For the past decade, Korean pop, commonly known as K-pop, has been bringing diversity to the music scene worldwide. Often inspired by trends in U.S. pop and hip hop during recent years, K-pop adds its own unique characteristics, such as complex choreography, energetic melodies, extremely good-looking talented performers, topped with high-budget music video sets and dashing designer stage outfits. What is there not to enjoy about the look and sound of Korean pop? Thus, the emerging popularity of the Korean Wave, the popularity of Korean pop music and TV shows in East Asia and elsewhere, at the beginning of the new millennium came as no surprise.



Starting a decade ago around 2005 or 2006, the K-pop industry debuted popular idol groups DBSK (2003), Super Junior, Big Bang and SS501, among others, who instantly went viral, including in Eastern European countries like Bulgaria. At the time, the first generation of Bulgarian Korean Wave fans were unaware of each other’s existence, indulging in their newly-found love for Korea by watching Korean TV shows, known as K-dramas, at home with no one to share their passion with.

A few years later in 2008, a Bulgarian online forum called “Eastern Spirit” started operating. There, fans of Asian countries could finally start communicating with each other. Soon after, members of the forum started organizing meetings in different cities where they could enjoy a meal together and discuss their all-time-favorite Asian films and musicians, including artists from the Korean scene.

It wasn’t until the end of 2011 and in the first half of 2012 that the next generation of Bulgarian fans of the Korean Wave decided that it was high time for a change. They no longer wanted to only enjoy their love for Korea among themselves, but also to start promoting Korean music and TV shows across Bulgaria.

In 2012, a group of high school seniors and university freshmen, known among Bulgarian K-pop fans as the “Panda Squad,” started hosting occasional K-pop parties at local clubs and disco bars in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia. The parties quickly turned into a huge success and were a joyous event a lot of the local K-pop fans continue to anticipate to this very day. Soon after, the “Panda Squad” started organizing K-pop flashmobs in the capital’s city center. The worldwide hype, following Korean performer Psy’s “Gangnam Style” video release, helped Bulgarian K-pop fans’ attempt to show others the unique one-of-a-kind charms that K-pop offers to the world. Here is a video of a flashmob organized by the “Panda Squad” in 2015.

Bulgarian fans’ wish to promote Korean show business and arts in their country, as well as share the most exciting entertainment news with other fellow fans, led to the establishment of a Bulgarian weekly student radio show called “Friday Chopsticks.” The show’s pilot episode aired in November 2012. “Friday Chopsticks” is part of radio Reakcia’s program: a radio station, located at Sofia University’s Faculty of Journalism & Mass Communication. "Friday Chopsticks"’ crew currently consists of 10 members: university students and young working adults. Originally starting as a Korea and Japan-oriented broadcast, the radio show expanded its range to include information about other Asian countries -- mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia -- in its weekly schedule. The show’s program includes different segments, such as “Weekly Show Business News”, “Korean Drama”, “Anime and Manga”, “Interesting Facts from Asia” and more. It's the only media in Bulgaria entirely dedicated to Asian show business and media and to the promotion of the Korean Wave in Eastern Europe. The staff do their best to bring to their Bulgarian fans interesting photos, video material and interviews from different Asia-oriented events and concerts, too, taking place both in the country and abroad.



The emerging of K-pop dance cover groups since 2012 and their stage performances in Asia-related annual events is another exciting part of the Korean Wave’s rising popularity in Bulgaria. Masters of Disasters (MOD) is one of the greatest cover groups in the country. Here is a video clip of their performance of “Bang Bang Bang” by Big Bang at last year’s edition of the Bulgarian convention Aniventure 2015.

Recently, “Friday Chopsticks” conducted three questionnaires to find out who were the most popular K-pop groups in Bulgaria in 2016. Participants were allowed to vote for up to three groups at a time. A total of 238 participants took part in the "Favourite Male Group" category and 162 people took part in the "Favourite Female Group" category. You can find the results of the questionnaires below. A third questionnaire showed the average age and sex of the average Bulgarian K-pop fan. A total of 350 participants took part in the survey. In conclusion, we can safely assume that the Korean Wave’s popularity in Bulgaria will steadily continue its rise in the years to come. More and more adolescents are being captivated by Korea’s irresistible charms. Bulgarian fans’ only wish is that one day Korean entertainers will find out about Bulgaria’s passion for the Korean Wave and will come visit the country. Until then, we continue to dream!

By Bojana Doneva
Korea.net Honorary Reporter
Photos: Friday Chopsticks, Kompas Events, Andrey Spiridonov