Idol Group BTS (Big Hit Entertainment)
SEOUL — South Korea said Thursday that it will build two 5G experience centers in central Seoul to showcase K-pop and other cultural content through the latest technology.
The centers near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul will provide interactive ways to imitate K-pop dances while providing such content as K-pop concerts and the changing of royal guards ceremony at Gyeongbok Palace.
K-pop — which mostly features choreographed singing and dancing by boy or girl groups — has gained ground in not only Asia but Latin America, Europe and the United States in recent years.
K-pop and the broader Korean Wave have resonated with young people around the world, burnishing South Korea’s image as a cool country home to K-pop phenomenon BTS and “Gangnam Style,” South Korean rapper Psy’s 2012 mega-hit song.
The government plans to inject another 20 billion won ($17 million) to make content that uses 5G technology.
The number of 5G users in South Korea reached 1.91 million as of the end of July, just three months after the nation’s three carriers — SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. — rolled out the commercial 5G network, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Science and ICT. (Yonhap)