For years South Korean music has gained a loyal following around the world.
Fans in the UAE were treated to a special one-off concert at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. It featured musicians such as Zico, Loco, Paul Kim, Woogie, Peakboy, Sik-K, Jay B, P1Harmony, The Rose and Dvwn, all of whom were performing in the Middle East for the first time.
Thousands of fans of South Korean music from around the region attended Hyperound K-Fest, with some flying in to welcome their favourite artists with banners.
Rapper Loco, 32, expressed his surprise at the number of fans he has in the region. Meanwhile South Korean singer-songwriter Paul Kim, 34, was also surprised by the warm reception he received.
“I saw many fans at Yas Mall and I was surprised many came to me to say 'hi'. It was really surprising because I was wearing my face mask and looked really casual,” Kim told The National.
“It was a new experience for me because I wasn’t expecting anyone to recognise me here but I am grateful and hopefully I get more chances to perform in front of you.”
While some of the artists stayed for a few days to explore the UAE, Kim travelled back to South Korea the same night owing to a prior commitment.
“I promise I will come back just for travelling, maybe with my friends," he said. "Maybe next time I come I would want to try out different activities."
Kim rose to fame with his work on original soundtracks for South Korean dramas such as Hotel Del Luna.
During the K-festival, he performed his hits Every Day, Every Moment and Me After You. He says he doesn't have a personal favourite from his track list. “I like all my songs, they are all my children.”
However, he says if someone wanted to listen to him for the first time, he would recommend So Long because the song itself has special meaning.
“It could be used in terms of saying goodbye. It also represents how much you love someone."
Fellow labelmate Peakboy, real name Kwon Sung-hwan, also took to the stage with his hit Gyopo Hairstyle. He and Kim shared the stage at one point, too, serenading the crowd with their latest collaboration, How to Love.
“When I first started making How to Love, I was thinking of Paul Kim and then it was destiny as I met him for a coffee and I suggested the song to him, he approved right away,” says Kwon.
K-pop boy band P1Harmony also enjoyed the UAE during their first visit, bringing their energy and enthusiasm to the concert. “We promise we will be back,” said member Keeho.
The group started their performance with their hit song Doom Du Doom from their mini album Harmony: Zero In and ended their set with Black Hole.
The six-member band was one of the youngest to make their debut in 2020. They were introduced through a movie called P1H: A New World Begins. Once the pandemic eased, they were finally able to go on tour and said it was "unreal" meeting their fans in the UAE for the first time.
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
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- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
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- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
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Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
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Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
