2NE1 to explain Korean Wave at Cannes Lions

Girl group 2NE1 will speak about hallyu in front of international advertising and communication experts at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in June.

The four-member group have been invited as guest speakers at the seminar “Korean Wave Through Digital Wave” hosted by Cheil Communications, one of the country’s largest advertising companies, at the Cannes Festival. 

The group, best known for their unique music and fashion style, has contributed to promoting hallyu all over the world, Cheil Communications said. The company added that it chose 2NE1 also because the group’s agency YG Entertainment has been actively engaged in facilitating digital communications with K-pop fans abroad through Facebook and Twitter.

“As we are to attend the seminar on behalf of (all of) K-pop, we will explain the reason why many people around the world should pay attention to K-pop,” said 2NE1 in a statement.

“We want to perform as singers, not as speakers, next time in Cannes.”

Launched in 1953, Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival is a global event that attracts experts from advertising and communications industry around the world. The festival presents the Lions awards to different categories and also holds about 50 seminars for 7 days from June 17-23.

In a related development, 2NE1 was selected as the most favored K-pop girl group among French hallyu fans, a government poll said on Tuesday.

In an online survey of 3,755 French respondents conducted by the Paris office of the Korea Tourism Organization, 64.8 percent chose 2NE1 as their favorite K-pop girl group. Respondents were allowed to select multiple groups for each category.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)