Now, for many young Londoners, the first thing that comes to mind when they think Korea is
K-pop, and as testament of its popularity, a number of Korean cultural events have been
taking place in the capital and around the UK.
It really shows the growing popularity of not only K-pop, but also hallyu, or Korean
wave in general.
Our correspondent, Kwon Jang-ho, went to check some of these events out.
"London is widely considered one of the busiest and most cosmopolitan cultural hubs in the
world.
But in recent years, one culture in particular has not only made an impression, it's made
waves."
Korean culture -- including food, music and art -- has taken hold in London and there
are now traces of it all throughout the city.
Demand for it is such that British audiences are now seeking a deeper understanding of
their experiences.
"I'm here at the Korean Cultural Center, located in the heart of London.
Inside, a special course is about to take place called the K-pop Academy, which aims
to help young people interested in Korean culture learn more about it.
Let's go take a look inside."
The latest session has just started and it's orientation week, where participants introduce
themselves and talk about how they became fans of Korean culture.
Over the next ten Saturdays, these 30 participants will take part in classes and activities that
aim to give them first-hand experience with different aspects of Korean culture.
"Once they complete the course, these K-pop fans can be able to develop a deeper understanding
of Korea and Korean culture, and from this we hope that their affinity with Korea will
last a lifetime."
"It was listening to K-pop and then reading lyrics and the language that I realized just
how different it was from English.
So I really thought that it should be something I should look into and research a lot more."
People in London aren't the only ones seeking a deeper understanding of Korean culture.
"I'm now in Oxford -- home, of course, to one of the most famous and oldest universities
in the world.
And today they're hosting a special international forum on the very new topic, Hallyu studies."
Supported by Korea's culture and foreign ministries, the fourth annual World Congress on Hallyu
is an academic gathering that seeks to delve into the Korean Wave phenomenon... and study
its impact on the world.
Experts from around the world and members of the public were invited to participate
and discuss K-pop, food, literature and other elements of Korean culture.
"Korean cultural products have already spread to every country in the world.
So it's very important for us to understand what is actually behind that."
Back in London, British audiences are discovering Korean music that goes beyond K-pop.
A concert series featuring a variety of music ranging from jazz to traditional... is taking
place throughout September and October under the umbrella of the K-Music Festival.
But on Tuesday it was the turn of Idiotape, a Seoul-based band that has been creating
a buzz in the underground dance music scene since 2008.
The London audience was won over by the performance and the house was definitely rocking.
"It was so much fun.
I'm so happy that a band like this from Korea was able to come to the UK.
I'm really glad that I brought my English friends along."
"I thought Idiotape were fantastic.
I thought they took some classic British dance music and did it really, really well."
"I had a really brilliant time actually.
We were talking about it tonight, about trying to get some sort of understanding of where
Korean popular music has got to.
And it was really interesting to find out what is going on."
A rich mix of Korean cultural influences is fast developing in London and the UK, giving
British audiences a better picture of all that Korea has to offer.
Kwon Jang-ho, Arirang News, London.