Ticket for Hallyu exhibition held in UK V&A Museum sold out for first day

▲This photo, provided by Yonhap News Agency, shows the Hallyu exhibition held at Victoria and Albert Museum in the United Kingdom. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, September 26 (Yonhap) -- "It was interesting to learn about the rapid development of Korea, the country of K-Pop and K-Drama."

"Hallyu! The Korean Wave" exhibition was opened at the Victoria and Albert Museum in the United Kingdom, which is known to incorporate 170 years of the UK’s history, on September 24 (local time).

The entrance ticket was sold out on the V&A website.

It is seen that the sold out was the effect of the V&A being the greatest art, design, and performance museum, the UK local press such as the BBC, Telegraph, and more, introducing the exhibition, and being rated five stars in the Guardians.

V&A entrance fee is usually free, but the entrance fee for the special "Hallyu" exhibition is 20 pounds, which is not cheap.

The first thing the visitors see as they enter the exhibition is singer PSY's "Gangnam Style" MV, which is familiar to everyone, and the exhibition continues with Korea's technology and history, dramas and movies, K-pop, and fashion.

Visitors were expected to be drawn to the K-pop MV, Squid Game section, and Parasite half-basement toilet filming set, but they paid close attention to every exhibition.

There were people reading the description of the history of Korea, looking closely at the glass to read and look at the pictures from the Japanese Colonial Period. Some were explaining this while holding their child's hand.

People were watching the movie Seopyeonjae and the MV of Seotaiji and the Boys, and some were watching the ancestral rites scenes in recent shows and compared the table set used during the scene, which was placed right beside the video.

People were listening to different genres of K-pop, such as Hyuk-oh, Leenalchi Band, Song Ga-in, and more in a room with headphones.

A child was dancing in the spot to follow K-pop choreography, and the parents were proudly looking at it.

Young women gathered in the spot where Korean cosmetics were introduced and took photos of Korean makeup tutorials and cosmetics made with oriental medicine ingredients.

Many of the visitors came to the special exhibition, interested in K-pop and drama. Most of the visitors were in their 20s or 30s, but some came with their families.

Visitors chose learning about Korean history as one of the most interesting points. They answered that they were particularly interested in some sections of Korean culture, but found more charming points about other areas of Korean culture after going through the exhibition.

Alina from London said, "I really like K-pop and K-drama. It was my first time learning about Korean modern history, and it was really interesting and surprising."

She continued, "I learned more about Korean history through old photos," and her friend said, "I was interested in Korean fashion, and it was my first time learning about K-pop and K-drama."

Interest in "K Culture" went beyond the field of K-pop and drama fans.

Kate, who came to London with her daughter on a trip from Yorkshire in northern England, said, "I've heard of BTS and BLACKPINK, but I just now learned that the alphabet K in K-pop represents Korean, and I've never seen a Korean drama," adding, "It was amazing that Korea changed so fast in such a short time."

Since the exhibition was held in London, where tourists from around the world gather, the influence of the Korean Wave exhibition has exceeded that of the UK.

Taylor, from Boston, USA, said, "I know how popular K-pop is as I work with young people a lot," adding, "I came to the exhibition at V&A to see the Hallyu exhibition as I was in London just in time for a trip."

At the V&A souvenir shop, the staff in charge of the Hallyu exhibition had to work non-stop to fill up the items.

The staff said, "It's a lot busier than I expected today," and added, "It's unique that books and food are purchased a lot compared to other exhibitions."

Dan, who was choosing an exhibition souvenir T-shirt with "Hallyu" written on it for his 13-year-old son, said, "I learned about the Korean economy in college in the 90s, and it is impressive that the country that has developed material growth now has soft power."

This exhibition, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the brand Genesis, will last for nine months until June 25 next year.

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Dowon Kim,)

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