In the last installment of her K-pop series, Faye Bradley finds out about the many forms of K-pop fandom in HK — from copying the look of an idol, to embarking on a journey, to becoming one.
Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong exhibition in KCC K-POP ZONE. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
The Korean Wave hit the world’s pop music fans in the ’90s, and shows no signs of ebbing. The South Korean government has acknowledged the huge impact the country’s entertainment and media industry has on its financial state. The boy band BTS alone brings home around $5 billion a year — equivalent to approximately half a percent of the country’s economy.
BTS is quite the rage in Hong Kong as well. Here, groups staging cover versions of BTS numbers are almost as admired as the real deal. With over 63,500 subscribers on YouTube and 11,400 followers on Instagram, Stunning Dance HK (SNDHK) is one of the city’s most popular K-pop cover dance groups. The team has been around since 2014, performing songs by bands like NewJeans, Seventeen and Twice, among others, and has clocked up 10.9 million views across its 406 videos released so far.
Other local BTS cover act sensations include dance group Chocomint HK. The group’s covers of girl band Blackpink’s hit numbers Pink Venom and Shut Down have garnered 208,000 and 756,000 views respectively on YouTube. Chocomint HK’s rise as a pop-culture phenomenon is now part of serious academic discourse. Earlier this year, the group was invited to give a lecture demonstration, titled “K-Pop in Public: Cover Dance and Fandom Culture in Hong Kong”, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s (CUHK’s) Centre for Cultural Studies.
Saga Dance Crew is another prominent player, with 11,700 YouTube subscribers. Like Chocomint and SNDHK, Saga too prefers to film the troupe’s performances on Hong Kong’s streets. SNDHK’s dance videos — particularly those shot against the iconic Hong Kong skyline at night — are hugely popular with audiences across the board.
K-POP COMMUNITY FESTIVAL_K-POP Cover Teams performance. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Hero worship
Fans emulating the looks of their K-pop idols are driving the demand for K-pop-inspired merchandise — be it clothes, beauty products, accessories, or TV serials.
Swapping K-pop stickers has become a favorite pastime of Hong Kong’s youngsters, with some of them seeking out brands endorsed by their beloved K-pop idols.
Lee Yong-woo, assistant professor of cultural studies and associate director of the cultural management Master of Arts program at CUHK, says that the copious consumption of K-pop performances and merchandise impacts a consumer’s cultural identity. The craze for K-pop idols, he points out, often manifests itself in a collective show of frenzied admiration.
The ultimate token of hero worship is for a fan to embark on the challenging and demanding journey toward turning into a K-pop singer — or, in the least, a copy of a well-established one — themselves. As Lee puts it, “From starting to learn K-pop choreography to releasing a video, various Hong Kong cover dance teams experience a process of so-called ‘fandoming’, i.e., turning into copies of the idols they mimic.”
K-POP COMMUNITY FESTIVAL_K-POP Cover Teams performance. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Covering their tracks
K-pop dancing typically involves fast-paced, synchronized, precise movements — usually accompanied by singing. It’s been described as a mix of hip-hop, jazz and contemporary dance. According to Lee, most of the local K-pop cover dancers are self-taught. However, increasingly, K-pop aspirants are opting for professional training. A number of studios offering K-pop dance classes have burgeoned across Hong Kong to cater to the growing demand. These include Prodance, with branches in Tsuen Wan, Diamond Hill and Tseung Kwan O; and Friends Junction Dance Company (FJDC), in Prince Edward, Kwun Tong, North Point and Tuen Mun.
The FJDC bills itself as the only local dance company to offer a full K-pop training package, including dance and vocal training, besides professional guidance on how to pitch oneself for a career in the business.
“More and more people — of all ages — are joining K-pop dance classes,” says the company’s co-founder and chief director, Winnie Man. “It’s a fun way to exercise, and also gather with friends. Some people join casual classes after work to relieve stress.”
Those looking to make a career in entertainment can opt for the company’s comprehensive training package.
The SNDHK team continues to recruit new members from time to time. “K-pop dances are mostly group dances, which requires teamwork,” says SNDHK member Nelson Kwan, adding that he enjoys the sense of community his job inspires.
The group holds practice sessions on weekends to prepare for video shoots and performances. Sometimes, if there are competitions to prepare for, they also work on weeknights. “First, each of us learns and digests the choreography on their own, and then we practice the details and formations as a group,” Kwan says.
EXO. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Getting the big break
While the K-pop industry is notoriously difficult to break into, a number of artists from China or with roots in the country have made it to the big league. WayV’s Lucas Wong and Got7’s Jackson Wang are both from Hong Kong. Victoria of f(x), Seventeen’s Jun and The8, Pristin’s Kyul-kyung, and WJSN’s Cheng Xiao are all from the Chinese mainland. Wanna One’s Guanlin and WayV’s YangYang are both from Taiwan, while WayV’s Hendery is from Macao.
The recruitment process in Hong Kong, much as it is in K-pop’s home country of South Korea, typically begins with an entertainment agency sending out open audition calls via social media. Applicants are invited to submit a video of their work. Auditions are held live or online. Successful candidates are signed by a big record label such as SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, or Hybe. Three to five years of training follows, until apprentice performers are ready to compete for a place in a new K-pop band.
It usually takes multiple auditions with multiple entertainment companies before one makes it to the level of a trainee K-pop star. “Instead of going to a regular school, young people with aspirations to becoming teen K-pop idols often attend institutes where they are trained in vocal performance, rap, acting, dance, and other related fields,” explains Lee Young-ho, director of the Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong (KCCHK).
ITZY. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
One that made the cut
Born in Hong Kong to Chinese and Korean parents, Andy Lui achieved his K-pop idol dream when he joined Seven O’Clock in 2019. Although the group disbanded in 2021, Lui continues to live and work in Seoul.
Growing up with a passion for music, Lui hadn’t considered K-pop as a career. But one day in 2013, one of his friends mentioned a global audition taking place in Hong Kong. Lui had never been to a training school but thought he’d give the competition a shot. “I started practicing by myself,” he says.
It was only after Lui was signed by a South Korean entertainment company that he began training professionally. His career was managed by a number of companies. They arranged for him to train in dancing, singing and acting as well as to take Korean-language lessons. The training sessions went on for several hours every day, sometimes running past midnight.
“It was really harsh and definitely not an easy life,” Lui remarks. Being half-Korean made it relatively easy for him to integrate into Korean life and culture, he says. Nonetheless, it took him awhile to adjust to life in Seoul, as his Korean-language skills were quite rudimentary at the time. “My employer and friends were kind enough to teach me about everything, and have been so willing to help. I’m grateful to have met lots of good people in Seoul,” he says. “There have been hard times, but I’m enjoying being on stage and the love of my fans.”
NewJeans. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Wave-makers
More than three decades since it first hit Hong Kong’s shores, the Korean Wave continues to have a strong presence in the city’s cultural life. Festivals, lectures and competitions are held regularly. The KCCHK organizes various cultural activities, from performances, exhibitions and film screenings, to Korean food and language promotions. This past July, it hosted the annual K-pop Cover Dance Festival in Hong Kong, with 13 dance crews taking part. The winning team went on an all-expenses-paid trip to Seoul in September to compete in the global finals. While in South Korea, the team members also got to do a shoot with a celebrity photographer, and attend a dance clinic with a famous K-pop choreographer.
In February, the K-pop Community Festival, also organized by the KCCHK, showcased the talents of 16 local cover dance crews. In July, the K-pop Academy flew in two professional dance teachers from South Korea to teach choreography to K-pop fans between the ages of 14 and 30.
Such live events help sustain the interest of serious learners of the craft with aspirations of making a career in the industry. And cover dance videos continue to rack up the views on social media.
“Nowadays, Hong Kong is really into K-pop and Korean food,” says Lui. “Most of my Hong Kong friends speak Korean and follow Korean trends, so I think we’re seeing a big change right now. And that’s a good thing.”
