Why did Peruvian BTS fans launch a tree planting campaign?Mexico ticket is 13 million won...CNN Planning Report [K-EYES]

*This content was translated by AI.

CNN "BTS craze: K-pop sweeps Latin America" ...Mexican scalper 13 million won and Peruvian trees are planted

In the wake of the BTS comeback, CNN published an in-depth article highlighting K-pop's conquest of Latin America. The article, titled "BTS BTS Fever: How K-pop Swept Latin America," went from fan enthusiasm to industrial analysis.

The enthusiasm of fans in Latin America, as reported by CNN, is beyond imagination. In Mexico, tickets for the BTS World Tour were traded for up to $9,000 (about 13 million won). This is nearly half of Mexico's average annual salary (about $20,400) compiled by the OECD based on the Purchasing Power Index (PPP).

Peruvian fans have been campaigning for tree planting for a few years to help BTS get a better view from the plane. In Chile, fans are complaining of anxiety as the final venue for the Santiago performance in October has not yet been announced. The heat in Mexico is particularly different, so Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reportedly sent a letter to the Korean government to increase the number of BTS performances. In Mexico City, there is a shopping center called "Freaky Plaza" that sells Korean and Japanese-related products and food, and it has become a sacred place for K-pop-themed events.

J-Hope also confessed at a solo concert in Mexico City last year that he was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of local fans. "It was really no joke. It made tonight special. Honestly, while performing, I was like, "Wow, this is Mexico." I thought there was a reason why we had to come."

"Singing, dancing, acting, expressive...Perfect package"

CNN also heard why Latin American fans are enthusiastic about BTS. Camilla Pizarro, a 32-year-old public relations expert, said, "She sings so well, she dances so well, she acts and she's so expressive. There are so many talents. They're the perfect package as performers."

"K-pop's rhythm, music, visuals, and performance have all been attracting attention for more than a decade, with a very colorful and dynamic group dance," said choreographer Ro Julio of Santiago, Chile. Recently, as the number of groups has increased, it has become more mainstream," he analyzed.

Social media has grown K-pop fandom in Latin America

CNN also pointed out the historical formation process of K-pop fandom in Latin America. Ahead of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, Peru's public broadcaster began to air K-dramas in cooperation with the Korean embassy. Since then, as K-drama dubbed in Mexico has spread throughout Latin America, interest in Korean pop culture has increased, and it has led to K-pop along with the spread of social media in the 2010s.

Professor Benjamin Min-han of the Department of Entertainment and Media at the University of Georgia analyzed, "Social media played a decisive role in leading Latin American fandom." The Korean music industry also recognized the importance of the Latin American market and began investing in earnest. HYBE acquired the record label 'Exile Music' in 2023 and established a subsidiary dedicated to Latin America in Mexico.

Colombia, Cuba...BTS World Tour Set To Land In 6 Latin American Countries

In Colombia, a competitive dance group movement centered on K-pop music is growing and forming a community, and K-pop fever has spread to the extent that fan-led dance events are held in Cuba, which established official diplomatic relations with Korea only in 2024. The BTS World Tour 'Arirang' is scheduled to land in six Latin American countries this fall, including Bogota, Colombia, Lima, Peru, Santiago, Chile, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mexico, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

According to a report by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2025, K-pop ranks first in Korea's cultural export items, and Spotify ranked Mexico as one of the biggest K-pop markets.

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*This content was translated by AI.