6D Class Presentation – K-Pop

Background
K-Pop is a musical genre consisting of dance, electronic, electropop, hip hop, and R&B music originating in South Korea. As an important part of the Korean Wave, K-pop has come from humble begimiings to gain a huge fan base not just in Asia but also other parts of the world. As South Korea continues to develop its IT infrastructure, K-Pop music is being shared over the internet and through mobile devices more rapidly than ever.

Fans come from all around the world and K-Pop is considered by some to be South Korea’s greatest export because of its popularity and growing influence.

Characteristics

Many K-Pop music videos have colourful visuals and a catchy beat. K-Pop multiple vocal genres, especially hip-hop and rap, and emphasizes performances and strong visuals. Dance is an integral part of K-pop. When combining multiple singers, the singers often switch their positions while singing and dancing by making prompt movements in synchrony. K-Pop is also recognized for pretty-boys and girl groups that are young and considered attractive.

Globalization

South Korea is emerging in the 21st century as a major exporter of popular culture. K-Pop has been embraced by the South Korean government as a tool for soft power abroad, particularly towards youth. K-Pop music videos were viewed more than 2 billion times during 2011, almost three times the 800 million views in 2010. According to the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange, K-pop has been a successful export of Korean culture in Asia. On its “Korean Waves” index, the top country in 2010 was Japan, in a list that includes Taiwan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Following BoA’s successful Japanese career, countless Korean pop acts have also made inroads in the market, including SHINee, Super Junior, BIGBANG’ KARA, Girls Generation, 2PM, and Brown Eyed Girls.