The popularity of Korean pop music, or K-Pop, has spread from Southeast Asia to Europe, as fans one thousand-strong descended on Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris on Wednesday hoping for a chance to meet their favorite Korean singers.
Singing groups TVXQ, SHINee and f(x) arrived to take part in a two-day concert to be held in front of 7,000 fans at Le Zenith de Paris concert hall, according to the Chosun Ilbo. Girls Generation is also scheduled to perform.
Most of the fans waiting at the airport on Wednesday were teenage girls, but even middle-aged adults could be spotted among the crowds. The fans, who waited more than two-and-a-half hours for their stars to walk out of the gate, showed no signs of boredom, singing their favorite Korean songs and creating a party-like atmosphere.
“We expected around 300 fans, but we were surprised to see many more at the airport,” said Maxim Pake, head of Korea Connection, a Korean culture fan club in France.
Originally scheduled to be a one-time performance, concert promoters added a second show after tickets sold out in 15 minutes, prompting a protest from angry fans in the form of a “flash mob” demonstration in front of the famous Louvre museum on May 1.
Check out a short video of the airport mayhem after the jump:
