Latest K-Pop Invasion: The Fans
It’s no secret that K-pop is huge in Japan, with fans often traveling to South Korea to see live shows and other K-Pop-themed events.
The latest group tour from Japan takes things to another level, however.
More than 7,000 Japanese fans of boy-band JYJ will fly to Seoul later this month in the biggest-ever tour package for overseas K-pop fans.
The event, 2012 JYJ Membership Week, will take place for four days from June 28. Fans will take part in various band-themed activities, including a virtual meeting with a holographic version of the 3-member group. They’ll also have a chance to actually meet the real thing during the last two days.
A total of 7,024 of the 15,000 Japanese fans who pay an annual fan club membership fee of around 50,000 won, or $43, were invited to attend via a lucky draw. C-Jes Entertainment, the group’s management company, says it spent 3.7 billion won, or $3.2 million, for the event, including covering accommodation and airfares.
To house the fans, the company booked 3,500 hotel rooms and prepared 250 buses to ferry the fans to the event venue in southern Seoul. The fans will fly in on 116 flights from 14 Japanese airports.