Monday September 10, 2012
Many visitors, thanks to Gangnam Style
By SHAUN HO
shaunh@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: The Gangnam Style YouTube craze has put the affluent Seoul suburb of Gangnam into the spotlight among Malaysian travellers visiting South Korea.
Soh Ning Xin, 20, visited the MATTA Fair yesterday with her sister and mother to look for Korean tour packages.
Ning Xin said she and her sister Peii Xin, 16, had read up about Gangnam even before the catchy tune went viral on the Internet.
“It is where rich people stay. We would like to see our favourite artistes and idols when we visit Gangnam,” she said.
Friendly ushers: (From left) Ki Nam-hyeon, Kang Eun-hye and Jun Jie-un welcoming potential Malaysian tourists to the South Korean pavillion during the MATTA Fair at the Putra World Trade Centre. Rosmazwin Othman, director of a design consultancy, was also on the lookout for South Korean tour packages.
“I found out about Gangnam from the song, but my daughters did their research on it much earlier,” said the 47-year-old mother of four, adding she caught the K-pop bug from her daughters and from watching the Korean channel on television.
Rosmazwin said she would love to meet Psy, the rapper behind Gangnam Style, and also watch a K-pop competition.
South Korean travel agent Park Yeong-kee, 43, likened Gangnam to Mont Kiara, “where the rich people stay.”
“People have been asking about the song rather than the city. They did not know Gangnam is the name of a place,” said Park, who lives in Gangbuk, north of Gangnam.
He said Gangnam was the leader of Korean cultural and fashion trends, and while there were a few tourist destinations, Gangnam remained a commercial district for youngsters to go clubbing and get the latest in fashion.
Managing director of SA Tours Brandon Chai said many customers touring Seoul have asked if they can drop by Gangnam.
The MATTA Fair, held at the Putra World Trade Centre, ended yesterday.
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