Le Jardin de Corée positions Meaux in France’s expanding k-culture landscape

In Meaux, a commune located east of Paris, preparations are now taking place in order to launch what can be described as a well-structured cultural activity located at the intersection of governmental programming, private business interests, and rising presence of Korean cultural industries in Europe. Le Jardin de Corée, planned for June 6, 2026, in the Jardin des Trinitaires, is currently only in the preparation process; nevertheless, it is already viewed by the initiators as a potential yearly cultural event in Meaux.

This project is organized by MSGP Association, which is an organization active in the area of live performance and cultural entertainment. The main activity of MSGP includes organizing various events, programming of stage events, and managing cultural and artistic performances. It should be mentioned that in September 2025, the association officially introduced the idea for the event to the cultural department of the city of Meaux, thus starting negotiations towards creating a common structure of work between the association and the city municipality.

What prompted the creation of such a project was a simple observation that, despite the constantly increasing amount of Korean cultural content in France, Meaux lacked an event platform for that. From the start, the project has been conceived based on both cultural and economic dimensions. In recent years, France has become a gatekeeper for South Korean companies that are looking for opportunities in Europe within the domains of cosmetics, food distribution, entertainment, and fashion. On the larger stage, the Le Jardin de Corée project can be described as an event that merges cultural openness with ecosystem visibility in which local spectators meet transnational cultural industries.

In terms of programming, the project will be carried out according to a one-day event schedule, where opening and closing times are defined as 11:30 to 19:30. Attendance is supposed to be free of cost. The location at the Jardin des Trinitaires in Meaux 77100 is chosen because of the venue's capacity to accommodate outdoor performances and workshops, along with the commercial areas, and due to its accessibility for those who have impaired mobility.

In terms of concepts, the event Le Jardin de Corée can be understood through three themes. Firstly, there is K-Content, which relates to the entertainment systems of Korea including music, performance, and digital culture. Secondly, the topic of K-Food involves the celebration of traditional cuisine and modern Korean cuisine. Thirdly, there is K-Beauty, which involves cosmetic products and skincare innovations. This classification of the content is not meant to be a set of separate zones but rather entry points into Korean culture.

Nexa

Le Jardin de Corée will follow a pattern of events that involve participation and stage acts in equal measure. These include talk shows, DJ shows, concerts, dance cover contest with awards, spontaneous dancing, Korean games, cooking contests, and DIY classes such as designing a photocard and decorating accessories. Pop-up stores will also be included in the program and the names of the partnering companies have not been completely defined yet. This structure is consistent with the recent trend among K culture events held in Europe.

The target group encompasses the diversity of Korean cultural consumers in France. This includes young adults aged from 15 to 30 who are active participants in the K-pop and K-drama scenes, families looking for culture and food experience, students and foreign language learners, cultural societies, as well as businesses interested in cross-cultural partnership and branding.

One of the most prominent features of the project will be the wide range of its partners representing not only one institution but several sectors as a whole. As for restaurants, it involves participation of Chikin Bang, Ham Bao, Kick Café, Yummy So, and Tang Frères. Kick Café is located in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris and was founded in 2020. The venue operates as a combination of a café, store, and culture center aimed at providing K-pop fans with an entertaining and comfortable environment. The cafe's menu features Korean-inspired drinks and snacks, and it broadcasts K-pop music and arranges photoshoots and photobooths there. Moreover, the place offers merchandise such as album and photocard purchases, organizing different community events like karaoke, random dances, and fan meet-and-greets. The café is considered more of a cultural hub rather than a simple café within the K-pop scene of France.

Concerning the cultural and content oriented segment, some of the partners are Seventeen France, PopKConcept, Into The K, Starseedz, Corée en France, Overseas K Agency, and Dreamz PRD. As for the beauty and cosmetics segment, participants in this project will be Aejung, Korean Cosmetics, Eonni K Beauty, K Beauté, My Kare, Seoulista, Innisfree KR, and Laneige KR. Other commercial and distribution partners may include Kooky, Chum Shopee, Nongshim, Nonghyup Bank, as well as local cultural associations, Korean Cultural Centers, dancing academies, sports teams, language teachers, restaurants, and Asian distributors. This is an example of a hybrid approach combining grassroots and corporate environments in relation to cultural programming.

As far as communication strategy is concerned, it is based on amplification tools related to digital space and media preferences of modern youth. Social media events, including Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, will be organized with the help of visual identity campaign, influencer marketing, teaser marketing, and K pop-related challenges for creating hype about the event.

Aude

The overall media and creator ecosystem encompasses Noura, otherwise known by the nickname La Corée Pour Les Boomers, a content creator of videos related to Korean culture who features her encounters with artists such as XLOV, Wild Wild, NouerA, and others like the JUST B artists of Bain and Geonu. The event will also feature a host named Aude, an interviewer of celebrities who regularly conducts interviews of people from Korea such as Kim Joo Ryoung, OMEGA X, BIG OCEAN, and Hajun actor. She takes part in hosting to guide the event flow.

In terms of performance groups, there is a dance group that stands out. This is the group called NEXA based in Paris. This group comprises five dancers who have made a name for themselves by appearing in important conventions such as Japan Expo, Japan Tours, Korean Tours, and Paris Manga among others. They appeared as the opener act in the K-pop band called TRENDZ in 2024 at the Alhambra convention in front of more than 600 people. Their performance on April 7th at Le Jardin de Corée is expected at 15:30.

Another important addition to the list of performers is Stormy Shot, a Paris-based group consisting of around twenty dancers and covering Korean K-pop music performances. The group has been formed in 2017 with the goal of bringing together individuals who share their passion for dance and K-pop performances. Through consistent training and practice, members of the group have built up their reputation as skilled performers by winning several dance contests and, most importantly, performing in South Korea – a recognition usually seen as validation within the dance cover community.

Stormy Shot is now a regular performer in several conventions held across Europe, such as Japan Expo, Paris Manga, TGS, and Japan Pop Show. At Le Jardin de Corée, their appearance will be planned in the afternoon hours, with the group performing on stage at 12:50 pm till 13:10 pm.

One other act that is worth mentioning is Dorys Crew, which is set to take the stage on June 6. From Paris, the group comprises performers who participate in the K-pop performance culture through the creation of choreographies alongside visual arts. The group has become well-known in the French K-pop dance scene through its consistent performances and the artistic nature of their work.

The combination of choreography and performance by Dorys Crew can be seen from their stage work and also from their digital art pieces. At Le Jardin de Corée, it is anticipated that the members will add an exciting energy to the event as they open with their performances at 11:50 AM and later perform again at 3:10 PM.

As regards DJ programming, the responsibility lies on Yugo, who will perform from 15:40 to 16:40. The music of Yugo incorporates structures from global pop music combined with K pop inspired production techniques with its emphasis on rapid transitions, genre mixing, and sequences using song mashups. In terms of previous performances, Yugo was active in various European cities like Paris, London, Berlin, and Malta. Moreover, his stylistic influences are informed not only by Western club music but also the latest trends in Korean pop music production.

Starseedz

The show also includes Paris-based girl band, Starseedz, whose participation represents one more example of hybridity in the format that has become common outside South Korea due to K pop influence. Having been created on October 20, 2023, the band has released the song called Iconic via Seedbox Entertainment. It consists of four members named Kalee, Kanya, Léa, and Nana. The group has formed its artistic identity thanks to the incorporation of various K pop structural codes, which include choreographed performance systems, eras concept, and teasing promotions, despite their English-speaking pop music repertoire.

The band’s music list features Iconic (released in 2023), Boss B (released in 2024), Slip N’ Slide (released in 2024), and a mini-album titled Runway (released in 2025). They work in a global pop genre but directly draw from aesthetics and production techniques of K-pop idols. Their fans, named BLOOM’Z, also play a part in the positioning of the band as a hybrid artist who bridges the gap between European pop production and performance culture inspired by Korea.

Besides bands and singers, there are other types of performers that attend the festival. One of them is Anthony, or The French Livai, a popular internet content creator in France. He was initially recognized through the performance of the character from the anime movie "Attack on Titan" called Levi through cosplay activities. He was originally famous for K-pop, anime, and cosplay-related content he produced on Tiktok and YouTube. However, since then, his activities have broadened to include organizing conventions, participating in panels, and commenting on the spread of Asian pop culture in Europe.

The French Livaï

Another part of the promotional system is made up of a number of digital artists and community members including Clyde, Sheya, Yugo, The French Livaï, Paco Rayane, Hwi-Jae, Yezi Kw, and Hoyna who participate in the promotion of content related to Korean culture through social media.

In addition to the structure of the event, Le Jardin de Corée also has a symbolic dimension that is tied to the 140th anniversary of Franco Korean diplomatic friendship. As a historical landmark, this provides a background for the event that gives it more weight beyond that of an event that was organized locally.

In case the initial edition of the event is successful, the organizers would like to develop a model for this event that can be continued annually in Meaux. In this regard, the event would not just serve as a celebration of Korean culture, but it would also serve as an intersection point of local cultural policy, international entertainment industries, and online fan cultures.