In the Indian state of Manipur, where separatists have banned Bollywood movies, consumers have turned to Korean popular culture for their entertainment needs. The BBC's correspondent Sanjoy Majumder reported that Korean entertainment products are mostly pirated copies smuggled in from neighbouring Burma, and is generally well received by the local population.
This has led to the Korean language becoming more popular among young people, with phrases such as "Annyeong-haseyo" and "Kamsahamnida" now commonly heard in everyday speech. In response to the growing Korean cultural influence, Professor Amar Yumnam from Manipur University proposed setting up Korean language classes for students, after a meeting between university officials and diplomats from the Korean Embassy in New Delhi was held in 2011.
In order to capitalize on the popularity of K-pop in Manipur, many hairdressing salons have offered "Korean-style" cuts based on the hairstyles of K-pop boy bands. This wave of Korean popular culture is currently spreading from Manipur to the neighbouring state of Nagaland, and to Nepal.