SM Entertainment, the Korean juggernaut record label/talent agency/pop-group-creator/etc., is opening a Korean pop culture museum in Koreatown. The company, which pretty much single-handedly invented K-Pop back in the '90s, has bought a building at Sixth and Oxford and plans to turn it "into a hallyu landmark in the US and help hallyu grow," according to Mwave. ("Hallyu" aka Korean Wave is the term for South Korea's pop cultural exports, the intricacies of which we couldn't even begin to explain, so just go read the Wikipedia page. And also think of Psy.)
In a statement, SM says "'SMTOWN Museum' will be a landmark where you can directly experience the various, excellent Hallyu content in the States, and it will continue the spreading of the Hallyu wave. We also plan to showcase SM's new content through holograms and more." Holograms! Some reports also say it'll include a Korean restaurant. (Incidentally, Forbes has just published a story on SM Entertainment's unbelievable-sounding operation: "For spots in its groups, it receives 300,000 applicants in nine countries every year. Its training facility in Gangnam is 2,550 square meters. It collaborates with 400 songwriters worldwide and samples some 12,000 songs a year.")
· SM to Set up SMTOWN Museum in Los Angeles [Mwave]
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