1. Music shows (Music Bank, M Countdown, Etc). How do I actually get tickets for these? Is it like a raffle or just tickets you buy? Do I see the whole show or just one artists performance (I'm assuming the latter).
Most of these involve lining up for hours, having proof of fanclub membership and buying the latest album etc. If you're able to get in you get to watch majority of the artists/groups perform on stage. Some artists might have pre-recorded their performances so they won't be there at the time of broadcast but you'll get to see a good amount of acts.
1) you don’t. You need to be in the fan club of a group bought the album or multiple albums. Download the song on melon. Own the lightstick and register at exactly the time it says.
Mcount doesn’t have Gen public tickets. Inkigayo and music bank do but it’s through a lottery. Inkigayo you need to register through the superstar X app at exactly 6pm on Wednesday to have a shot. Not one foreigner I know has ever won those. Music bank has a lottery you can see on their Korean website but in all actuality those tickets go to friends and family of staff members.
Sbs The show has tickets available via Trazy the tourist exploitation site that sells those free tickets for crazy prices.
So if you are a paid fan club member with all the requirements you can try for prerecordings. From 12 am up to about 2.5 hrs before the live show starts. Then 10-20 or so of the hundreds of fans who went to the prerecording can go to the live show. The lowest registered number. (Numbered by the time you registered).
2. Online with the vendors that each company prefers or the company website for your group.
3. Don’t expect English anywhere. Be happy if you find someone who can speak English at a store or restaurant. Definitely not a music show.
Answering as a Kpop fan that went to Seoul plenty of times
1) There are 2 different kinds of performances. First is the pre-recording (where you only see 1 artist performance), 2nd is the live show (where you get to see everyone). You don't really buy tickets for these. Depending on the group's show you go to, you need to join their fancafe on Daum, and wait for them to post audience application (my group does Google forms, but every group is different). You also need some other requirements, usually is the lightstick, all the albums of the version of the comeback, and the statement where you purchased the songs (usually on Melon, though my group accepts other platforms too). This is the usual, but not limited to every single group, so check the requirements for the group you want to attend. Official fanclub membership gives you priority, though for some groups not compulsory. After the application time, the fan manager will release the list of accepted applicants as well as the date and time to meet, so you just go there, show them all the requirements (album, lightstick) and in you go. Pre-recording is a lot easier to get in (especially for nugu groups), while live will only accept around 20 fans per group so you can imagine the competition.
2) I usually go to Myeongdong underground store or Withmuu at Hongdae. Sometimes I check out Music Korea. Or yes you can buy them online and ship it to where you are staying
1. Some of the shows have dedicated tickets for foreigners. Usually trip sites like Trazy do have them on their site when the dates approach. I believe I do remember Music Bank being on it last time. There are also other ways on instagram etc, dedicated tickets for foriengers, but i'm not sure where to find those ones. I just remember my friend asking me, and i had no time to go.
2. Best place is online through their official website for official merch. Kpop merch can be found anymore, but if you want to support the group and not the shop, you should probably buy the official ones. Some of the groups like BTS do have their dedicated shops too. I'd recommend those also. Companies also have their own shops I believe, but I'd not recommend to buy them from places like Miyeongdong that don't sell official merchs. It's my personal preference kinda.
3. English is not widely spoken, but Koreans are great at understanding English. They don't speak it, because they're not very confident, but their level is good. Basically, if you can talk to them in English, they will understand what you want. However, do not expect this treatment at places that communication is required, like Airport and Immigration. That's very much Korean. In fact, you can expect to speak more English with the baristas as you order your coffee or at shops, or with the taxi drivers than you can at the immigration or airport.
So, that's what i think. I'm sure others know more about 1 and 2. I shared my methods above
No idea about the first 2 but it’s incredibly easy to survive on English here. Of course speaking Korean helps but you can easily live. My parents came to visit me here with 0 Korean and they never had any problems. Many people here speak English, especially in seoul.
1. Music shows (Music Bank, M Countdown, Etc). How do I actually get tickets for these? Is it like a raffle or just tickets you buy? Do I see the whole show or just one artists performance (I'm assuming the latter). Most of these involve lining up for hours, having proof of fanclub membership and buying the latest album etc. If you're able to get in you get to watch majority of the artists/groups perform on stage. Some artists might have pre-recorded their performances so they won't be there at the time of broadcast but you'll get to see a good amount of acts.
1) you don’t. You need to be in the fan club of a group bought the album or multiple albums. Download the song on melon. Own the lightstick and register at exactly the time it says. Mcount doesn’t have Gen public tickets. Inkigayo and music bank do but it’s through a lottery. Inkigayo you need to register through the superstar X app at exactly 6pm on Wednesday to have a shot. Not one foreigner I know has ever won those. Music bank has a lottery you can see on their Korean website but in all actuality those tickets go to friends and family of staff members. Sbs The show has tickets available via Trazy the tourist exploitation site that sells those free tickets for crazy prices. So if you are a paid fan club member with all the requirements you can try for prerecordings. From 12 am up to about 2.5 hrs before the live show starts. Then 10-20 or so of the hundreds of fans who went to the prerecording can go to the live show. The lowest registered number. (Numbered by the time you registered). 2. Online with the vendors that each company prefers or the company website for your group. 3. Don’t expect English anywhere. Be happy if you find someone who can speak English at a store or restaurant. Definitely not a music show.
Answering as a Kpop fan that went to Seoul plenty of times 1) There are 2 different kinds of performances. First is the pre-recording (where you only see 1 artist performance), 2nd is the live show (where you get to see everyone). You don't really buy tickets for these. Depending on the group's show you go to, you need to join their fancafe on Daum, and wait for them to post audience application (my group does Google forms, but every group is different). You also need some other requirements, usually is the lightstick, all the albums of the version of the comeback, and the statement where you purchased the songs (usually on Melon, though my group accepts other platforms too). This is the usual, but not limited to every single group, so check the requirements for the group you want to attend. Official fanclub membership gives you priority, though for some groups not compulsory. After the application time, the fan manager will release the list of accepted applicants as well as the date and time to meet, so you just go there, show them all the requirements (album, lightstick) and in you go. Pre-recording is a lot easier to get in (especially for nugu groups), while live will only accept around 20 fans per group so you can imagine the competition. 2) I usually go to Myeongdong underground store or Withmuu at Hongdae. Sometimes I check out Music Korea. Or yes you can buy them online and ship it to where you are staying
1. Some of the shows have dedicated tickets for foreigners. Usually trip sites like Trazy do have them on their site when the dates approach. I believe I do remember Music Bank being on it last time. There are also other ways on instagram etc, dedicated tickets for foriengers, but i'm not sure where to find those ones. I just remember my friend asking me, and i had no time to go. 2. Best place is online through their official website for official merch. Kpop merch can be found anymore, but if you want to support the group and not the shop, you should probably buy the official ones. Some of the groups like BTS do have their dedicated shops too. I'd recommend those also. Companies also have their own shops I believe, but I'd not recommend to buy them from places like Miyeongdong that don't sell official merchs. It's my personal preference kinda. 3. English is not widely spoken, but Koreans are great at understanding English. They don't speak it, because they're not very confident, but their level is good. Basically, if you can talk to them in English, they will understand what you want. However, do not expect this treatment at places that communication is required, like Airport and Immigration. That's very much Korean. In fact, you can expect to speak more English with the baristas as you order your coffee or at shops, or with the taxi drivers than you can at the immigration or airport. So, that's what i think. I'm sure others know more about 1 and 2. I shared my methods above
Bburutrak in myeongdong is a great store to shop for albums. More variety than the average kpop store
Withmuu in Hongdae, Myeongdong, Yongsan IPARK mall is great for Kpop merch Also YG has a gift shop in Hapjeong
You can't get tickets unless you speak Korean like a native.
No idea about the first 2 but it’s incredibly easy to survive on English here. Of course speaking Korean helps but you can easily live. My parents came to visit me here with 0 Korean and they never had any problems. Many people here speak English, especially in seoul.