Number of global ‘hallyu’ fans soars close to 90 million

SEOUL — The number of dedicated global fans of “hallyu,” or the Korean Wave, is estimated to have surged to about 90 million at the end of last year, a government-affiliated foundation said.

The Korea Foundation said in a report that there were 1,843 hallyu fan clubs in 113 countries worldwide, excluding South Korea, as of December 2018.

The global hallyu fan clubs had a total of 89.19 million members, marking a surge of 22 percent, or 16.07 million, from 73.12 million in 2017, said the foundation, which is affiliated with the Foreign Ministry.

The foundation said it regarded organizations of global enthusiasts of Korean singers, actors, culture and food, taekwondo clubs and Korean culture societies at universities as hallyu fan clubs.