Alejandro Achin, 21, said that K-pop is “a completely new experience” for Cubans, who are “always used to the same rhythm, the same routine” of salsa and reggaeton.
In 2019, Achin realized a personal dream of performing in Seoul after winning an amateur K-pop competition with his group in Havana.
For Hohyun Jong, who teaches at the South Korean Cultural and Language Center, which opened its doors in the Cuban capital last year, K-pop has a universal appeal that transcends politics.
“In Korean songs… most of them express young people’s concerns, what they think, their worries about the future,” a South Korean citizen told AFP.
The center where she teaches with four Cubans has 150 students and not enough room to admit more, as the appetite for all things South Korean continues to grow.
Student Iya Gonzalez, 20, has been learning Korean at the center for several months and gets excited whenever she recognizes a word in some of her favorite K-pop songs.
“Korean is not hard. There are some difficult parts, but when you really love what you are doing, you invest enthusiasm and passion and you can learn,” he told AFP.