Who are the Korean cheerleaders flooding TikTok?

It all starts with a few drum beats, soon interrupted by the sound of sneakers squeaking on a gym floor. Then a thumbs-up appears, going up and down like a hammer. The choreography, which many know as the “Pikki Pikki” dance, is performed by the cheerleaders of the Kia Tigers, a Korean baseball team, and has become a TikTok sensation, with millions of views across numerous accounts. The moves are simple, repetitive and unpretentious; the song is addictively catchy (be careful). Together, they’re the perfect recipe for flooding algorithms. While the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders turned “Thunderstruck,” a maximalist routine, into a symbol of American football and sports team cheerleading in the United States, the Tigers’ choreographies are more subdued, moving their elbows gently and barely moving from their spots. They even look a little … boring? According to Lee Si-Young, founder and president of Apex Communications, which represents the cheerleading team, the nonchalant attitude is intentional. The dance is performed every time a Tigers pitcher strikes out an opposing batter; the cheerleaders cheer for their team and taunt their opponents. “We emphasize showing movements and external expressions that match the tone and mood of the music, while making it easy for fans to follow,” Lee said in an email with the help of a translator. “We felt that a more casual vibe would work better than an energetic or powerful one.” The moves — dancing with bent elbows and thumbs up — are uncomplicated. But the cheerleaders perform them deadpan in front of 16,000 fans, 10 to 15 times per game, and there’s an unexpected charm to it. It’s that low-key spirit that has drawn fans around the world and sparked confusion online. The dance only began in 2022. What’s behind the sudden popularity? The surge in interest has come at a time when the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) has been breaking attendance records, thanks in part to ticket sales to young female fans. Rapid growth and changing demographics have meant more and more eyes are on the cheerleaders (and, of course, the players, too). “The KBO is more recognized outside of Korea than ever before,” said Dan Kurtz, who runs MyKBO, a fan site dedicated to covering Korean baseball in English. “The Kia Tigers are like the New York Yankees of the KBO.” Kurtz explained that tickets cost the equivalent of $5 to $10 during the regular season and fans are allowed to bring their own food and drinks, making a baseball game an affordable outing for younger spectators. Additionally, cheerleaders often have player-specific songs and dances and teach the moves to the crowd. “It’s like a rock concert compared to Major League Baseball games,” he said. “At a Korean baseball game, the outcome doesn’t matter — the fans are going to sing and celebrate.” Lee said the cheer team calls the choreography’s catchy tune (“Lecon Studios” by Olive Beat, sampled from “My Lecon” by Korean boy band JTL) the “knockout song.” But because of the screeching sound effects, fans took to calling it “Pikki Pikki,” an onomatopoeia for the sound of something grinding. The dance has spawned numerous copycats who, enamored of the cheesy number and accompanying high-pitched sound, mimic the cheerleaders’ vacant stares and hip gyrations. Among those copycats is Melissa Minh, a British model and influencer who, while mocking the lack of enthusiasm, captioned her post: “But they’re so pretty.” “The trend is a little hard to explain in terms of how it came about,” said Deborah Park, 32, a content creator from Oklahoma City who has also made videos of the dance. For her, it took a while for her friends to understand the appeal. “But once they did, it caught their attention, too.” “This is essentially the first time a KBO cheer routine has gone viral around the world and reached TikTok challenge status,” Lee said. “So the team is feeling really proud.” If there’s a breakout star, it’s Lee Ju-Eun, who shares the same name as a K-pop star, leading to some confusion on TikTok tags, and whose messy hair and barrettes appear in several of the most-viewed videos. “She feels a little surprised by everything that’s going on,” Lee Si-Young revealed of the entertainer’s sudden fame. “But at the same time, she finds it to be an overall fun, unique, and positive experience.” In several videos, Lee Ju-Eun touches up her makeup or sets aside a personal fan before getting up to dance, leading curious onlookers online to wonder if the absent-minded attitude is deliberate. In reality, the “Pikki Pikki” dance is only performed when the Tigers are on the field and the cheerleaders are taking a break between eliminations. Before the song starts, the cheerleaders powder their faces and freshen up in front of the fans. They’re just going about their business, not caring about what’s happening in the game — until the squealing starts and it’s time to dance. Then they get up with a nonchalance that negates any sense of urgency. Finally, they start smiling.

Cheerleaders for the Kia Tigers, a major league team in the Korean Baseball Organization. (Kia Tigers via The New York Times)