KPOP

Looking into the history behind

the global phenomenon
History of
Hallyu ● Korean Pop culture started with the boom of Korean
Drama
○ Chinese youth helped popularize
■ East Asian values being interpreted in more
liberated ways
■ Contrasted with Role-model type revolution
● South Korean rapid Industrialization in late 20th
century
○ More resources = More cultural development
● South Korea searched for an economic boom by
funding and de-censoring korean pop music.
History of
Hallyu ● The government heavily censored popular music in
Korea, called “kayo.”
Pop Music ● 1975- movement to censor non-korean style songs,

in South banned 222 songs

○ Lee Mi-Ja’s “Tongbaek Agassi” was banned for

Korea sounding too Japanese

○ Shin Joong-Hyun’s “Miin” was banned for a more
western style
● 1983- similar movement, banned 382 songs
History of ● Plagiarism

Hallyu ● Radio/TV appearances and live shows were two of

entertainers’ only form of income.

Pop Music ○ Radio/TV appearances regulated by government

■ singers with banned songs would have to

in South bribe producers with sexual favors for

airtime
Korea ○ As a result, Kayo as a career was not a top career
choice for many youths.
History of ● KPop grew popular in 1992 with the advent of two
main entities, Seo Taiji and Boys
Hallyu ○ Introduced genres like Reggae, hip hop, and EDM
(electronic dance music)

Pop Music ○ Provided a more “wild” image, in contrast to the

more conservative style of kayo
in South ■ Rugged fashion

Korea ■ Intricate dances that matched the music

styles of hip hop and reggae
● Simultaneously, the Sixth Republic of South Korea

The Advent ushered in a desire to create an economic boom and

political democratization
of KPop ○ Loosening the chains of censorship
Political Usage of KPop
 ● 3 songs were used by South Korea in the demilitarized
zone between South Korea and North Korea
○ “Bang Bang Bang” by Big Bang
○ “Me Gustas Tu” by GFriend
○ “Let Us Just Love” by APink
Propaganda ● Promoted South Korea’s culture to North Koreans
at the Border ○ KPop is banned in North Korea (although many
illegally consume South Korean Media)
Cheer UP
By TWICE
 Cheer UP
By TWICE

● Used in South Korea’s President Moon Jae-In’s

2016 campaign
● Lyrics changed to reflect political issues
directed towards the youth such as youth
unemployment, rather than resolving tensions
with North Korea
 Stay
Tonight
CHUNGHA 2020
 Stay Tonight
● Dance-centric music video
○ Large dance team
○ Traditionally “sexual” dance moves such as hip thrusts and
suggestive hand gestures
○ Voguing, roots within Black LGBT culture from Harlem
● Eccentric fashion that contributes to the “wild” culture of KPop
○ Lip decorations
○ Leather gloves
○ Garter-like pants
○ Men wear makeup and use high-heels
Big Takeaways:
● Hallyu instigated the change in popular music within Korea
● Kayo (Popular music) was largely censored and not nurtured
● KPop introduced new genres and rebellious themes in media at the same time
democratic ideals grew.
● Today, KPop is used both as an economic accelerator and as political propaganda
Links for Music
KAYO:
Shin JungHyun "The Beauty"
Lee Mi Ja "Tongbaek Agassi"
KPOP:
BIG BANG "BANG BANG BANG"
APink "Let Us Just Love" (Audio only)
GFriend "Me Gustas Tu"
TWICE "Cheer Up" Original
TWICE "Cheer Up" Presidential Campaign
CHUNGHA “Stay Tonight”
Bibliography

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jan/08/bang-bang-bang-k-pop-songs-blasted-north-korea

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6c8f/a05ae6ae253dc618441710bed2e8742c5098.pdf

https://cross-currents.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/e-journal/articles/oh_lee_0.pdf

https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/05/04/526832438/parade-floats-and-altered-k-pop-songs-mark-south-ko
reas-coming-election