[Article] Hallyu wave hitting Taiwan with full force.

[Article] Hallyu wave hitting Taiwan with full force.
Cr. - http://www.koreaboo.com/

Popularity of Korean culture, especially k-pop, has been increasing at a rapid rate in Taiwan. The loyalty and passion that Taiwanese fans display are evident through the consistently sold-out concerts and fan parties, and this in turn has made the place a destination that many k-pop groups and artists visit for their promotions.

Leading the way for the longest visit is Super Junior-M, who recently just ended their two-month long stay in Taipei, with members Donghae and Siwon staying behind for the filming of a Taiwanese drama. Super Junior as a whole has made a presence in Taiwan, where they held 3 concerts as part of their Super Show 3 tour, while Super Junior-K.R.Y. also successfully held 2 concerts back in November 2010.

Additionally, JYJ’s concert in Taipei set a record for having the shortest time between the concert announcement date and the actual concert date, and still managed to sell out the concert within hours of the sale. Rain also held a concert in Taipei earlier this month, which was his last concert in Taiwan before he joins the military. Other groups have also enjoyed success in Taiwan. Artists that have promoted in Taiwan include FT Island, SHINee, CN Blue, Jang Keun Suk, F.Cuz, U-Kiss, ZE:A, SNSD, Wonder Girls, and more.

Upcoming activities scheduled in Taiwan include 2AM’s mini concert on June 3rd, Super Junior-M’s fan parties on June 6th, SHINee’s 1st concert in Taiwan to be held on July 16th, Jang Keun Suk’s fan meetings on June 24th and 25th (a second show was added on the 24th due to popular demand), and BEAST’s fan meeting on July 23th. Tickets to events for SHINee, Jang Keun Suk, and BEAST are all set to go on sale on June 4th, setting a record of having three different Korean artist groups beginning their ticket sales on the same day.

Meanwhile, SNSD is expected to have a concert date in Taiwan as part of their upcoming tour, and officials at Super Dome, the organizer of many k-pop events in Taiwan, have announced appearances of Super Junior in events being held at the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012, prompting speculations of SM Town Taiwan and Super Show 4 taking place during those timeframes.

Given the proven success of K-pop groups in Taiwan as well as other places overseas, will Korean entertainment companies continue to expand into other markets outside of Korea? Would this expansion be limited to Asia only?