A KOCCA-backed event in Sydney highlights Korea’s expanding cultural footprint in the global pop scene.

Eight young women performed a dynamic routine to Hats To Hats’ hit “Style” in front of Sydney’s Hyde Park fountain on the 6th. The performance, along with their outfits and makeup, echoed the aesthetic of a K-pop girl group.

Australia, on the world’s opposite side, is increasingly seen as a new frontier for K-pop. With Blackpink’s Rosé, Stray Kids’ Bang Chan and Felix, and Lily from NMIXX making waves on the world stage, the distance between Australia and K-pop is narrowing.

From November 2 to 8, KOCCA hosted “K-Content Planet in Australia” at CarriageWorks, drawing around 40,000 attendees eager to experience Korea’s IP across games, characters, broadcasting, webtoons and fashion. The event’s highlight on November 8 showcased performances by ENMIX and ONF, drawing about 1,500 fans who joined in a Korean-language singalong.

At the venue, Charli, 16, said she first encountered K-pop through friends at school and Netflix’s “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” adding that K-pop culture is creative and offers vibrant fan interactivity.

KOCCA’s Australia-based head noted that the festival is part of a broader plan to broaden Korea’s content footprint in markets where Hallyu is still taking root, with future events planned to expand globally.