KPOP and its influence on the youth

South Korea is a small country in the East Asia with a population no more than 51 million, more than half of it residing in its capital Seoul Capital Area. The country is prone to floods, tsunamis and cyclones due to it being located in the south of the Korean peninsula. This however does not deter the country from being one of the most developed countries in the world and having a strong influence in various sectors. It has become a popular hub for business and sports.

South Korea has been in news these past few years and for an entirely different reason. A community that has been on top of everyone’s tongue these days is the KPOP community. It has been a sensational topic amongst the music lovers and you can find people humming to a Korean song anywhere you go. So what is KPOP? And what is all the hype about? Well, you are just about to find out.

KPOP is the term representing South Korea’s music culture. Even though the name emphasises pop music, it is in fact an umbrella term for all of South Korea’s diverse musical roots. Pop, ballad, R&B, rock, country, hip hop, reggae and so much more! South Korea has something in store for everyone. It is truly a pity that we didn’t manage to discover this wonder earlier. It is no exaggeration to say that KPOP has become almost something like a mascot for the country.

KPOP is richly diverse and has a prosperous history, much like its western counterparts. Despite the most remarkable impressions of KPOP having been made in this decade, the genre has been making its way into people’s hearts long before that. The origins of Korean music culture can be traced back to even before 57 BCE, which is known as the proto Three Kingdom Era. Korean music (which was called Gayo back then), much similar to other East Asian countries, heavily relied on string instruments. The musical society at that time believed in sharing and exchanging their cultural accomplishments with their neighbour countries. This is also why; most of the Asian countries have essence of various cultures mixed with them.

The Western world however remained ignorant of the Korean music until the very late 19th century. This was the time when Europeans and other western nations had Industrial Revolution going on and began making their move on Asian countries to establish their markets. Most took the suppression approach and washed these Asian countries with their own colors. The folk culture was having a hard time surviving and at the end, somewhat begrudgingly, they accepted parts of the foreign culture in their own. This acceptance also included the ‘band’ culture the European nations had going on in their community. Basically, a band was when a group of music enthusiasts with similar interests came together and created music pieces, sometimes for themselves but mostly for their target audience. This was very intriguing to Koreans who had a similar concept of nomadic groups going place to place and showcasing their music.

In 1990s, the country finally refined their music and produced musical pieces that we now know of as KPOP. If I had to point out, the Seo Taiji and Boys from year 1992 can be pronounced as the one of the first boy groups to have been popularised. And then it began, the era of reshaping the Korean music culture and experimenting with foreign musical elements. The boyband H.O.T. in 1996 brought about the “idol” culture and was very famous amongst the masses creating a separate fandom for themselves.

The late 2000s saw the boom in popularity of KPOP worldwide. With groups like TVXQ and BoA coming from S.M. Entertainment, the Asian population was hooked. KPOP was especially famous in Japan, China, Thailand and Indonesia while also spreading its influence over the western countries. By the next decade, not only KPOP but various other music cultures like Latin and Brazilian became raving sensation. Gangnam Style by PSY that was released in 2012 became so popular; it had many songs failing to meet its popularity in their native countries. It also brought about a wave of intrigued listeners to KPOP community. Later around 2015, KPOP groups such as EXO, Blackpink, and BTS widened their fan base internationally by including English, Japanese, Chinese and other versions of their songs in their albums. Some even took another step forward and promoted their albums on international chat shows and other platforms.

Meanwhile, their associated agencies strengthened their presence of various social media platforms. Twitter, for instance has become one of the favourite ways for fans to follow their idols and connect with other people from their respective fandoms. The fans of such groups now refer to themselves as ‘stans’. The diversity found in a fan base is really astonishing. People from all age groups, regardless of their gender, nationality or race love KPOP and try to support their idols as much as they could.

THE GOOD

The youthful section of the society is particularly taken by KPOP. They actively support their favourite groups by buying merch, organising fan festivals and even participating in promotional events organised by the entertainment agencies. This embeds a sense of team spirit in them. Mingling with like-minded people from different social groups makes them more open minded and accepting even in their lives outside of KPOP. They exchange their views, talk about their own culture and learn about others’. They are more confident in expressing themselves and their culture as well as accepting others’. This knowledge also comes in handy when they start working for multinational organisations. The agencies and artists also make sure to integrate other cultures in their art pieces to cater to their diverse fan base. KPOP has also become an incentive for people to learn Korean, so as to not be lost in the lyrics and feel closer to their favourite idols. Learning a new language has always been considered a positive feat and it adds another feather to their career hat.

Most of the KPOP stans condemn racism and even educate the people around them. The recent Black Lives Movement has proved the active participation and support the KPOP community shows towards the events outside their area of interest. Some even went extra mile to ask their idols and agencies to use their presence and support the cause. They used their influence on social media, putting aside the fan wars to voice the plight of black people. This clearly shows that they are aware of differences in culture and understand the sensitivity it brings. Even the artists from time to time promote positive ideas and come forward when required. They use their music to spread love and positive vibes. KPOP also helps people’s inner artists come out and show their appreciation for their favourite idols. They make various fan arts, write fan fictions, and even make remixes of their favourite songs. It induces them to learn art that may or may not be completely outside their career prospects.

KPOP has contributed tremendously to the South Korean economy. People have been extremely curious about the country and their tourism industry is at an all time high. People are coming to the country as tourists, exchange students and even job seekers. The exchange of culture leads to The Korean government even went as far as to appoint the KPOP group EXO as honorary ambassadors of the country. Korean culture, traditions and lifestyle has been positively famed and people show love to every glimpse they can get of this wonderful country. KPOP is also being used as a device for diplomacy. The soft power (pursuing one’s goals by persuading stakeholders using cultural and ideological power) that KPOP holds has been made use of in various economic and legal sanctions.

The foundations of KPOP have not been established on vague promises. It has been a healing salve for its fans for years and a gateway from their busy lives. The Korean songs have been praised for having uplifting messages. Due to the strict censorship and cultural values in South Korea, the songs and lyrics refrain from the use of profanity, indecent language and crude content from being displayed. KPOP is not only famous for its exhilarating music but also for its hyper creative choreographies. Dance enthusiasts all over the world love to learn and recreate their own version of steps for their favourite songs. The songs are also used for dance classes and even professional dancers acclaim the choreographies to be very challenging and fun. Music has always been one of the most sought out forms of escapism and KPOP has been praised to be highly effective in this.

THE BAD

There’s always a dark side to everything. KPOP for all it is fun and games, sometimes proves to be highly problematic. Considering how it came to be, it’s no shock that KPOP experiments with foreign music a lot. And it is quite fine really. But the problem arises when they cross the line between appreciation and appropriation. Through the years, various KPOP groups and idols have been accused of appropriating the ‘Black’ culture. Artists have been found wearing specific clothes or hairstyles that hold sentimental value to different cultures to add ‘flavor’ in their videos. Some underdog artists have even accused KPOP artists of stealing their art without due credit. It’s high time the agencies understand that their audience come from various communities and hurting their sentiments by appropriating their culture would only prove to be detrimental in the long run.

Korean entertainment agencies have also been accused to treating their artists cruelly and degradingly. The young trainees are put under a lot of pressure physically and mentally. Girls are especially forced to maintain their public image and hide their real selves. They should act all cheery and bubbly in front of the crowd. Girls and boys alike are made to project an almost unrealistic and godly image to their fans. This corrupts the minds of young teens that are unconfident about their own bodies. It sometimes leads to severe depression, anxiety, inferiority complex and eating disorders. The artists themselves get little to no sleep for weeks and are prohibited from eating and doing things they like. Various artists even succumbed to the pressure and either left the industry for good, developed mental disorders or some sadly, committed self-harm.

The social media, which is one of the most impactful tools our generation has in their hands, holds the risk of being misused and spreading hate. The national and international fans interact with each other quite often but many a times ill meaning rumours are spread about artists through those interactions. Recently, the rivalry between fandoms has become quite toxic and people have no idea what their venomous words behind the screen can do to one’s mental health. People have become so invested in KPOP that sometimes they take the wins and losses of their artists personally. They bash the rival artists and resort to very extreme measures. Some people are so twisted that they resort to stalking and sending death threats to KPOP artists. Yes the companies are quick to take action against them but by then the damage has already been done.

The KPOP stans have also been found to have an unhealthy obsession towards their idol’s personal lives. Artists spend almost 2/3rd of their days in front of the cameras and most of their time interacting with people. Therefore, it is quite reasonable when they attempt to keep their personal lives private. But alas! Obsessed fans, also known as saesangs, go to extreme ends to invade their small moments of privacy. They stalk them and find out their personal details like addresses, family information and their pasts. Saesangs do not even hesitate to spread these details like wildfire for momentary attention. The artists then are left to deal with whatever backlash it might bring. The dating scene of idols is another thing that keeps fans speculating. Some people go as far as shaming them for being in a relationship. They are quick to leave them and on top of that they slander both parties of the relationship maliciously. This has made artists skeptical about being open with their relationships.

CONCLUSION

KPOP in recent years has shown its awe-inspiring potential and stunning allure to the world. The genre has shown how a community can modernise and globalise, all the while staying true to their roots. However, it does not overshadow the fact that change is definitely required in the KPOP community. The entertainment agencies need to treat their artists better and make sure to protect them from hate. The people and listeners in general, should also broaden their minds and encourage healthy competition amongst the fandoms and artists. Youth should know how to identify ill- intent from good. They should make sure not to belittle any culture and should not hesitate to call out their idols for doing so. The artists should acknowledge their impact over young and impressionable minds and take actions with caution. They should also know when to fight back and not put their health at risk. The government should keep a watchful eye over the evils present in the community and aim to lend their hand in eradicating them.

Any and all form of art is beautiful. It soothes the soul and revitalises one’s day. KPOP is a magnificent form of art. Like all other art forms, it was cultivated as a means of self-expression and bringing out the beauty of Korean culture. The art itself is untainted. How people decide to play will it is in their hands is entirely up to them. So you better get a grip soon, because KPOP is here, and it is here to stay.