This is the English version of 케데헌 시리즈 4편/ K-pop과 영화, 한 번에 즐기는 하이브리드 투어.
Recently, overseas travelers visiting Korea are enthusiastic about tours that experience culture and content firsthand, not just sightseeing. In particular, the global popularity of K-pop and the global popularity of K-movies are the main motives for visiting Korea. Amid this trend, it is a hybrid tour that combines K-pop and movies. Beyond simply watching performances and visiting movie locations, a new type of travel is taking place where music and movies intersect and connect into a single story line.
In this article, I will introduce how K-pop and movies are converging into travel content, and hybrid tour courses and recommendation tips that you can actually enjoy.
1. Why K-pop + movie hybrid?
Around the world, K-pop has become a cultural phenomenon beyond music with idol groups, including BTS and Blackpink. At the same time, Korean movies and dramas such as "Parasite," "Squid Game," and "Concrete Utopia" resonated greatly with overseas viewers and established the global presence of K-content.
Therefore, the most attractive trip for foreigners visiting Korea is to experience the reality of K-pop performances + the background of movies and dramas firsthand. For example, the schedule of touring the idol practice room during the day and exploring the filming location of the movie's famous scenes in the evening develops into a cultural immersive trip, not just a tour.
2. Hybrid Tour Key Content
The hybrid tour consists of three main axes.
① K-pop Live & Experience
Visiting the recording site of music broadcasts (e.g., Mnet, KBS Music Bank, etc.)
Company building tour (Hive, JYP, SM, YG, etc.)
Dance Experience Class (Foreign Popular Program: K-pop Dance One-Day Class)
Goods & Fan Experience Space (Hive Insight, SMTOWN Museum, etc.)
② Visiting the filming location of movies and dramas
<Winter Sonata> Nami Island, <Guardian: Donghwa Village, Songwol-dong, Incheon
<Parasite> Stairway, <Itaewon Class> Itaewon Pocha Street
<Squid Game> Set Exhibition and Experiential Event
Recent OTT filming locations (Seongsu-dong Cafe, Hongdae Street, etc.)
③ a convergence experience program
Video production at the filming location after the K-pop dance class → "One-day music video" featuring travelers
Enjoying idol OST at the place in the movie → Strengthen sensitivity and realism
Experiential event that combines performance and movie screening → The intersection of fandom + movie fans
3. Actual Recommendation Schedule (Example)
Day 1 – Seoul K-pop immersion
AM: K-pop Dance One-Day Class
Afternoon: Hive Insights & Goods Shopping
Evening: Hongik University Busking & Club Tour
Day 2 – Into the movies and dramas
AM: A tour of the filming location of Parasite (Mapo and Songpa)
Afternoon: <Itaewon Class> Walk the street and experience restaurants
Evening: Han River Night View + Drama's Best Scene Photo Zone
Day 3 – Convergence Experience
A.M.: K-pop music video shooting where the traveler is the main character
Afternoon: Drama OST Background Cafe Tour
Evening: Watch an idol concert (or participate in a large festival)
This schedule is not just a sightseeing tour, but provides an experience where the traveler himself or herself becomes part of the content.
4. Foreign Travelers' Responses and Domestic Effects
In fact, these hybrid tours are gaining huge popularity among young people in Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe, not just because they can experience the cultural depth connected by movies and music.
In addition, the domestic tourism industry is developing a package that connects K-pop performances and movie filming locations, giving positive effects to the accommodation, transportation, and restaurant industries.
5. Travel Tips & Precautions
Tickets for the concert are required to be reserved in advance (especially global idol concerts)
The filming location of the drama may be some private property. Manners are required when visiting
Local tour products are recommended for filming locations because transportation may be inconvenient
For dance classes, it is recommended to select programs that can be used in English/Japanese/Chinese
6. future prospects
Hybrid tours are expected to expand further in combination with VR/AR technology in the future. For example, the actual filming location is reproduced in VR and the K-pop stage is implemented as a hologram. This will develop into an immersive experience that goes beyond just sightseeing and into the "world view of Korean culture."
Finish
The K-pop and film hybrid tours examined in the fourth installment of the Kedeheon series present a new travel trend that goes beyond "listening, seeing and enjoying" for travelers visiting Korea.
With the combination of music and film and two cultural contents, travelers experience Korea as a huge stage and movie set. This is not just a package tour, but a special journey where personal memories and global contents intersect.