Himajaa Indukuri By Express News Service HYDERABAD : The hall erupts into applause as a hit number by the South Korean band - BTS starts playing in the background and a group of enthusiastic dancers sync with the fast paced beats. The K-pop Fandom Cover Contest finale saw a promising gathering at Ravindra Bharati even on a weekday. This combined effort of the KFanzz Entertainment group and Honorary Consulate General Republic of Korea in Hyderabad is aimed at bringing together the young fans of Korean Pop entertainment on one platform, and share their love for music and culture from that country. A couple of years ago, Korean pop and drama were not popular in the city, but the craze has now reached students across age groups. "I think it is because of the rise of BTS. I used to be a fan of Korean dramas but it was BTS that got me hooked to Korean Pop. Now I attend all events that happen across the city," says 18-year-old Reen, who is a finalist of the singing event. "This event is organised to promote and encourage the rising interest in Korean entertainment in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is a cultural competition and it is the finale today. The finalists were selected on the basis of the entries they put up on social media. Our chief guest Suresh Chukkapalli, who is the Honorary Consul General of Korea in Hyderabad, will select the winners and award them exciting prizes," says Sameekshya Girri, the assistant secretary at the Honorary Consulate General of Korea in Hyderabad. "The stunning visual direction and unique music composition were what got me hooked to KPOP. But three years ago, there was hardly anyone who was aware about this culture. It was then that my friend and I decided to start our own Korean entertainment organisation and it has been one hell of a ride ever since. It is great to see the exponential growth in the fandom, especially among the youngsters going to school and college," says KFanzz Entertainment founder Gokul Raj. For the Korean fans who have missed out this event, there is much more to come. KFanzz Entertainment is keen on conducting more such cultural events with artistes from Korea. They will soon reveal the details on social media. It looks like it will be a glorious year of Korean entertainment for Hyderabadis.

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