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Airbnb hosts online events for global K-pop fans

Posted January. 19, 2021 07:48,   

Updated January. 19, 2021 07:48

한국어

“Can you….describe the taste of tteok-bokki with your song?”

The journalist wasn’t expecting an immediate answer, but the four members of Cravity, a K-pop boyband, were quick to get ready for singing.

“The breathtaking heat and your breath (from “Flame”)”

“Because tteok-bokki is hot and spicy.” (Seongmin)

“You know there are so many great numbers in our album. “You’re the only light/among the stars in the skies~ (from “The Star”) (Hyeong-joon). This interview took place on “Inside K-pop,” an online event organized by Airbnb. This set of off-the-cuffs exchanges were from a virtual Zoom interview with Cravity while they were cooking a royal-style tteok-bokki at a traditional Korean house in Seochon, Seoul. “Do you have any special tteok-bokki recipe?” The members of Cravity were constantly asking questions over the virtual medium.

K-pop and travel contents are making a dramatic convergence amid the prolonged period of “untact” era and limited range of travels owing to COVID-19. From January 25 to 30, Airbnb is holding an online event called “Inside K-pop.”

Cameras are mounted at studies in Seochon or Gangnam, and K-pop stars host guests online. While the members of Monsta X are selecting food from a convenience store, The Boyz are making beads bracelets with Dreamcatchers taking photo shots.

The events also offer beauty and dance classes from professional teachers. The booking opens at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday at airbnb.com/insidekpop on a first-come-first-served basis. The fee per experience is 20 U.S. dollars. The events are expected to draw the attention from K-Pop fans across the globe as fans can have a direct communication with the stars and take a photo online with their favorite idols. “We were working on an online experience program utilizing space, and K-pop occurred to us. We also hope that many fans will visit Korea once the coronavirus blows over,” said Eum Seong-won, the media policy director at Airbnb.

Since last year, “SOxSO Media” has been airing a program called “Can you hear my trip” on YouTube, a web variety show converging travel contents with ASMR. Idol groups such as Monsta X, Golden Child, and OnlyOneOf convey the visual and auditory experiences from the places they visit.

LG Uplus aired a program starring IZ*ONE called “Eat-ing Trip” Season 2 last year on “Idol Live” app. Season 1, which took place in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, hit the mark of seven million viewership.


imi@donga.com