Hallyu fans reach 200 million threshold worldwide

The Korea Foundation wrote in the 2023 Analysis of Global Hallyu Status, jointly issued with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that Hallyu community members worldwide exceeded the 200 million threshold.

According to the analysis report on Thursday, 1,748 Hallyu communities (online and offline) had a total of 225 million members combined as of last December, showing a 24-fold rise from 9.26 million recorded in 2012 when the survey was first published. The total number of members increased by 25.8 percent compared to the previous year.

Asian and Oceanian countries comprised the largest portion of the membership, with China ranking first (100 million) in the number of members. Thailand recorded the largest number of communities (123 clubs). The highest increase rate in the number of members was seen in the Americas (80 percent). Out of the Hallyu communities researched in the survey, 68 percent were K-pop fans, while 10 percent were related to K-drama, according to the analysis.


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com