Mexico edit
Korean media in Mexico experienced a surge in 2002 after Mexican governor, Arturo Montiel Rojas, visited South Korea[1]. From his trip, he brought Korean series, movies, and other programs to Mexico State's broadcasting channel[2]:Televisión Mexiquense (channel 34). Korean dramas exposed the Mexican public to Korean products and spurred interest in other aspects of Korean culture. K-Pop commenced to gain ground in Mexico due to the series the music accompanied. Fans particularly sought out the music of soundtracks respective to Korean dramas that were broadcasted.
However, K-Pop's arrival to Mexico is also attributed to an influence of Japanese media in Mexico and the introduction of PIUs (Pump It Up). The comic convention, La Mole, commenced selling Japanese comics and music and later commenced to sell K-Pop. PIUs combined gaming and dancing, introducing the Mexican youth to Korean gaming software and generating interest in Korean music[3]
K-Pop's presence in Mexico can be outlined through the growing number of Korean music acts in the country. In the recent years, the amount of K-Pop concerts in Mexico has risen and branched into other portions of the country. Idol groups, including BIGBANG and NU'EST, have visited Mexico through their respective world tours. JYJ's Kim Jun-su became the first Korean star to perform solo. His concert held in Mexico City sold out in advance[4]. The Music Bank World Tour also brought various acts to the Mexican public. Many of those groups covered widely-known songs, such as EXO's cover of Sabor A Mi.
In 2017, Mexico also became the first Latin American country to host KCON. The two-day convention held on March 17-18 brought over 33,000 fans to Arena Ciudad de México[5]. Much like artists during Music Bank, idols covered Spanish songs.
The strength and large number of fanclubs have continuously helped promote and support K-Pop across the country. Over 70 fan clubs dedicated to Korean music are present in Mexico, bringing together around 30,000 fans[6]. Although many fanclubs were created around 2003, they achieved a public presence in 2005 when Korea's ex-president Roh Moo Hyun visited Mexico for a meeting with Mexico's ex-president Vicente Fox Quesada. Around 30 Hallyu fanclubs held a "rally" asking Roh to bring actors Jang Dong-gun and Ahn Jae-wook to their country[7].
Demonstrations have continued into recent years. On May 13th, 2013, a large march was held in Mexico City's Zócalo. Called KPOP: MASSIVE MARCH K－POP MEXICO II, it was the second mass march that brought together hundreds of avid K-Pop fans[8].
However, larger fanclub organization in Mexico receive indirect or direct support from Korean cultural programs. KOFICE (Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange) and the Korean Cultural Center in Mexico often work in conjuction with fanclubs. These larger organizations contain multiple fanclubs within their structure. The three largest are MexiCorea, Hallyu Mexican Lovers, and HallyuMx. Both MexiCorea and Hallyu Mexican Lovers are supported by KOFICE while HallyuMx previously worked with the Korean Cultural Center and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Mexico[3].
- ^ "Inicia Montiel gira por Asia, para atraer inversiones". www.cronica.com.mx (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-11.
- ^ "Ministerio de Cultura busca convertir a Surcorea en líder de la industria cultural del mundo". world.kbs.co.kr (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-04-01.
- ^ a b Lopez Rocha, Nayelli. "Hallyu in Mexico and the role of Korean pop idols' fan clubs". The Journal of Foreign Studies. 24: 615–637.
- ^ "JYJ Charts New Territory for K-Pop Solo Act in Mexico". Retrieved 2018-04-01.
- ^ "Inaugural KCON Mexico draws over 33,000 fans plus another 200,000 live stream viewers! – Hello Asia!". Hello Asia!. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
- ^ Cave, Damien (2013-09-21). "For Migrants, New Land of Opportunity Is Mexico". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
- ^ "Mexican fans ask President Roh to send hallyu stars". HanCinema. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
- ^ "KPOP: MARCHA MASIVA K-POP MEXICO II". g-dragon-is-vip.blogspot.kr (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-04-01.