Japanese pop music is now on sale in South Korea as part of a gradual opening of the market to Japanese cultural products.
The first CD of music sung in Japanese to legally hit store shelves Wednesday was "Melodies & Memories II" by Tube. Others to follow soon include Japanese R&B singer Ken Hirai's "LIFE is . . ."
Pak Su Yon, 26, was one of the first to buy the Tube CD in the music section of a large bookstore in Seoul.
"I've never bought a Japanese CD before, but I decided to get it after listening to it," she said. "I'd heard about the (government's policy) of opening up to Japanese culture, but I feel little resentment toward listening to Japanese lyrics."
Pirated Japanese music CDs have been widely available through street vendors.
A music store employee said his shop had received many calls from young people trying to find out what Japanese CDs would be released.
"It's actually a little late for the ban to be lifted," he said. "I think the market would have been much bigger (had the ban been lifted) two or three years ago."