K-pop stars battle for the Olympic spotlight

(CNN)North Korea's all-female cheer squad may be grabbing the press at this year's Winter Olympics, but the South has a secret weapon of its own: K-pop.

A selection of K-pop stars, including girl groups AOA and Girl's Day, along with Taeyang, from the mega-popular boy band Big Bang, have been made honorary Olympic ambassadors, a vague term that sees the stars help endorse the Games and appear at official events.

"K-Pop is one of the most well-known and successful Korean cultures throughout the world," said Lee Kyusang, who is in charge of honorary ambassador management at the Olympics. "Appointing K-pop artists as honorary ambassadors has brought much attention to the Games."

But it works in the opposite direction too, providing an unrivaled platform for artists looking to reach new international audiences.

Speaking to CNN, AOA member Seol Hyun said the group accepted the offer to become an ambassador "straight away without any hesitation."

She and AOA traveled to Jakarta last November with the South Korean President Moon Jae-in to promote the Olympics and meet fans. 

AOA, which stands for Ace Of Angels, was originally founded in 2012, with a style and sound not dissimilar to early Britney Spears. Their singles "Miniskirt and "Heart Attack," were hits in South Korea and helped make the girl group a household name. Last year, they released their first full-length album, "Angel's Knock." Now, with the help of the Olympics, the six members are hoping to they can do the same outside of Korea.

"We have international fans who support us but we've always felt sorry and disappointed that we haven't been able to travel to meet and perform for them," said AOA member Chan Mi.

 

 

"We think that the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games will be a great opportunity to show our music to not only our fans but a wide range of people. We are very honored."

The group, which have participated in Olympic-related events since 2016, and had played a concert to celebrate the start of the 500-day countdown to the opening of the Games, with K-pop heavy hitter BTS.