French fans of hallyu or the Korean wave picked popular K-Pop group Big Bang and 2NE1 as their favorite K-Pop boy and girl group.

Korea Tourism Organization in France conducted an online survey last January for hallyu fans living in France about ‘hallyu wave.’ Total of 3,775 people participated in selecting their favorite boy and gilr group Big Bang took first place with 49.9% of boy group, 2NE1 grabbed first place with 64.8% from girl group.

For boy group ranking was Super Junior (45%), SHINee (35.5%), BEAST (33.8%), 2PM (24.2%), and girl group ranking followed with Girls’ Generation (45.4%), miss A (31.5%), f(x) (29.4%), and T-ARA (25.9%). The top single boy singer was Rain (33.2%) and girl singer favorite was selected to be IU (54.2%).

Big Bang seemed to show a relatively high proportion of male among French hallyu fans, they received the strongest support from those who are in their early 20s. 2NE1 compared to other girl group seemed to have received a relatively similar ratio preference from both male and female, seemed to receive equal preference from teens to early 20s.

Big Bang and 2NE1 each appeared on Oricon chart on March 28 with their Japanese album and both group have also performed at Japan’s largest R&B Hip-Hop festival ‘Springroove’ alongside world musicians in Osaka and Tokyo.