTS track is an epilogue to the K-pop phenomenon, which almost cast a spell on fans worldwide, weaving them into a tapestry of culture, life, and language that once seemed alien to millions of K-poppers.

A clear trend has emerged where young people worldwide are increasingly drawn to Korean cuisine, culture, and music, including students in UAE universities who are adopting these influences.

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For university students and childhood friends Maha Al Shemsi and Naela Nasser, Korean music came to their rescue when they were going through rough teens. “I was being bullied in school and K-pop gave me an outlet to deal with it,” recalled Maha. “People say that you don’t find K-pop, it finds you when you need it. I completely agree with it.”

Korean pop music, commonly known as K-pop, is generating significant levels of enthusiasm among young people, particularly girls, leading to widespread fascination. The influence of K-pop has reached various regions including the Middle East, America, and China.

K-music to movies: A hit factory

Their interest in Korean music eventually led them to fall in love with the culture itself and make friends far and wide. “We met a lot of people online and in real life who loved Korean music and drama,” said the UAE national. “It widened our circle and we became friends with a lot of people who would have never met otherwise. It was a uniting factor that transcended a lot of boundaries for us,” added Naela.

Similarly, Saimah Mohammed, who is a Doctor of Medicine (MD) student in Year 2, is the leader of the Korean Club at the Gulf Medical University.

“As the Hallyu Wave or Korean Culture Wave, has been sweeping the UAE, our club has noticed a notable rise in students' interest in food, music, and entertainment dramas, among other facets of Korean culture. Despite having different hobbies, all 68 members of our group – which was founded in October 2022 – have a deep love and enthusiasm for Korean culture.”

“While some are enthralled with the world of K-beauty, others are lured to the mouthwatering aromas of Korean food. Many of our varied group's members are also ardent fans of K-dramas and K-pop, demonstrating the multifarious attraction of Korean culture,” added Saimah.

Korean street snacks

The university’s food court already includes Korean street snacks, known as Bunsik, that dominate the menu.

These include popular items like corndogs, instant ramen, and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes).

Valerie Farag an Egyptian expat who is also pursuing his Doctor of Medicine at GMU, said, “Our university cafeteria recently introduced instant Korean ramen to the menu, coinciding with the winter of 2022 when there was a surge in popularity for 'Korean spicy ramen' and 'trying Korean convenience store food' trends across social media platforms. These additions have quickly gained popularity in our food court, becoming highly favoured among students.”

K-pop and Korean makeup

With K-pop gaining popularity, a lot of people want to look like their favourite celebrities. Due to this, there has been a notable surge in interest in Korean cosmetics as well, which is well-known for its capacity to create delicate, young appearances that are frequently enhanced by individual colour analysis methods.

“Young people also strongly value Korean skincare products because of their inexpensive price and therapeutic qualities. I am also a Korean beauty content producer,” added Saimah.

K-pop bands heavily rely on makeup, with many members following a rigorous 10-step skincare regimen. This contributes to their appeal among both male and female fans aspiring to replicate the flawless skin of their K-pop idols through similar beauty routines.

Free Korean language course

Meanwhile, the Korean Club at Gulf Medical University is offering Free Korean Language Courses in collaboration with King Sejong Korean Language Institute, known for its global presence and expertise in teaching Korean language and culture.

She added, “Many students, after watching numerous Korean Dramas, can distinguish basic Korean phrases frequently used in the dialogues. K-pop fans also have the habit of learning fan chants and lyrics in Korean, sparking their interest in mastering the language to understand their favourite celebrities better.”

Visiting Korea

Meanwhile, a friend’s recommendation to watch a Korean series during the Covid lockdown impacted the Indian expat Shruthi Rajendran’s life. “I began watching the series Crash Landing on You and I was hooked,” she said. “This led to other dramas, Korean music, food, and culture.”

Since then, Shruthi has learnt the Korean language and has made multiple trips to the country. Being an ardent admirer of the internationally acclaimed K-pop sensation BTS (Bangtan Boys), which has held the title of the world's best-selling band for the last two years, the Indian expatriate travelled to the US in 2021 to attend one of their live concerts. “My friend and I had planned it for months,” she said. “We flew into Los Angeles last year and watched the BTS concert. They had four concerts and we had tickets for the second one. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to buy tickets for another concert soon after that. It was costly and I would not recommend it to anyone but for us, it was the experience of a lifetime.”

In June 2023, she travelled solo to Korea for the 10th anniversary of BTS. “The whole city was purple,” she said. “I’ve not seen a city celebrate their musicians so much. But then again BTS are beyond just musicians. They’ve done a lot for the country in terms of tourism and spreading the culture so I could understand why.”

Shruthi even cooks Korean food at home like tteokbokki and bibimbap. According to her, the Korean culture gave her a good escapism. “It can help with mental health issues and provides an outlet,” she said. “I was extremely depressed during the pandemic because I was away from my parents for so long. Even getting groceries was such a task. Those months really took a toll on me. So for me, watching Korean dramas provided an escape.”

(With inputs from Nasreen Abdulla)

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