In the dynamic world of hallyu, where K-Pop, K-Drama and all the allure of Korean culture intertwine, my journey has been nothing short of exciting. As a marketer and content creator, my passion for hallyu led me to co-found the award-winning event and content platform, 'Hallyu Con’ in 2019. 'Hallyu Con' as event, has been actively participating in the KOFICE 'Hallyu Com-on' initiative since 2019, and has been consistently held every year. The latest edition, the 2023 Hallyu Con, took place between mid-September and October.

These contributions to the hallyu space in the UK have thankfully contributed to the 'Distinguished Korean Wave Representative' recognition I received from the Korean Cultural Centre UK in 2021.

Part 1. A journey from anime soundtracks to Seoul streets 

Before diving into my life since 'Hallyu Con' and the Hallyu Com-on initiatives, lets rewind to a time when hallyu was not yet the sensation it is today around the globe, especially in Europe… 

In Portugal, I found myself drawn to the magic of Korean entertainment and culture in the early 2000s thanks to anime - with my very first contact coming from BoA’s NO 1 being used as soundtrack to a fanmade video. 

After moving to London for studies, opportunities to engage with 

Korean culture increased considerably… I dedicated my efforts to supporting fan-led initiatives to promote artists I liked, such as organising cup sleeve events, learning Korean to translate videos and dramas, narrowing the linguistic gap for European fans of my favourite idols (especially from smaller companies that couldn’t afford to do so!) and more. This journey helped me get involved in other unique opportunities later on too - like the European K-Community Festival (KCF) in 2019, where I got the chance to learn and perform the traditional Korean folk music, Minyo (skills that I have been able to put to good use by performing at Kimjang events or even at the Hallyu Experience Sessions I organised for Hallyu Con in the last 2 years), and even share a stage with Dreamcatcher and Up10tion in Brussels! 

Fast forward to 2018, I joined KCCUK’s 15th K-Pop Academy (KPA) - a programme aimed at introducing Korean culture to UK nationals and residents! From learning Talchum to attending K-Pop festivals, Kimjang and other events, I was able to get involved in a variety of incredible initiatives (which included creating a group focused on promoting K-Culture, the My Wave Collective) and meet the most amazing people. 

Part 2. The K-Hearts Chronicles: Flying high with Minyo

In the following year, 2019, a once in a lifetime opportunity appeared!

Joined by six other friends I met during KPA, I created a team (Kingdom of Hearts or K-Hearts for short) and applied for KOFICE’s run programme, the KCF 2019, to represent the UK by learning a form of Korean traditional art. After our team was chosen to represent the UK in a K-Drama-like fashion, we were sent to Seoul and taught Namdo Minyo by the capable and supportive hands of pansori singer Soo-hyun Moon.

Learning a new art from scratch and performing for about 10,000 people were definitely two of the biggest challenges I have ever faced, but also the most mind-blowing ones! Certainly, a story for the grandkids…

The time spent as a K-Hearts member, practising what we learned in Seoul for the big finale as much as possible in the time we had, were so full of great memories that I can’t even recall an unhappy moment from that time… From the warm reception we received while visiting Seoul, to the support throughout, feelings of joy, happiness, pride and gratitude are the emotions that linger whenever I think about the whole experience.

Later on, as I wanted to make use of all the inspiration I got while in the programme, I joined forces with friends from KPA and My Wave Collective to establish 'Hallyu Con', a platform for those interested in and to promote hallyu.

Part 3. Hallyu Con unleashed: Breaking down barriers with hallyu

Since its formation in 2019, 'Hallyu Con' has reached over 7.5 million fans and organised various events with the support of KCCUK, KOFICE, Hallyu Com-on and KTO; and even garnered attention from news outlets such as Yonhap News, Korea JoongAng Daily, BBC Sounds and more.

Being Hallyu Con co-founder came with many learnings, trials and errors that have been continuously contributing to my personal and professional development. It has enabled me to unleash my creativity through content creation, event planning and so much more… For example, while preparing content for the first two editions (which took place while we were lockdown due to the pandemic), I learned more about Korean traditional and contemporary fashion and worked with Korean brands who entrusted us to showcase their products to the UK audience. 

Despite the challenges while planning recordings around London or coordinating models for outfits whilst navigating through lockdown restrictions, the high quality of the outputs and overall success of those events made me feel like they weren’t confined by physical boundaries but went beyond, bringing hallyu enthusiasts from everywhere together ? which made all the suffering worth it! And working with Korean brands I love like Tibaeg and BLA XIII were the best bonus!

The end of the lockdown in 2022 meant we could now have the event in physical form - so organising them felt like the culmination of all previous efforts and acquired knowledge/experiences. Obvious

-ly, we also had new challenges along the way… 

From applying quick solutions when brands invited to cover K-Beauty demonstration or our photo zone withdrawn last minute; to re-arranging the structure of our ‘Working in Hallyu’ panel due to guest speaker’s cancellations, I was able to overcome these hurdles thanks to the strong support of a trusted group of friends and friendships from a reliable network of small business or hallyu-related organisations I have made along the way (like KCCUK, KTO or even Samsung KX). 

Overall, it was heartwarming to feel how everyone trusted me and I felt really proud of being the main point of contact during the events; and also the main reason we were able to invite GSoul (an artist I love!) to perform.

Part 4. New dreams and aspirations unlocked…

There have been many other memorable episodes whenever I meet familiar faces at events or see the positive stories on feedback forms or social media posts, I can’t help but think that these experiences have now transcend the events themselves; they are now the building blocks of a community united by the love for Korean culture.

In conclusion, my hallyu journey has been one of many emotions, experiences and growth ? each step a testament to the power of passion and the boundless reach of hallyu, so I’ll always be grateful to everyone that has made every moment memorable.

I now hope to continue expanding my work to other areas of hallyu-related events (with more musical diversity, webtoons or plastic arts) and paving the way for a future where hallyu shines even brighter in Europe, hopefully, with Hallyu Com-on supporting us along the way. For now, however, establishing an annual ‘Hallyu Forum’ that celebrates and recognises the work of professionals in the industry based in Europe is the next exciting activity on my to-do list!