Korean Pop gets Taekwondo twist in Bengaluru

Lockdown tweak

Riding a global wave, Korean Pop (K-Pop) just got a lockdown Taekwondo boost, blended right here in Bengaluru. An expat South Korean family synched the martial art moves with edgy K-Pop dance steps to send a lockdown fitness message. Tempted, the city’s 2,000-strong K-Pop fans are trending their own dance videos online.

Korean student Hawon Lim and her family had perfected the Taekwondo moves over six years. The lockdown was the right time to give it a K-Pop twist. "Taekwondo is about stretching, kicking, strength, and agility. Mixing it with K-Pop makes it more accessible," Hawon told DH.

It was about making fitness trendy when stamina waned indoors. The Lim family’s music-martial art mix was a hit online, as their Instagram videos beckoned viewers in droves. The unique blend was now ripe for an online contest, worked out by the Korean consulate in Chennai.

The K-Pop contest, as Deputy Consul General Hong-yup explained, was designed for a purpose: "To present a valuable moment for South Indians to recharge themselves after getting exhausted physically and mentally during the lockdown; to boost ‘love with family and friends'."

Seventeen teams of 33 dancers responded with their hi-energy videos. As thousands viewed them on YouTube and the consulate’s Facebook page, two clear winners emerged. One was Indian, Rhea Rajkumar with her dynamic display of K-Pop wizardry. The Choi Family added the Korean touch.

Back in Bengaluru, the over 2,000 K-Pop fans had their own lockdown plans. As team leader Hemavathy B M elaborated, multiple fan groups collaborated to post Instagram Live shows. They had a rich repertoire of Korean films, dramas, and music to get inspired.

The groups are active in the city since 2012. "Before the lockdown, we would often gather to watch concert screenings and liven up the ambience with K-Pop song recommendations," she recalled.

In eight years, the city's K-Pop craze has had teams line up behind bands of the likes of BTS and EXO, SHINee, and GOT7. The Bengaluru mix is now geared for the next big turn: Blending trademark K-Pop cinematography with costumes, the desi groups are ready with their own scripts, with a Korean touch.