South Korean maestro Chung will be the first Asian to head Italy's famed La Scala

BUSAN, South Korea — South Korea's K-pop artists are on such a roll across the globe that it can be easy to forget their classical music forebearers were rocking the world's concert halls well before they were born.

And they're still at it. One of the notable recent milestones of "K-classics," as South Korean classical music has been dubbed, is the historic Italian opera house Teatro alla Scala's choice of celebrated South Korean conductor and pianist Myung-Whun Chung as its musical director.

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Milan's La Scala announced in May that Chung will take the post when current director Riccardo Chailly's contract ends in late 2026. Chung is the first Asian and second non-Italian to hold the position,