K-pop Reflections

Korean pop culture... I don't even know where to begin! When I started this class in January, I literally did not know a thing about K-pop. I'd never heard of Rain or BoA or seen any of the dramas. I'd never read a manwha or watched any of the movies. All I knew was that when I asked my Chinese roommate what she thought of Korean pop culture, her response was, "I've never heard of anyone who got into K-pop and didn't like it." And how right she was.

My initial impressive of Korean pop culture was that it was a bunch of boy bands and pop princesses which were put together by managers for their looks and dancing ability and then paraded around. Coming from a background as an American girl who grew in the 90's (the reign of New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC) I thought this was wonderful. The 90's were alive and well in Korea with an updated look and feel, and I thought that was great! But the thing I've learned from this class is that K-pop is so much more than that. Sure, maybe these pop stars are similar to my beloved 90's boy bands, but they are distinctly Korean. Their music videos and performance styles are unique, their clothes, their hair, their style. They are much more a reflection of Korean sensibilities than I think their American counterparts ever were.

And that's the thing which I think makes K-pop so great. The history and the traditions of Korea are a part of everything which comes out of it. From the historical dramas celebrating national heroes like Yi Sunsin to the more modern dramas which reflect the value of the family and of modern urban life, the stamp of Korea is all over these products. I think Koreans have done a great job of taking popular cultural products like music (especially punk) and TV dramas and really making them their own.

The thing which I think makes K-pop so, well, popular though is that while it is truly a Korean product, it also reflects universal values which everyone can relate to. We talked about "coevalness" amongst East Asians which has help K-pop to spread to other Asian nations, and I think that "coevalness" exists even outside of that region. Anyone who's ever been in love, or wished to be in love, or been hurt by love, or who has a family, or has lost someone or felt any emotion of any kind can connect with Korean pop culture. If you like to look at beautiful people, you can appreciate Korean pop culture. Even if you don't know a thing about Korea, you can still appreciate Korean pop culture. And that, I think, is where the value truly lies.

The Hallyu wave is going strong, and I think it's only going to continue. Korea has knack for making great cultural products which can easily be loved all over the world. As they become more and more popular, I think it will honestly be hard for people not to jump on the bandwagon. Everyone can find something to love in K-pop, and as long as that remains true, I don't think there's anything that could stop it.