South Korean K-Pop concert in Japan offers bridge for squabbling nations

Thousands of K-Pop fans flocked to a major concert by top South Korean music stars in Japan this week, with organisers and fans alike calling it a "bridge" for two nations locked in a never-ending diplomatic squabble.

The K-Pop juggernaut has been spreading around the world with South Korean music, television and films making a big splash in countries with few ties to Seoul.

But the country's offerings are particularly loved across the sea in Japan, whose own unique culture has long been a hit with South Koreans, despite historical animosities and territorial disputes.

That mutual love was on display in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on Wednesday as a slate of acts including Supernova, teenage girl band sensation Crayon Pop and crooning boy band 2PM performed for screaming Japanese fans, including young girls and some middle-aged men.

Kurumi Hagi, a 17-year-old fan of 2PM, was among the 9,600 capacity crowd packed into the concert put on by popular South Korean music television show M Countdown.

"When I feel tired, I just need to see them to feel lively again," Hagi said. "Their performance gives me energy."

Another huge fan of the six-boy band is Hagi's mother, who landed a backstage pass, while 40-year-old Kan Yokoyama can't get enough of the group Girl's Day.