In July this year, when every dancer on Instagram was obsessing over Tauba Tauba, one fan showed his love from far, far away. In Seoul, South Korea, K-pop singer and content creator Aoora, put his own spin on the moves. He added steps from Bollywood songs Insha Allah (2007), Sheher Ki Ladki (1996), and Yaara O Yaara Milna Humara (1996). Fans loved it. “You’re a certified Indian now,” one of them commented. “Just give him an Aadhar card already,” said another.

Seoul-born Aoora has covered Yeh Shaam Mastaani and Tere Pyaar Mein in other videos. He’s celebrated Ganesh Chathurthi and Holi, and he spent part of last year touring India. Meanwhile, Seoul-based pop artist and designer Mimi regularly dresses up in lehengas, saris and kurtas for Bollywood dance Reels. Fridayyy Hyungsun Ahn, a music producer, does Hindi-Korean song mash-ups – he’s remixed Desi Kalakaar with BTS’s Fake Love, and Kala Chashma with Butter.

Korea’s pop stars and content creators are realising that they not only have a large fan base in India, but that, unlike other cultures, we love a bit of masala in everything. So they’re leaning in, learning about desi traditions, covering popular songs, and imitating Bollywood dance steps. And, in true Korean style, going to surprising lengths to win desi fans over.

The power of a Psy

Korean pop fandom is the juggernaut that’s been building steadily in India over the last decade. Who knew, when we were dancing to Psy’s Gangnam Style in 2012, that it was a gateway to the fun, lighthearted world of K-pop? Indian kids now take BTS-themed lunchboxes to school, teens follow Blackpink’s style on campus, and fans get together for EXO sing-along sessions.

But Koreans wooing Indian K-pop fans didn’t happen until a few years ago. Aoora, whose real name is Park Min-jun, discovered India through Bollywood music in 2022. When he first visited in February last year, he says he was surprised that people knew him and welcomed him. “I can still remember the joy on the faces of my fans at my first concert in Mumbai.” Since then, he’s appeared on Bigg Boss 17, held dance workshops here, and has been an ambassador with the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department. He recently released a cover of the Malayalam boat song, Thi Thi Thara, learning enough Malayalam to sound legit, and shooting the video in Kerala.

“I first heard Daler Mehndi’s songs when I was in high school,” recalls Mimi. “They were so lively and enjoyable that I’d tell my friends that if I ever meet him, I’ll tell him I am his biggest fan.” Her dream came true last year, when she bumped into him at Delhi airport.

Fridayyy, on the other hand, says he loved learning about the country in school. “Ever since I learned that it is the country with the oldest and most developed civilisation, and the birthplace of Buddhism and Hinduism, I felt drawn to it.” The sheer vastness of the country baffled him initially. But he soon discovered that meeting fans in different states was fun. “I performed in Jammu in 2023,” he recalls. He met a Korean national who’d been living there for 10 years and found out that Jammu had a community of Korean music lovers of its own.

Loyalty cards

Globally, fans of K-pop tend to be more invested and connected than those of Western bands. Loyalties are fierce, but more flexible and forgiving. The artists, in turn seem to be genuinely interested in the people who love them.

So, when Indian fans ask Mimi to perform their favourite Bollywood songs as dance Reels, she obliges. “I danced to Acho Acho Achacho on a street in Korea in a sari,” she says. “Even though many people were watching me, I wanted to showcase the beauty of Indian clothes and my love for Indian music.” Korean fans are curious about why she loves India so much. “They say Indian attire suits me very well. They even joke that I seem Indian.”

Aoora has taken it up a notch. On Janmashtami this year, he dressed up as Krishna, down to the full-body makeup, and climbed up the tower of Govindas – despite his fear – to break the pot of butter in Mumbai. He makes public appearances and videos in sherwanis even when he’s in Korea. “Compared to Korean fans, Indians don’t judge artists as much, so we enjoy more freedom,” he says. “But we try our best to fulfil their wishes.”

Indian fans are also much more relaxed than Koreans, who “want to know literally everything about their idols,” says Fridayyy. He usually gets requests for mash-ups of specific songs, such as Blackpink or BTS’s songs with Bollywood hits.

Taking a stan

Aoora recently collaborated with an Assamese artist, Nilotpal Bora, for an Indo-Korean song during Bihu. His favourite cross-border collab was when he did a cover of Bappi Lahiri’s 1982 disco hit Jimmy Jimmy, in May last year, with a Korean verse and a K-pop-style video. The artists say they’ve visited India so often, for tours, workshops and other events, that it is no longer a foreign land. “India is home nowadays and Korea is a vacation destination,” says Aoora. Playing up India has also had an unexpected reaction among K-pop fans in Korea. “I always talk about India,” says Fridayyy. “So, they’ve started to say that they want to visit India too.”

Indian fans are upping their game, says Mimi. They want to know how to become K-pop stars. It’s why they host camps, dance workshops, and makeup sessions here. “There are now several foreign members in K-pop groups,” she says. “It’s inspired many K-pop fans to dream of one day becoming the stars they idolised.”

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