Every time I ask for questions from international fans for my interviews, I always get almost the same set of questions. One very common question is "When are you coming to (country)" or "Where do want to perform aside from Korea?" Well, to be honest, these questions are also questions for your idols.
As far as I know all of them want to perform in US. There is this image in Korean entertainment industry that being able to perform in US soil means prestige and awesomeness. They'd kill for a chance to be able to perform in US. Just imagine how much admiration PSY is getting from these groups.
Needless to say, world tour is probably another of their big dreams. I remember watching a Korean show and a so-called K-Pop expert was asked to give his opinion about K-Pop trend. He said before, Korean singers were just satisfied of being able to secure performances which will be aired on national TV then after that the trend became not just performances on national TV but they should be able to perform in huge gatherings/ festivals like the ones being held at the end of the year. But now K-Pop idol groups are not just holding solo concerts they are all going outside of Korea. Groups going to Japan and recently Singapore are very common. What I'm trying to say here is that they all wanna go abroad and perform not just because it's a trend but it's also a symbol of fame/ popularity, it gives a good image plus all the other perks. And many of them want to really meet their fans abroad.
How can I make them come to my country?
There are many ways to do this but it won't be easy. Of course it is harder to invite the "most" popular groups and relatively easier if the groups are still new for obvious reasons. Sometimes, the inviting country also matters depending on many aspects.
Love Call
Well this does not mean you ask for their number and give them a call. It's another word for "invitation" per se. There should be someone from your country, whether an event organizer, a Korean cultural center or even a rich fan who could sponsor their trip to your country. It is no wonder why many if not all of your idols visit Japan. They get a lot of sponsorships from Japanese event organizers or probably even rich fans. There are many small events organized in Japan and K-Pop groups are invited to these.
A Love Call could also be like a petition through social media or any means. Meaning you make noise so that they could hear you. If you do this then organizers might see it as profitable and work on inviting your idols to visit your country. Or it might get the attention of Korean music shows and might see your country as a good venue for a concert. Many of these music shows managed by big broadcast companies in Korea like to have special concerts in other countries like Mnet (MAMA and M Live) or KBS Music Bank world tour.
Give them a stage
Give them a stage to perform. Their visit to your country must have a legit reason. Meaning "reasonable" events. Most groups managed by big companies only perform abroad if they think the event is good for the group's image. So it would be easier to invite them if the event is K-Pop related and it's "relatively" big. Some groups would only go if "compensation" is good while some will go as long as you give them a stage to perform especially with big audience.
Request to local organizers
Do not just ask your idols to come to your country make them come. Survey the local organizers in your country who could possibly organize events for your idols to come. Then you can file requests together with other fans. As I mentioned above, if they see it profitable, I'm sure they will be willing to invite these K-Pop groups. One example is ZE:A visiting Philippines which was sponsored by the distributing local label of the country.
You can also ask the local Korean cultural centers. Some have the power and budget to invite K-Pop groups especially if there are big events. Recent cases are the worldwide K-Pop cover dance search. Boy groups like Boyfriend went to the Philippines while NU'EST went to Australia to judge the competitions.
What's the best deal?
The best package deal would be someone who could sponsor their flight, hotel, stage and of course talent fee. If you can also give them some exposure in your country's local TV networks it would be just great. If there is someone or an organization who could do this then 100% your idols will visit your country. Some groups are cool with just an invitation while some would negotiate for more than that.
Pics: Teen Top's L.Joe, EXID, 2X, C-Clown, Tasty
