South Korean Culture: K-Pop, K-Beauty and Beyond

K-pop is probably Korea's biggest cultural export, and it's hard to overstate how central it is to modern Korean identity. This massively growing global industry, with groups like BTS and BLACKPINK, sell out stadiums on every continent and frequently top the international charts. K-pop goes beyond the music too, it's also known for its iconic choreography, fashion, and fan culture.

For visitors, the K-pop world is a great way into experiencing modern South Korean culture. Its global fan culture is super welcoming, made of all ages and nationalities. Several major entertainment companies run their own exhibition spaces where fans can learn about the industry and their favourite pop groups. There are also several K-pop guided tours, fan cafes and shops in the big cities so if this is something you’re interested in, just let your Travel Specialist know and they’ll recommend some hotspots.

Trending elaborate, multi-step skincare routines that you’ve probably seen all across social media would have likely emerged from the foundations of Korean beauty traditions. K-beauty is built on the idea of skincare being a daily wellness ritual. Steps like double cleansing, essences, sheet masks and SPF creams have all originated from the global beauty capital. Korean beauty brands were also early adopters of ingredients like snail mucin, centella asiatica and fermented extracts long before they became global skincare buzzwords.

If you want to learn more about Korean skincare practices, pop into a beauty store in skincare-central places like Seoul (specifically the shopping district of Myeongdong) where staff will be happy to talk visitors through a routine suited to their skin type.

If you’re less into the new technologies of these skincare practices and would prefer a more traditional approach to South Korean wellness, there are many spa and sauna experiences from Korean age-old traditions to try on your trip too.

In recent years, Korean television dramas, or K-dramas, have taken the world by storm. Their dramatic increase in global popularity has been helped enormously by streaming platforms making them available worldwide. Covering a range of genres, there’s bound to be a series you can get stuck into before you arrive.

Korean film has had an even bigger moment on the world stage, with Parasite becoming the first non-English language film to win the Best Picture Oscar, and more recently, animated films like the children’s global sensation KPop Demon Hunters, winner of Golden Globes Best Motion Picture.

We recommend giving a few a watch before your trip as it can be fun to recognise some of various filming locations as you travel through the country.

Seoul has definitely been making a name for itself in the global fashion industry in recent years. If you’re planning on traveling to Seoul in the Spring or Autumn there’ll be lots of Fashion Week events to check out. If you’re feeling fashion-inspired by your travels through the dazzling city, there are plenty of fashion districts to get stuck into. For example, Myeongdong and Dongdaemun are great for the hustle and bustle of fashion markets and Hongdae and Itaewon are perfect for vintage clothing shopping.

Feel like you’d want to let your hair down and have your turn at a bit of karaoke? Noraebang means singing/song + room. They are South Korean private karaoke rooms rented by the hour so you don’t have to worry about singing to a bar full of strangers. They're a popular part of a night out with friends, coworkers and families alike, and a good way to experience South Korea's passion for music and performance firsthand, with K-pop knowledge optional.