Kpop- What it is and Why you Should Care

I want to take this time to cover a topic you will for sure experience during your studies in Korea- Kpop. I know it is likely that some of you, if you have done your research on Korea or are already into Korean culture, will already know what it is. If you do, please bear with me while I go ahead and explain what it is and why you should care about it if you study in Korea.

Kpop, much as the name implies, basically stands for Korean Pop, yet is more than that. The best way that I can describe Kpop is very catchy lyrics that are almost all fluff and sung to very upbeat and catchy tunes. Kpop as a music genre might be known to you due to the fact that it is part of the phenomenon known as Hallyu, or Korean wave, meant to describe the rapid popularization of Korean culture around the world. As such the entire scene around Kpop in Korea is astonishing. It is a weird mix of American music star fandom mixed with the hyper celebrity culture around movie stars familiar to Americans.

From what I saw while I was I Korea, Kpop girl groups, and boy bands for that matter, are usually attractive and are idolized to an incredible amount. Kpop is almost pervasive. You’ll likely hear it while walking around the city, you’ll see advertisements with Kpop stars and you’ll rarely go a day without seeing or hearing something Kpop-ish.

However, I must admit that, if you’re anything like me, Kpop music will annoy you at first if you’re not used to it. I know it annoyed me and some of my fellow study abroad students at first. Eventually, however, it will be hard to not get sucked into the whole scene and eventually you’ll find yourself humming along to some random upbeat Kpop tune.

Even now that I am back home, I find myself going to YouTube and watching some Kpop music videos every now and then.

Moral of the story kids- Kpop may be different at first but it’ll grow on you, so don’t dismiss it until you experience it in Korea.

Ps. This is based on what I experienced while I was in Korea and someone more knowledgeable will be able to provide more in-depth view on the subject.

Ps.s. If you wish to listen to some Kpop, look up Sistar, B1A4, and 9 Muses. These are just some of the groups I sometimes realize I’m listening to.