hankyoreh

South Korean pop singers will showcase their talent in a concert next month in Shanghai with support from their government, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Wednesday.

The Nov. 3-4 event, "Feel the K-Pop in Shanghai," will bring together 12 popular singers and groups seeking to make inroads into the growing Chinese market, the ministry said in a press release.

Their concert on Nov. 4 will be held at the Shanghai Grand Stage, called Dawutai in Chinese, which can accommodate 8,000 people, it said. The male vocal trio SG Wannabe, the duo Fly to the Sky and ballad singer Whee Sung are among the stars selected by the ministry to perform.

On the eve of the show, about 300 Korean and Chinese music industry personnel will discuss ways to increase their business deals in a conference at a Shanghai hotel, it said. The events are financed by the Culture Ministry.

"Korean pop music has had a wide fan base in Asia during the past several years, but with few connections with the markets its popularity could not transfer to practical business. We hope this event will help build a cooperative network with Chinese music personnel and produce business achievements," it said.

The ministry held a similar pop music showcase in Tokyo in June.

Seoul, Oct. 18 (Yonhap News)