A singing room in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 30 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of people who use karaoke salons, also known as a “noraebang,” has increased at a rapid pace after the government lifted most social distancing measures.
According to music market tracker Gaon Chart, the “Noraebang Usage 400″ chart marked a 38.3 percent growth last month compared to a year ago.
This list sums up the number of plays for the top 400 songs at TJ Media Noraebang. TJ Media is a maker of karaoke machines.
Last month the top 400 songs registered growth of 30.6 percent compared to April 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 28.9 percent compared to March, the month before social distancing rules were lifted.
Starting from April 18, the government lifted restrictions on the number of individuals present at social gatherings and the operating hours of restaurants, cafes and noraebangs.
Noraebang usage started sliding from January 2020 when the pandemic began, and hit a low in December 2020 and in January 2021 when the third wave of COVID-19 infections peaked.
Its declining pace slowed from February 2022 thanks to the gradual easing of social distancing rules. Last month, it recovered to a level that was 13.3 percent lower than the pre-pandemic April 2019.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
