KBS Pilgrimage

[Anchor Lead]

Every Friday, hundreds of young people from around the world flock to KBS headquarters in Seoul. What’s behind this passionate pilgrimage? Take a look.

[Pkg]

Around sunset on this Friday. Already a very long line has formed. Scrambles for a front row seat are a given. The war has begun. This long line of people is none other than K-pop fans trying to get a glimpse of Korean pop stars. They're literally from around the world. This phenomenon is referred to as the "way to work" in Korean because at this spot, fans can witness Korean singers arriving at KBS to appear on the live music show Music Bank aired every Friday.

[Soundbite] K-pop Fan from Hong Kong

The singers pass through this site before entering KBS for just about 40 seconds. Although it's brief, for the fans, it's a tremendous opportunity to see the stars with their own eyes and deliver gifts to them in person. They post photos on social media in real time to share with friends.

[Soundbite] K-pop Fan from Thailand

You have to be on standby. You never know when your singer will arrive. They patiently wait, even having food delivered. Some fans arrive the day before and spend the night to secure a front spot in the line. Whatever the case, the scene is always crowded.

[Soundbite] K-pop Fan from the U.S.

Some 500 fans on average come to KBS for this purpose every week. For fans from abroad, it is a must-go destination as they scrape together their pocket money and part-time wages to make the trip all the way to Korea.

[Soundbite] K-pop Fan from China : "The music and dances are all great. As a K-pop fan, I'd like to promote Korean singers in China."

The passion of these foreign K-pop fans is the force behind the Hallyu Korean Wave boom across regions and generations.