Over 2,000 people attended the 2019 Korean Festival in New Malden, leaving a lasting impression on the community. Reflecting on the bustling atmosphere of New Malden High Street during the festival, one wonders: could New Malden, known as a Korean town, establish a firmer presence in the UK by making this festival an annual tradition?
Kiyoung Kim, CEO of Tree Stone Butchers, envisioned the Tree Stone K-pop Cultural Festival as a means to elevate New Malden High Street into Europe’s premier Korean hub. “Despite the surging popularity of the Korean Wave, many events are taking place around Central London, but, unfortunately, events in New Malden have been sparse,” remarked Kim. Collaborating with Wook Kim, CEO of W Korea, we launched this inaugural festival with ambitions to enhance its appeal and significance.
As K-pop’s influence continues to grow in the UK and Europe, the visit of King Charles III to New Malden in November 2023 marked a milestone, celebrating 140 years of diplomatic ties between Korea and the UK. This event introduced K-pop, Korean cuisine, and culture to a global audience. Inspired by this momentum, we chose to host the 2024 K-Pop Festival at the same venue.The 1st New Malden K-POP Festival 2024, hosted by Tree Stone Butchers and organised by W Korea, took place at New Malden Methodist Church on April 5th and 6th, attracting an audience of 600 and achieving great success.
This event aimed to invigorate New Malden, the UK’s largest Korean town, with K-pop, K-food, and K-merchandise. The participation of approximately 600 local Korean Wave fans in the UK exceeded expectations, with collaboration between Korean influencer Kim Min-Seo, K-Pop random play dance community BKT and K-POP YouTube channel TheHallyuverse with 1 million subscribers, and 10 K-POP local businesses.
Attendees enjoyed a 2-hour showcase of K-pop solo, group performances, vocal stages, and 2-hours of K-POP Random Play Dance, that ignited the crowd. British singer-songwriter Nush, who took part in the K-pop community events held in New Malden and Kingston in 2018 and 2019, reflected on the impact of these gatherings. “I’m thrilled to visit New Malden again after some time, and I’m delighted with how well the K-pop event was executed. It’s wonderful to see the emergence of a new generation of K-pop enthusiasts,” said Nush, expressing deep appreciation for this development.
When a song attendees knew came on, everyone jumped up and sang and danced together, giving off a lot of excitement as they all became K-pop dancers.
I once again experienced the fervour for K-pop and the affection for Korean culture among British teenagers and young adults. This K-community event held special significance as it drew many local Korean Wave fans to New Malden for the first time. The cultural event, hosted at New Malden High Street by Tree Stone, aimed to support and celebrate our community.
Wook Kim, CEO of W Korea and organiser of this event, expressed optimism for the future. “We envision more Korean Wave events in New Malden starting from 2024, with the aim of developing a larger festival over the next two to five years to rejuvenate our local commercial district,” he remarked enthusiastically. This marks the beginning of a new chapter for the New Malden Festival in 2024, and I hope our community will continue to grow stronger and aspire to create an even grander festival in the future.
After the event, Tree Stone Butchers CEO Kiyoung Kim reflected on the success of the first New Malden K-pop Festival. “I witnessed exceptional performances filled with passion and energy, making me feel that our stage was not adequate for such remarkable talent,” he commented. As a result, Tree Stone Butchers intends to elevate the experience by organising dance and song contests at the 2nd New Malden K-pop Festival in April 2025 with a more professional setup, including renowned artists and judges. This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to enhance the stature of K-pop in the UK and Europe. We look forward to receiving more support and fostering greater cooperation in this endeavour.
Media ContactCompany Name: W Korea Co., Ltd.Contact Person: Media RelationsEmail: Send EmailPhone: +82 10 9043 1241Country: KoreaWebsite: https://www.wkorea.co.uk/
