Introduction
This study examines the cultural meanings of people’s music-related activities in society, particularly Korean popular music or K-pop. The study is based on a review of relevant literature, musical and textual analyses, participant observation, and interviews with people of the K-pop world, with critical eyes on self-reflexivity issues. The act of K-pop, its nationalism, and its national identity are all examined in this essay. Special attention is given to the self-reflexivity of different stakeholders within the K-pop industry as well as available literature on the contribution of K-pop towards nationalism and national identity. This study argues that extensive cultural consumption affects a few people’s lives and can significantly strengthen nationalism and national identity.
Background of the Study
The popular music genre known as K-pop, or Korean popular music, originates in South Korea and is an integral part of its culture. Internationally popular styles and genres such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gospel, reggae, electronic dance, and folk are only some of those that are represented (Anderson 2020). In addition to its origins in traditional Korean music, K-pop also incorporates other genres and styles like country, disco, and classical. In the 2000s, “K-pop” gained popularity, particularly on a global scale. Gayo is the term used in Korea for domestic pop music, which is still often used in South Korea (Yoon, 2022). Regardless of genre, this is all Korean music, and performers connect it to the nation’s entertainment and idol industries.
With the formation of the hip-hop boy band Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992, the more contemporary genre variation, initially referred to as “rap dance,” developed. In the 1990s, as K-pop idol music developed into a subculture with massive teen and young adult fandoms, modern K-pop “idol” culture was born. In 2003, a new generation of K-pop idols was introduced by TVXQ and BoA., which helped the genre break into the nearby Japanese market after a dip in early idol music (Oh 2021). Boy bands made up of Khonminam, attractive, androgynous young guys, are frequently the focus of K-pop. Their shoujo and bishounen-inspired art are geared toward the female gaze. The boys often have nicely coiffed or colored hair, minimal jewelry, light makeup, and various suit stylings.
The Korean government recognized the potential of K-pop in the early 2000s and was looking for new sources of power for future development. Government intervention led to K-pop becoming a popular culture among Koreans and people outside Korea and an essential national strategic item (Gibson 2020). As a result, it continued to develop into a component of cultural nationalism that dominated East Asia in politics and diplomacy. K-pop, a product of public-private cooperation, attracted attention as a crucial economic driver for Korea and developed into a social phenomenon that showcases the country’s cultural brilliance and gives Koreans a sense of nationalistic pride.
Literature Review
South Korean cultural practices like K-pop play a decisive role in enhancing nationalism and national identity. K-pop has played a fundamental role in improving the nation’s pride through different aspects. It differs from other international music due to the Korean lyrics, superb stage performance, dance style, costume, the local incubation system, and Kalgunmu. According to a study by Messerlin and Shin (2017), K-pop has quickly evolved over the past few decades into a global mass culture that reflects Korea and East Asia. Although K-pop has followers and stars from all over the world and crosses cultural and geographic boundaries, there has always been a certain amount of “Korea” in its foundations. K-pop serves as a tactical soft power asset that has aided South Korea’s standing in the international arena. Additionally, an article by Valge and Hinsberg (2020) reveals that K-pop’s profitability and global marketability have brought capitalistic success to the country. K-inherent pop’s Koreanness and international popularity provide Koreans a reason to be proud of their country.
The global rise of K-pop has not only served to facilitate transnationalism. Research by Dieckhoff and Schoch (2017) reveals that the phenomenon has also helped to rejuvenate its cultural nationalism as represented not only through traditional cultural customs but also through youthful, contemporary, and digital cultural forms. Moreover, the global production and consumption of K-pop have undeniably offered young South Korean fans a cultural resource for affirming their national identity and pride (Berbiguier and Cho 2017). This rejuvenation of cultural nationalism, which is sometimes skeptically considered blind nationalism with a disapproving Korean slang term, gukbbong, may not be substantially different from older forms of nationalism.
While the gukbbong mentality is more about South Koreans’ self-assurance and pride, the soft-power discourse aims to instrumentalize the Korean Wave for political and economic gains systematically. State and non-state actors have used the Korean Wave as a means and signifier of national cultural power. Although K-pop is an undeniably hybrid form of cultural trend, it is often signified by the K (the country of origin) in several different yet potentially interwoven ways. An article by Gibson (2020) re-affirms acknowledging the importance of K-pop as a tool of soft power. The South Korean government has promoted it as a primary means of the country’s soft power and for cultural diplomacy.
The government has treated K-pop as a core national branding and cultural diplomacy sector. Consecutive presidents have often celebrated K-pop artists’ global popularity and cited them as examples of the country’s burgeoning creative industries. The instrumentalization of K-pop and, more widely, the Korean Wave for cultural diplomacy tends to define popular cultural practices as essentialized national culture under the K brand. This Korean Wave–driven cultural diplomacy discourse treats K-pop stars as “agents through which state power is translated and disseminated to the public” (Keith 2022, 59). This factor indicates the influence of K-pop in advancing nationality and nationalism through national branding.
The public and the media in South Korea have engaged with a nationalist interpretation of K-pop and the Korean Wave. The global K-pop phenomenon has often been celebrated as a symbol of excellence in the national culture and, thus, as a booster of a general sense of national pride. An article by Ji-won (2022) shows that news on K-pop artists and industries has continuously appeared in mainstream South Korean media. For example, BTS’s U.S. billboard rankings have been reported in South Korea almost in real-time. The overseas recognition of K-pop and the Korean Wave may have fulfilled South Koreans’ desire. This desire was to overcome the post-colonial inferiority complex with which they often considered their pop music and culture as knock-offs of Western or Japanese counterparts (Yoon 2017). The nationalistic celebration of the global K-pop phenomenon has often occurred through South Korean news media’s horse-racing style reports on Western media’s recognition of K-pop.
K-pop is a relatively new genre, but its fanbase has grown tremendously in South Korea. A study by Jenol (2020) sought participant observation and semi-structured in-depth interviews to get into K-pop fans’ experiences, views, values, and lifestyles. According to the study’s findings, being a K-pop fan carries a special meaning that transcends a fan of a music genre. It varies from providing a sense of belonging, unleashing a fan’s talent and capabilities, and offering a platform for escapism and emotional and motivational support through a para-social relationship. Through the interviews with K-pop fans, it is evident that K-pop plays a significant role in enhancing national identity.
The difficulty in identifying Koreanness in K-pop culture is an intriguing aspect. According to an article by Daymanb (2017), it might be challenging to identify similarities between K-pop and traditional Korean music. The former is centered on melismatic melodies, harsh voices, and the pentatonic scale. The former uses a diatonic scale and several English terms in its lyrics and frequently incorporates thunderous drum beats with strong dancing movements.
K-pop, described as Korean popular culture exported outside, is a genre. This does not suggest that there are simply no indications of Korean identity in K-pop. Psy’s Gangnam Style, in the opinion of Park Sang-jin, a retired professor of traditional Korean music at Dongguk University, attracted attention since”there is something peculiar about it that cannot be found in western music” (Koo and Koo 2022). He claims that Gangnam Style is a piece based on Hwimori jangdan, a traditional janggu rhythm known for being “fast as a whirlwind.” Given that it is difficult to say with certainty that K-pop has genuinely inherited the elements and values of traditional Korean music, it is distinguished from other world music by the fact that Korean stars continue to make up the vast majority, the use of Korean lyrics, outstanding stage performances, dance styles, costumes, the local incubating system, and Kalgunmu.
BTS, the most successful producer of Korean pop culture, has made a significant economic contribution to South Korea. This estimate includes purchases of the band’s music, merchandising, concert tickets, and the additional number of visitors traveling to South Korea due to their interest in the group. According to estimates in the article by Suntikul, over 800,000 tourists visiting South Korea traveled there in 2017—roughly 7% of all arrivals—because they were fans of BTS (2019). BTS members have been promoting Seoul as the city’s Honorary Tourism Ambassador through the “Live Seoul Like I Do” campaign, which aims to bring tourists to the band members’ favorite spots.
Conclusion
The k-pop represents a music genre that shows how the cultural practices of the Korean people use music to advance nationalism and national identity. Through lyrics, costumes, dance moves, and government promotion of K-pop culture, the nation has been able to politically and economically reap from the cultural practice. Different studies provide the context in which K-pop has been fundamental in enhancing national identity. K-pop is celebrated as a symbol of excellence in the national culture and, thus, as a booster of a general sense of national pride. The government has treated K-pop as a core sector of national branding and cultural diplomacy to develop a sense of national identity and influence across other cultures. Indeed, the production and consumption of K-pop have undeniably offered young South Korean fans a cultural resource for affirming their national identity while promoting the nation’s nationalism.
Bibliography
Anderson, Crystal S. 2020. “‘A Song Calling for You.’” Soul in Seoul, 43–88.
Dayman, Lucy. 2017. “What’s the Difference between J-Pop and K-Pop?” Culture Trip. The Culture Trip. Web.
Dieckhoff, Alain, and Cynthia Schoch. 2017. “The Nation as a Community of Culture.” Nationalism and the Multination State, 15–32.
Gibson, Jenna. 2020. “How South Korean Pop Culture Can Be a Source of Soft Power – the Case for South Korean Soft Power.” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Web.
Ji-won, Choi. 2022. “K-Pop Invasion: From a Local Trend to a Global Phenomenon, and Beyond.” Asia News Network. Web.
Koo, Jeung Mo, and Hyun Mo Koo. 2022. “The Columbia Journal of Asia.” K-Pop from Local to Global: A Study on Cultural Nationalism in Korean Pop Culture. Yonsei University. Web.
Messerlin, Patrick A., and Wonkyu Shin. 2017. “The Success of K-Pop.” Asian Journal of Social Science 45 (4-5): 409–39.
Oh, Youjeong. 2021. Pop City: Korean Popular Culture and the Selling of Place. S.l.: Cornell University Press.
Suntikul, Wantanee. 2019. “BTS and the Global Spread of Korean Soft Power.” The Diplomat. Web.
Valge, Claudia, and Maari Hinsberg. 2020. “The Capitalist Control of K-Pop: The Idol as a Product.” ICDS. Web.
Yoon, Kyong. 2022. Digital Mediascapes of Transnational Korean Youth Culture. S.l.: Routledge.