The Rise of K-pop

With the rise of K-pop in the western countries, it is not a surprise that more people are noticing the influence amongst non-Koreans, as well as in the entertainment business and on social media.

The Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu Wave, is the flow of Korean pop culture entering different countries. Korean music, dramas, films and variety shows all fall into this category and has been popular mostly throughout Asian countries, now finally reaching America, Europe and the UK.

Although it is the Korean pop culture that is spreading, most individuals think that it is the music specifically that is immersing people to get into it. The Korean music industry is very different compared to western music industries.

After passing a music company’s audition at an extremely young age, many go through a rigorous training in order to become a singer, or an “idol”, which is the common term used for Korean singers.

It would be career ending for an “idol” to be found clubbing, smoking or dating. Due to this, music companies create strict rules for each person when they sign a contract, such as having a dating ban that can last 3 to 5 years.

Korean fans tend to be wild sometimes as well. There is even a word used for the overly obsessive fans who stalk their “idols” and commit an invasion of privacy, which is “sasaeng fans”.

That is one of the reasons why Korean “idols” have such a harsh life. If they get caught doing anything that the fans do not like, for example dating, then they can say goodbye to any kind of profit they were receiving, since “sasaeng fans” will go crazy with betrayal.

Because of this, many Korean entertainment companies do not like their artists behaving the way an average adult would here in the UK or in the US. “Idols” must have a clean and pure reputation there.

The Korean Wave first showed signs of its distribution in the late 90s, although compared to then, even people who do not enjoy the Korean pop culture know of it now.

Many “idol” groups, which are more popular than solo artists in Korea, are expected to branch out to other entertainment categories, such as modelling, acting, hosting or having a solo album outside of the group. One group could consist of all these jobs, but their first and foremost job would always be their position as an “idol” in the group.

Being able to promote through various forms gives “idols” like the Korean boy group BTS to appeal to foreign fans oversees. Since 2016, BTS have been going to the US for social events, which they get invited to due to their number of following of fans and their success reaching the western countries.

In the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, BTS went to America to accept an award for their social standing. Their use of Twitter and communication with their fans earned them to be noticed and nominated, causing more people to take interest in BTS.

Some people now travel to South Korea only because they love the music so much, so they like to explore the rest of the culture there.

Controversy

The rise and popularity of K-Pop has not just come with filled stadiums and numerous awards, as it has also come with its fair share of controversy.

Cultural appropriation and racial insensitivity in K-pop is nothing new. There are notorious instances of Blackface going back to at least 2003, when the Bubble Sisters wore Blackface for their debut cover art. Within K-pop, blackface, mouthing or saying racial slurs, and purely aesthetic uses of Black culture and hairstyles are still common.

K-pop stars have also appropriated Black, Brown, and Indigenous cultures as aesthetic concepts in their work. Girl group T-ara’s 2012 video “yayaya” showed the band in stereotypical Native American dress.

There is a lot of accusations thrown at K-pop stars sometimes in terms of their ability to sing. Many comment saying that some individuals within groups are there just for the visuals or the dancing, but they don’t have the talent in singing or rapping.

This has been an ongoing controversy since early 2000s and continues to be an issue amongst fans of every group. The fans sometimes go and accuse other groups or solo singers to ‘hate’ on them for their lack of singing ability.