Experience the Korean Wave at Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden

Things have moved beyond the hype. South Korean pop culture is having a lasting impact on the entertainment industry, and the global perception has changed. In 2021, the immensely popular boyband BTS was the first Asian band ever to win the prestigious Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards. K-pop keeps breaking social media records as well, for instance, when a BTS YouTube video had the most views in 24 hours (108 million). And in 2022, Netflix hit series Squid Game was the first foreign series to be nominated for an Emmy in the Best Drama Series category.

What defines the Hallyu (Korean Wave)? During the Korean Wave event, Museum Volkenkunde dives into the world of Korean pop culture by hosting performances, fashion shows, and in-depth master classes and debates. Speakers include K-pop specialists, experts from the entertainment industry, researchers, Asian creatives, and the K-pop fans themselves.

Visitors can participate in many activities to truly experience the phenomenon. By dancing to K-pop songs in matching outfits during Random Play Dance. Or by joining a taekwondo or K-beauty workshop. Gamers can participate in a mini tournament for League of Legends – the most popular e-game in South Korea. Those interested in the Korean language will enjoy the speed course in Korean or learning how to write their name in the Korean script. Moreover, visitors can browse the K-market and enjoy authentic Korean food.

Korean Wave is organised by Museum Volkenkunde in collaboration with Bettina Brunt, the initiator, and Leiden University (Faculty of Humanities). For the event programme, Museum Volkenkunde collaborated with a focus group of specialists in K-dance, K-beauty, K-pop, K-pop culture, students of Korea Studies from Leiden University, and researchers with expert knowledge of Korea.

Korean Wave Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 September 2022 11:00 - 18:00 View the complete programme here and order your tickets

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Note to the editors, not for publication: If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Voorbij, the press officer with NMVW and Wereldmuseum, at pers@wereldculturen.nl