The huge success of a novelty song can be the death knell for the scene that spawned it. And they don't come any bigger than South Korean rapper Psy's 2012 hit Gangnam Style. It's still the most watched YouTube video on the planet, almost 1 billion views ahead of its nearest rival, Baby by Justin Bieber.

Jennifer Doherty, the marketing manager at the Korea Tourism Organisation, says that interest in Korean pop had been rising for some years, but "even though Gangnam Style wasn't actually K-pop, it created a lot of interest; it made a big difference".

South Korea's B.A.P., live in Seoul in 2014.

More than half a dozen Asian pop stars have already visited Sydney this year, including Japanese pop princess Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, who sold out the Metro so quickly her gig was moved to a bigger venue; Mandarin super star Jay Chou, who played at the Allphones Arena; and Korean balladeer Kim Bum Soo, who performed at the Sydney Opera House.

On Saturday, six-piece South Korean boy band B.A.P. dance into town to play at Luna Park's Big Top as part of a world tour that includes the US and Europe. When sales opened last month, the $200 VIP tickets (600 of them) sold out within minutes. Joy Kim, the general manager of their agency TS Entertainment, says next year they hope to travel to more countries. It's part of a strategy to bring B.A.P. (it stands for Best Absolutely Perfect) and K-pop to a wider audience.