I think I started liking K-pop around 2009, and was really invested in it by 2011. Saving a few exceptions, I met my closest friends to date either through the Super Junior fandom or K-pop context.
If you stan K-pop or part of it, you know it is a world on its own. It is a gateway to Korean culture: food, music, shows, social structure, even history. You get immersed in a glamorous world that used to be so far away (now it's easier to travel there and get your merch shipped home) but became closer when there were events and fandom get-togethers. Then concerts started to happen: JYJ, Music Bank, Super Junior, etc., and the community thrived.
Hello, I'm Roxie!