Egyptian former member influencer Zana Walid on the 30th
He spoke about the popularity of the Korean Wave in Arab countries at the 2024 Content Universe Korea held at the Kintex Exhibition Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.
Zana Walid gave a speech at the "Influencer Content Hub 2024" event held through ConnectHub, titled "Middle Eastern countries are still hungry for K-content."
Zana Walid said, "Korean products are very popular in Egypt. Samsung and LG rank first and second in electronics and home appliances, and there are Hyundai and Kia cars on the roads.
"It was only after I studied abroad in Korea that I found out that Samsung and LG are Korean brands. That shows how Korean products are recognized as national brands in Egypt."
According to Zana Walid, Egypt has a population of about 100 million, and the Middle East as a whole has a total population of 450 million, of which 22 are Arabic-speaking countries.
"If you speak Arabic, you can work in 22 countries," said Waleed, emphasizing the enormous size of the Middle Eastern market.
It is clear that the popularity of Netflix has significantly increased the number of people watching Korean TV series.
Zana Walid said that the secret to the popularity of Korean TV series is that "Korean TV series has a lot of romance stories that are not available in Arab countries," and "The male protagonist is often cast in a female lead role.
Their sweet and caring attitude, the beautiful streets of Korea, and the family-centered Korean culture are creating a great response from viewers in the Middle East."
Netflix's original TV series "Squid Game" has become a huge hit and has been a hit in Arab bars.
Zana Walid said, "'Squid Game' is ranked number one in the world on Netflix, and we are working on a storyboard that interprets the 'Squid Game' in an Arab cultural style.
"There was an explosive response from Arabs on social media," he said, explaining why K-POP is so popular. "Most of the lyrics of pop songs in Arab countries are
"The theme of K-POP is love," he said. "On the other hand, K-POP is very diverse, with not only love and friendship but also positive messages about life. This diversity is what attracts fans in the Middle East."
"There are many people who translate the Korean lyrics into Arabic and listen to them," Zana Walid said. She also spoke about Jung Kook of BTS, who sang the theme song for the Qatar World Cup.
He added, "The popularity of Jung Kook from BTS has increased significantly since the World Cup." According to the data released by Zana Walid,
The percentages were 72.5% for those in their teens, 20.5% for those in their twenties, 33% for those in their thirties, 2.5% for those in their forties, and 0.6% for those in their fifties. By gender, 95.4% were women.
Zana Walid said, "The percentage of teenagers and people in their twenties in the Arab world who support K-content is particularly high," and added, "I hope the popularity of K-content will continue to grow."
"If that's the case, then in a few decades, today's teenagers and people in their twenties will become adults, and their children will be consuming K-content," he said. He also warned that Arab countries may be more likely to "bring down" K-content in the future.
What is the most popular K-product in Egypt right now? K-beauty products. Zana Walid said, "I want Egyptians to know, 'Made in Korea.'
"When I introduce them as 'Korean cosmetics,' they have my full trust. Among them, Korean cosmetics are particularly popular," he said, drawing attention by saying, "If you go to a pharmacy in Egypt, you'll find a lot of Korean cosmetics lined up."
2024/08/31 07:03 KST
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