By Priscilla Osaje

Ms Yunjin Lee, the Programme Officer, Korean Cultural Centre in Nigeria (KCCN), says the K-pop Academy will promote music exchange between South Korea and Nigeria.

Lee stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

NAN reports that ‘K-pop’ is a short form for Korean Pop which refers to popular music originating from South Korea with a genre characterised by a blend of various music styles.

This includes pop, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic dance music.

The programme officer said that Nigeria was one of the powerhouses of Afrobeat and dance, as well as South Korea being the home of K-pop.

According to her, K-pop has gained popularity in Nigeria alongside the popularity of K-dramas and movies, making it necessary for the centre to find a nexus between the two.

“The centre provides professional vocal teachers and dancers to teach vocal classes and dance for a period of three weeks to one month.

“In this time, the students are grounded in the art of singing, dancing and breaking down the processes of thematic of Korean music/singing skills as well as choreography,” she said.

Lee further said that since 2024 till date, over 200 Nigerians (students) had gone through the K-pop Academy.

According to her, some of the students scaled into participating in the World K-pop Competitions.

She added that one of such persons was Luka Damina, who happens to be the leader of ‘The Xtreme Movement Crew’ that recently won the K-pop competition held in June.

NAN reports that ‘The Xtreme Movement Crew’, which comprised of three talented dancers, defeated six other contestants to cart home a cash prize of N800,000.

NAN reports that the winners had a chance to compete in the international final at the 2025 K-pop festival held in Abuja.

The dancing group also won the popularity prize after the audience votes and they were given the sum of N200,000.

The ecstatic and energetic dancers excited the audience with their God-given talent and unique dance styles that made them earn accolades from the judges and the audience. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Ekemini Ladejobi