Study Buddy (Explorer): Star in your own BTS or Aespa music video at Seoul’s K-Pop Ground studios
- In Jongno district, cultural complex houses studios equipped with latest MV production tech and sets inspired by videos from popular Korean groups
- Each week, this page presents an interesting story that we have adjusted to be more accessible for all English learners
The laundromat studio resembles the scene from BTS’s “Permission to dance” music video. Photo: Erika NaContent provided by British Council
Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below:
[1] Want to appear in a K-pop music video grooving to your favourite track? Now you can, if you happen to be in Seoul, Korea. In the Jongno district, K-Pop Ground is located inside a cultural complex called HiKR, or “Hi from Korea”. Its studios are equipped with the latest music video production tech and props. K-Pop Ground even has sets that were featured in videos by popular groups such as BTS and Aespa.
[2] Each of the five studios has a different look: the inside of a metro carriage, a laundromat, a spaceship, a stage and a colour room. The rooms are decorated with flashy, colourful lighting and strong futuristic touches. These backdrops are perfect for K-pop music videos.
[3] The studios are inspired by the music videos of some big K-pop stars. For example, the laundromat resembles a scene from BTS’s “Permission to Dance” music video. The train carriage studio looks just like the set where Aespa danced in the video for “Black Mamba”, and the spaceship setting is like the girl group’s “Next Level” video.
[4] Visitors can control the lighting and choose the music they want to play for their shoot. They can even customise the videos that play in the background. All this fun doesn’t cost anything. Just bring a USB drive, and you can save the recordings to share with friends.
[5] Run by the Korea Tourism Organisation, HiKR is located near many other tourist attractions in the Jongno district. It can be reached by a short walk from popular tourist spots such as Ssamji-gil, a street where you can buy traditional souvenirs and eat at decades-old restaurants. HiKR is also near Cheonggyecheon, a restored stream that flows right through the middle of Seoul.
[6] According to the Korea Tourism Organisation, K-Pop Ground is the only XR (extended reality) studio in the country that allows people to make K-pop content. Extended reality merges elements of the real world with virtual reality (VR).
[7] Between their shoots, visitors can immerse themselves in a distinct “universe” on the second floor, where actors roam the space playing characters from an imaginary K-pop entertainment company. There, you can interact with a quirky CEO and idol group trainees. There is much more to explore inside the HiKR complex – although the other floors are less crowded than the K-Pop Ground.
[8] The exhibition hall on the third floor regularly changes its content. Right now, the space is showcasing contemporary Korean art. It also has information about destinations that can be found in Korean content on Netflix, such as the zombie period drama Kingdom.
[9] The fourth floor has booths where you can use VR to experience different regional festivals in Korea. There is also a small information centre where visitors can find out about medical tourism in the country. The fifth floor is called the HiKR lounge. It has an information centre and a branch of a popular local doughnut shop, Knotted Donut. This floor also provides a view of the Cheonggyecheon recreation area.
Source: South China Morning Post, May 23
Questions
1. Where in Seoul are the studios located, according to paragraph 1?
2. Find a word in paragraph 2 that means “extremely modern and unusual in appearance, as if belonging to another time period”.
3. Decide whether the following statements about the studios are True, False or the information is Not Given in paragraphs 2 and 3. Fill in ONE circle only for each statement. (4 marks)
(i) One of them looks like the interior of a ship that can stay under water.
(ii) They are designed based on certain scenes in K-pop music videos.
(iii) One of them was inspired by a BTS music video.
(iv) The colour room appeared in a music video from a famous Korean girl band.
4. How much does it cost to create a music video at K-Pop Ground studios, according to paragraph 4?
5. What can be customised in the music videos at K-Pop Ground according to paragraph 4?
A. props and lighting
B. costumes and props
C. lighting and music
D. music and costumes
6. Name two things visitors can do at Ssamji-gil based on paragraph 5. (2 marks)
7. According to paragraph 7, visitors can interact with ______ on the second floor.
A. real K-pop idols
B. virtual reality characters
C. music video producers
D. none of the above
8. Where can visitors learn about the different places featured in Korean Netflix shows, according to paragraph 8?
9. According to paragraph 9, which floor can visitors go to if they are looking to get some snacks?
Answers
1. They are located in Jongno district.
2. futuristic
3. (i) F; (ii) T; (iii) T; (iv) NG
4. nothing / It is free.
5. C
6. buy traditional souvenirs, dine at decades-old restaurants
7. D
8. the exhibition hall on the third floor
9. fifth floor