Going to Concerts in Korea

K-pop has become a growing source of popularity for Korea, and it has increased tourism as well. Many foreigners tend to want to visit Korea specifically to see their favorite idols. Specifically, a K-pop group named "BTS," also known as 방탄소년단 in Korean, has contributed lots of growth to the Korean entertainment and tourism industry. Because of this, interest in Korean music and Korea, in general, has blossomed. For my case, I found myself being drawn to Korean popular music around 2012, and I have been engrossed in it since then. Although I have since become interested in various other aspects of Korea and Korean culture, I still have a soft spot for K-pop. Because of this, I decided to try and see one of my favorite Korean bands. 

Day6, a Korean band from JYP Entertainment, consists of 5 members. Wonpil, Jae, Sungjin, Young K, and Dowoon. They debuted in 2015, and have become increasingly popular in the past few years. They had previously had a world tour in the United States, and I was unable to attend. I figured that this would be my last chance to see them in Korea, so I set off to attempt to get tickets.

What I learned from this experience is that ticketing in Korea is so much more difficult than in America. Many people may not know, but Korea has one of the fastest internet speeds in the world. Because of this, ticketing is pretty difficult as many Koreans tend to be able to get to the websites quickly. Also, since I am a foreigner in Korea, I had to use the global ticket site in order to buy my tickets. At first, I wasn't able to order them due to my card blocking my purchase. My bank was suspicious of the purchase abroad, so I wasn't able to buy them, and by the time I realized this the tickets were sold out. If you plan on buying tickets in Korea, make sure you check with your credit card company prior to the purchase to make sure you are able to buy the tickets. After not being able to buy the tickets I was pretty disappointed, but to my surprise, Day6 ended up opening extra sections and tickets. I finally was able to secure a seat due to my friend's help, and I was set to go to the concert!

On the day of the concert, my friend and I actually decided to go together and had a bit of trouble navigating the subway at first, but eventually were able to make our way to the venue. After giving our purchase number and showing our passports, we finally had our tickets in hand and were able to go in! Korean concerts tend to not let you film or take photos in any way, but at certain times they allow fans to take out their phones. Mostly towards the end of concerts or if the members specifically say we can take photos. There was even a card that the staff gave us to let us know the rules and etiquette of the concert. One side was in English and one side was in Korean. There were things such as don't shout at the members, pull our hair back for the people behind us, don't sing along unless it's at the allotted time, and of course the ban on the photos and videos. I thought this was interesting as well due to the fact that in America, we don't really have any regulations like this. 

Overall, I had a lot of fun going to my first Korean concert. I also learned a lot of lessons like to check with my bank prior to purchasing tickets, becoming extra aware of the subway line I am traveling, and what not to do and what to do at concerts. I think it's an interesting experience for foreign fans of K-pop to experience if they have the opportunity to go. Fan culture, in general, is very welcoming and it makes you feel like an instant family. It's most definitely a rewarding experience in South Korea!