by At the concert hall in Warsaw, Poland, where the mandatory mask-wearing was lifted after the corona crisis, the awkward shouts were revived with the enthusiasm and cheers of K-pop fans. The ‘K-Pop Cover Dance Festival in Poland,’ where Hallyu fans become the main character worldwide, was successfully held at 5:30 pm (local time) in Warsaw at the Sobinski outdoor concert hall.
The festival hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Poland (Director Eun-Young Kang) and the Seoul Shimbun was held wonderfully with total audience seats. Before the main stage, a wealth of K-pop fan programs were also held, such as the ‘K-Pop Dance Workshop’ with K-Pop choreographer Park Seong-Ryung and the ‘K-Pop Quiz Show’ with a Polish YouTuber.
Hoon-min Lim, Ambassador of Poland to Poland, said, “I would like to thank the teams who put on an excellent performance today, the audience who cheered me on, and the Polish K-pop fans.
It has been reborn as a true K-pop communication festival with participating teams from all over Poland, including Warsaw, Krakow, Wrocław, Poznan, Gdansk, Gdnia, Sopot, Kielce, and Olsztyn. Every time the group danced to the intense K-pop music, the audience’s enthusiastic response filled the venue, and the faces of the fans who were engrossed in the outdoor performance after a long time were filled with laughter.
Kang Eun-young, director of the Korean Cultural Center in Poland, said, “Overseas fans have emerged as consumers and producers of K-pop content through K-pop cover dances, and they are the protagonists of the K-pop craze.
After a heated stage, the 7-member female group ‘HASSLE,’ which covered Billy’s ‘GingaMingaYo,’ rapidly gaining popularity worldwide, won the championship. The group comprises peers in their late teens to early 20s, mainly students and office workers.
Team leader Zuzanna Panek (20, student) said, “I still can’t believe we won. I didn’t even think of it, but I want to congratulate everyone for doing so well. Thank you to all of my family and friends who supported me,” she said.
The ‘2022 K-Pop Cover Dance Festival’, which marks its 12th anniversary this year, is the world’s first and largest K-pop online/offline Hallyu fan communication program. It is being evaluated as a K-pop campaign that contributes to the continuous spread of Hallyu culture and aims to communicate and empathize with Hallyu fans.
The winning teams from each country will be invited to the Seoul World Finals’ final finals and enjoy a hot exchange stage with multinational K-pop fans. The festival was sponsored by Seoul City, Korea Entertainment Producers Association, Korea Music Performers Association, Seoul Tourism Foundation, New Era, All-K-Pop, and Pentacle.
