
Poster for Korea’s first music forum “MU:CON SEOUL 2012,” which is to kick off Thursday, running through Saturday.
By Rachel Lee
The world’s leading music experts are coming to Korea for the country’s first global music forum amid the rising popularity of K-pop.
According to host the Korea Creative Content Agency Wednesday, the event titled “MU:CON SEOUL 2012,” to start Thursday, aims to introduce and promote K-pop to the world under the theme of “How Asian Music Collaborates with the World.”
“Through this global music event, we hope to establish a foothold in the globalization of K-pop so that Korea positions itself as an influential market for the world’s music industry,” the agency’s CEO Hong Sang-pyo said.
The three-day event comprises of three parts ― a conference, showcase and business matching program. About 100 local and international production companies will exchange the latest information and trends in the music industry.
Participants include William Derella, manager of the Black Eyed Peas; Harvey Mason Jr, CEO of Harvey Mason Media who has won six Grammy Awards; Bruno Crolot, CEO of the world’s biggest music fair MIDEM; Malcolm Haynes, program coordinator of the United Kingdom’s Glastonbury Festival and many more.
Mason will deliver a keynote speech Thursday on “How Asian Music Makes a Breakthrough to the World” with Darella speaking on “How Asian Music Collaborates with the World” Friday. These will be followed by lectures, academic sessions under such themes as “What You Need to Know about K-pop” and “Asian Music’s Hot Issues.”
Such local and international artists as Jewelry, Goonamguayeoridingstella and Yiruma will perform at the showcase event, to be held Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. at venues near Hongik University. For more information, visit
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