Updated August 8, 2026 at 9:34 AM EDT
SANTIAGO, Chile — Throughout this long, cold winter, an air of feverish anticipation has simmered in Chile's capital. This October, global K-pop sensation BTS will arrive in Santiago as part of their comeback world tour, marking the latest chapter in Latin America's growing embrace of Korean culture.
The group has already played sold-out dates in Mexico, while additional sell-out shows are scheduled in Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil. Demand in Mexico was so high that President Claudia Sheinbaum contacted South Korean officials to explore the possibility of adding more dates.
From food and television to skincare and clothing, the Korean wave has found a passionate new audience across Latin America — and in Chile, it is being reimagined by a generation of young fans.
The phenomenon, known as Hallyu, or the "Korean wave," began spreading globally in the 1990s, moving Korean music, dramas, cuisine and beauty trends from niche interests into mainstream culture across the region.
But in Chile, young people are doing more than consuming the Korean wave — they are reshaping it. By adopting the core elements of K-pop, from energetic choreography and high-value video production to a youthful, colorful aesthetic, they are transforming it into something uniquely their own.
And now, a wave of homegrown, K-pop-inspired pop stars is building.
Q_ARE, a six-piece boy band, is producing energetic, fast-paced music that fuses lyrics in English, Spanish and Chilean slang with a K-pop aesthetic. Their videos combine retro video games, bright, flashing scene changes and colorful makeup — and they are amassing a considerable following.
Ahead of the launch of their single "FÚ" in May, they convened at a dance studio in Santiago to work on choreography for the song — stepping and spinning in loose clothing and high-top sneakers as they were put through their paces.
Outside, where salsa competed with reggaetón blaring from the different studios, the band explained where their inspiration came from.
"I entered the artistic world thanks to K-pop," said Seba, 22, one of the group's vocalists.
"But despite all the inspiration and influence we have from Korea, we're clearly not K-pop because we're Latinos. We've transformed it into something of our own."
The six boys — Seba, Jamin, Jota, Bin, Aiden and Fabi — answered an online casting call two years ago and, after a six-month audition process and rigorous training, the lineup was finalized. They debuted with their 2024 single "Try Again."
The group does everything itself, from songwriting to choreography, aesthetics to video design, and has its own fan group — the "Qniverse" — with members from around the globe. Q_ARE even went on tour to Brazil last year and has played at venues throughout Chile.
"We have fans from Singapore, a fan from Japan who always comments on everything we upload, many fans here in Chile, as well as in Peru, Mexico, the United States and Costa Rica," explains Bin, who raps and dances in Q_ARE.
"It's a bit crazy, really."
Occasionally, Chilean fans will take it upon themselves to explain the meaning of Chilean slang in their lyrics for other Latin Americans.
The "Korean wave" has now well and truly engulfed Chile.
There are now more than 50 Korean restaurants in Patronato, a small neighborhood that hosted the first wave of Korean migrants to Santiago throughout the 20th century. Many have Chilean owners who are capitalizing on the surge in interest in Korean culture, and others play music videos with their quick changes and colorful shifts on loop.
Like many Chileans, Valeria Vivar's connection to Korea began with a childhood fascination with anime and other Asian cultures. Today, she coordinates the Rey Sejong Institute in Santiago, a Korean government-backed cultural institution with centers around the world.
"We have different types of students," she says from a glass-walled foyer at Santiago's annual Korean cultural week. Around her, visitors sample Korean food, browse cosmetics, test their knowledge in quizzes and take part in K-pop dance contests.
The Rey Sejong Institute has about 200 students studying Korean — four times more than when it started classes in 2019. The center also runs a master's program in Korean Studies at Universidad Central.
"There are students who want to learn Korean because they like K-pop, so they want to understand the songs of their favorite artists. Others like watching K-dramas or movies in their original language. But we've also seen an increase in students who are interested in literature and Korean society."
With interest in Korean culture building more widely in Chile, Q_ARE is excited about where pop music is going.
"I personally feel that Asian culture in the arts is far ahead of Chile, but that also benefits us," says Fabi.
"We have the chance to create something new — hopefully, in the future, we'll see many more Chilean boy bands, and that's already happening. Many boy bands and girl bands are appearing, and we're super happy because we feel that we have been an example of taking that risk — others are deciding to take that opportunity."
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