K-Pop recording/DMZ experience Foreigners are crowded... Tourism ventures must stand out to live
KING STUDIO in Seoul offers international K-Pop fans a professional recording experience in a studio used by top artists. Certified by Korea Tourism Organization and Seoul Metropolitan Government, record one song with expert vocal directors, producers, and engineers for an authentic K-Pop journey.
When you visit KING STUDIO's homepage, you'll be greeted with this message in English. Located near Apgujeong Station in Seoul, the studio is run by MUSICKING, a music company that specializes in music, and is where many of Korea's top singers record. But these days, it's more frequented by foreign tourists. This is because foreigners who have fallen in love with K-pop come here to realize their dream of recording their favorite songs like a professional singer. Visitors range from casual tourists to business travelers on a business trip to aspiring Hallyu-style singers. “We have a maximum capacity of six clients per day, but even on weekdays, more than four are booked,” said an official from KING STUDIO.
In the recording studio, participants sing one song at a time under the direction of a producer, just like a real singer, to bring out the best sound they can produce. Afterward, the recording is post-processed to create a convincing song. Prices range from the one-hour Gold product to the Noblesse product worth 2.99 million won, which includes recording, dressing up like a Hallyu star from head to toe, and making a music video.
With the lifting of the Han Han decree, which was imposed in retaliation for the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, the number of visitors is slowly returning. While this is good news, there are some who say that the resurgence of dumpy travel deals is eating away at the health of the Korean tourism industry. Dumping travel products are travel products that are sold at prices that do not even cover the cost of travel, and then make up the difference with various incentives. It is pointed out as a typical factor that worsens the health of the Korean tourism industry.
Despite this, tourism ventures with unique content are doing well and attracting attention. Those that have found and commercialized experiences that are only available in Korea have a strong competitive advantage. KING STUDIO launched its service in October 2016, just before the THAAD cold wave hit early last year. However, business was not affected at all. That's because its main customer base is not Chinese group tourists, but avid Hallyu fans from Taiwan and Japan. Already, 60% of the company's revenue comes from recording services for foreign tourists. “Last year, our most expensive product was 99 million won, but the response was so good that we launched a 2.99 million won program this year,” said Roh Kwang-Kyun, CEO of MUSICKING. ”We recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a Japanese tourism company, and we plan to attract Japanese tourists in earnest.”
By Jeon Young Sun
