Yalla! K-Pop stars who’ve got Arabic skills

With the globalisation of K-Pop, most of its multilinguistic artists make the extra effort to interact with their fans by learning their language, yet little did we know that some also hold basic Arabic skills up their sleeves. These are some K-Pop acts that know the language and have attempted to showcase their admiration for Arabic-speaking fans:

1. B.I.G

The quintet took us by surprise when they started releasing covers of popular Arabic songs such as Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi’s song ‘Boshret Kheir’ and The5’s ‘La Bezzaf’ as part of the group’s Global Cover Project last year.

Members of B.I.G — an acronym for Boys in Groove — have taken their admiration of the language by taking Arabic lessons. They even became the first K-Pop group to drop an Arabic version of their own single, ‘Hello Hello’ due to fan’s overwhelming support. Adding to this, the region’s newest K-Pop crossover’s latest single, ‘Illusion’, was released in two versions: Korean and Arabic.

2. Ateez’s Jongho

During an interview with K-Pop channel hello82, Ateez were asked if anyone speaks a foreign language to which member Jongho said ‘A’ salam-Alaikum’ or ‘Peace be upon you’.

“He knows how to speak Arabic a bit,” member Hongjoong shared.

3. Dreamcatcher’s Dami

Dreamcatcher’s Dami is another K-Pop idol we didn't know spoke Arabic. This was in fact clarified by member Gahyeon when a presenter asked the girl group to answer in English, Arabic or Spanish how they felt wrapping their world tour while on at SBS MTV’s ‘The Show’’s segment ‘On the Way Out!’ back in 2018.

The singer volunteered, showcasing her Spanish as well as Arabic linguistic skills by saying: "It was nice to meet you. See you again. Thank you”.

4. BTS

When K-Pop acts hold concerts in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, they take the time to learn a few basic Arabic words before hitting the stage for their adoring fans. BTS is one of those K-Pop bands.

The septet made their Saudi Arabia concert iconic and memorable last year. The members delighted fans when saying a few words throughout the show, but took it to another level when RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jungkook, V and Jin jointly celebrated member Jimin’s birthday by singing the birthday celebration song in Arabic.

5. Park Bom

As for Park Bom, it’s through social media. The former 2NE1 singer always seems to hashtag her name in Arabic on her Instagram posts.

6. 3YE

The three-member group behind the same label as B.I.G dropped a dance cover of single ‘Taj’ by Moroccan artist Manal on YouTube. 3YE also previously showcased their singing and dancing skills by releasing another cover of the singer-songwriter’s single ‘Slay’ a month later.