K-pop

‘Gangnam Style’ of PSY, Sandara Park and 2NE1, Super Junior…

You may be heard of these things once these days. Especially ‘Gangnam Style’ is a K-pop single by the South Korean musician PSY and became the first YouTube video to reach a billion views and influenced popular culture worldwide since then. Though there are still many biases towards this song, but those biases prove that much people are known to this song. I believe the popularization of Korean singers and pops are able since there is the advanced technology and culture due to the globalization of the world.

However, I doubted to the saying that these K-pops and singers let Korea to be known around the world. I agree to the fact that there are many people around the world still do not know where is Korea exist and what is Korea since I or any Korean people go to other countries, especially the European countries, people usually first asking us if I or we are Chinese or Japanese – Though that question impressed me as those European people only knows only two countries among many countries in Asia (No Bias!!). Also, it is true that K-pop, singer, and also the many Korean celebrities and their movie or drama make Korea to aware to those people. Truly, I am proud of them and to be a Korean.

Then why am I doubted about the popularity of these celebrities in make Korean known to the world? This is because I think these things that these celebrities promote and show to the world is something that is not truly Korean things. Those are rather much influenced by Western things. The genuine Korean songs are much different from the songs like Gangnam style or songs of 2NE1. The genuine culture is different from the things which these celebrities are acting before the world.

However, I appreciate the fact that genuine culture and things of Korea are not that attractive to the Western or foreigners since true Korean culture is rather soft and peaceful than to be fancy and showy to the western people who are used to with loudness and such. For the good example showing that usual foreign people are not fan of the genuine culture is the performance of Yuna Kim who is famous figure-skater of Korea and the world. The world praises the every performance of Yuna kim since it is really graceful and gorgeous than any other skater’s performance. She considered as ‘Queen on the Ice’. Despite of famousness and how gorgeous she is and all her performances, she was not praised as before when she performed Arirang last April, 2011. She was 1^st performance on the ice-link for every game but she was not able to get golden medal for this performance though her skills are perfect enough. Why she has to not get golden medal for this performance where she performed with genuine Korean songs rather than songs which is known to the foreigners?

<Yuna Kim, 'Arirang'>

Though it seems like the world recognizes the country Korea, but there are more ways to go for us to Korea to be recognized with the genuine Korean culture. For this to be happen, I believe, Korean people should first recognize our own things and culture and proud of these things. Obviously, I am already proud of not only to be a Korean but all the traditions and genuine culture of Korea. I believe Korea could stand firmly and proudly with our own things before the world in this age of globalization not only the things that are influenced a lot from western things.