"The culture of fans exchanging K-beauty products as gifts was really impressive."
At the Los Angeles venue hosting KCON LA on the 15th, Amelia, 16, who came to see the idol groups ILLIT and P1Harmony, said she had an unusual experience. "I hadn't brought anything, but people came up to me first and handed me gifts, and it felt so friendly," she said, adding that the culture of mingling while sharing gifts and snacks was fun.
The way K-culture is consumed in global markets is changing. In the past, consumption stopped at simply buying a product. Now demand is growing for experiencing the behaviors that surround it. It is expanding from listening to music to taking part in fandom activities, from buying cosmetics to following Korean skincare routines, and from eating food to cooking it and sharing it on social media.
In a survey of 4,500 travelers to Korea conducted by Airbnb this year, 91% of respondents said experiencing local culture was important. Foreign travelers who visited Korea for K-pop concerts also sought out the country's food, history and nature. They spent an average of $435 more per person than ordinary tourists.
Korean products have drawn the attention of global consumers on price and technological competitiveness. From here on, the question is what companies want consumers to do with those products. Beyond simply making a tasty instant noodle, the product experience must be designed all the way to which items it is combined with and how the cooking process is filmed and shared on social media. At that point, the consumer is no longer just a buyer but a participant who reproduces experiential content.
K-culture has succeeded in making overseas consumers love "things Korean." The next task is to create an "experience recipe." If companies can design not just the sale of a product but the behaviors, relationships and content built around it, consumption of K-culture could last far longer.
