A concert featuring a number of top hallyu stars was held Oct. 2 in Shanghai, China at the closing ceremony of a Formula 1 Grand Prix competition. Performers included Kang Ta, Chang Nara and Bada, among others.

Formula 1, which Korea will host in 2010, is held by the International Automobile Federation in only 17 or 18 countries. The Shanghai competition first opened in 2004. This year, the Chinese authorities organized the hallyu concert and a vast array of other cultural events after the competition.

The Korean Wave or Korean pop culture craze is set to sweep the world’s second most populous country, as the KBS hit drama “Emperor of the Sea” began airing in India on July 23. It is the first-ever Korean drama to be broadcast in that country, which has a population of 1.1 billion.

Chinese fans of Korean soap operas were baffled to see Koreans use both spoons and chopsticks to eat, but not as surprised as when they saw women pull each other’s hair during fights and managers strike their subordinates on the back of the head. Other notable features of Korean society for the Chinese couch potatoes are the vast difference in treatment meted out to rich and poor here and the number of marriages of convenience. In all, the China Finance Information Network drew up 80 strange Korean customs as gleaned from TV dramas. Here are 12 of them:

1. When Koreans lift their glass to drink any alcoholic beverage with someone senior, they always turn to one side.

By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter

Until about three years ago, Lee Woo-sung, leader of the top-notch B-boy team Expression Crew, had to deal with angry parents who flocked to the crew’s training room to inquire the whereabouts of their children, who ran away from home.

A scene from “Marionette”

The crews, of course, were as clueless as the parents, but the parents often did not believe them.

``When something occurred in town, even the police knocked at our door,’’ Lee said, reminiscing about the common perception of B-boys as a group of juvenile delinquents because of their hip-hop style outfits and zeal for break dancing.

Four Korean actors who are considered the originators of the Korean Wave, or Korean pop culture craze, have been found to still be the favorites among Japanese fans.

In its internet edition on Monday, the Japanese entertainment magazine Oricon Style announced the results of its survey of Japanese people between their teens and 40s that asked, “Who is your favorite Korean actor and actress?” The announcement came in the wake of the news that the recent Korean movie “The Host” is drawing global attention.

Bae Yong-joon, who stole the hearts of Japanese women with his role in “Winter Sonata,” was chosen as the most popular Korean male star. He was praised for his sincere and caring attitude toward his fans and his "killer" smile. Following Bae were Jang Dong-kun, whose tough image was cited as his charm, Lee Byung-hyun and Won Bin.