Korean cheerleaders go global

[Anchor]

Last year, Korean cheerleaders gained global attention with the so-called "pikki pikki" dance.

Recently, a Japanese cheerleader has been active in DB Promy, while Korean cheerleaders are making their way overseas, indicating that the K-cheerleader industry is gaining popularity.

Reporter Ha Mu-rim has the story.

[Report]

A foreign woman is captured effortlessly performing the "pikki pikki" dance, following K-POP dance.

This is Nozawa Ayaka, a Japanese cheerleader for the professional basketball team DB Promy.

She has a unique background, having previously worked as a cheerleader for the Yomiuri in Japan before moving to Korea last year.

[Nozawa Ayaka/DB Cheerleader: "Hello, I am Nozawa Ayaka, a Japanese cheerleader. I really like K-POP and Korean style, so I thought I would like to challenge myself in Korea."]

DB Promy is aiming to leverage the marketing potential brought by the appearance of foreign cheerleaders.

[Jeong Hee-seong/DB Marketing Team Senior: "We are thinking about plans for merchandise related to the cheerleaders. Since the cheerleaders are quite active on social media, we plan to promote our game schedules and club events through them."]

Nozawa dreams of expanding her activities to baseball stadiums in the future.

This is because the K-cheerleader industry is centered around professional baseball.

Last year, the "pikki pikki" dance became a hot topic on social media, and particularly, the surprise star cheerleader Lee Joo-eun was a given a special deal and transferred to a team in Taiwan.

Local media estimate that her signing bonus alone exceeds 400 million won.

Currently, there are more than 10 Korean cheerleaders active in Taiwan.

[Lee Joo-eun: "I am Lee Joo-eun, a cheerleader who will be with the Fubon Angels. I am very happy to have this great opportunity."]

Just like K-POP and K-dramas, the K-cheerleader industry is expanding its reach beyond Korea.

This is KBS News, Ha Mu-rim.