Korean Peninsula Culture Studies - Lynn
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Korean Peninsula Culture Studies
Table of Contents
Korean Peninsula Facts & Statistics 3
History of the Korean Peninsula 4
Silla Dynasty
Koryo Dynasty
Choson Dynasty
Korea under Japanese Rule
Korea after 1945
The Korean Language and Alphabet 6
South Korean Leaders 8
The First Republic
The Second Republic
The Third and Fourth Republic
The Fifth Republic
The Sixth Republic
Korean Surnames 11
Korea’s hierarchical respect scale 12
Age
Business Culture 14
Media 15
Newspapers
Press Freedom
Television
Variety Shows
Korean Wave 18
K-pop
Dramas
References 22
2Korean Peninsula Facts and Statistics
Name Name
Republic of Korea Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
대한민국 애국가
Known as Known as
South Korea North Korea
Location Location
Eastern Asia. Southern half of the Eastern Asia. Northern half of the
Korean Peninsula. Korean Peninsula.
Capital city Capital city
Seoul Pyongyang
서울 평양
Population Population
51 million 25.5 million
Time Zone Time Zone
Korea Standard Time UTC (UTC+09:00) Korea Standard Time UTC (UTC+09:00)
Currency Currency
€1 = ₩1331 Korean Won €1 = ₩1060.10 North Korean Won
Leaders since 1948 Leaders since 1948
12 3
Current head of state Current head of state
President Moon Jae-in Supreme leader Kim Jong-un
Mobile Phone subscriptions Mobile Phone subscriptions
58.9 million 3.2 million
3History of the Korean Peninsula
Over time, three kingdoms arose in the peninsula; Koguryo in the
north, Paekche in the southwest, and Silla in the southeast.
Silla Dynasty (688-918) 신라
The Silla kingdom defeated its rivals by working together with the
Chinese dynasty at the time and created the first unified Korean
state in 688. The Silla dynasty is remembered for its characteristic
pottery and architecture.
At the end of the 8th century, the Silla kingdom was weakened from
within. Gungye, a member of the Silla royal family and local faction
leader, founded Later Goguryeo in 901. Gungye wanted control over
local leaders and lost popularity. A local leader, Wang Geon, took
power over Later Goguryeo and changed the name to Koryo.
Koryo Dynasty (918-1392) 고려왕조
After a while, the three kingdoms reemerged. Led by General Wang
Kŏn, the Koryo dynasty took power and Korea came close to its modern
and present boundaries. Koryo’s name was derived from Koguryo and
the beginning of Korea’s Western name. During this time Korea began
to form its own culture and traditions.
Confucianism was adopted as its political ideology and Koryo began
to an effective educational system. Koryo had a less strict policy
for religion and engaged in trade with other countries.
Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) 대조선국
Founded by Koryo military commander Yi Seong-gye. He moved the
capital to Hanyang (now Seoul) and became allies with a group of
Confucian scholars who reorganized the Korean society and
The Choson dynasty knew a strict policy when it came to contact with
other countries. Few Koreans left the Peninsula and even fewer
entered. The only contact Korea had with its neighbors at the time,
was during the yearly diplomatic missions to China.
Korea under Japanese rule (1910-1945)
Japan, China, and Russia were Koreas biggest treats during the last
part of the nineteenth century. After Japan defeated China and
Russia during the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars between 1895
and 1905, the country became the dominant force in Asia. Japan took
control of Korea’s vital functions, as foreign relations and
4banking, and formally annexed Korea in 1910. Years of strict ruling
followed. Japan wanted to get rid of the Korean language and its
culture and even tried to have everyone change their name to a
Japanese one in 1939. Not all was bad during the Japanese colonial
rule. The Japanese set up steel and cement industries in the
northern part of the Peninsula and when Japanese rule ended in
August 1945, Korea was the second most industrialized country in
Asia after Japan.
Korea after 1945 (1945-1953)
When Japan surrendered to the allies at the end of the Second World
War, Korea was split up in two. The United States and The Soviet
Union agreed to both take a part of Korea until a unified Korean
government could be established. The Sovjet Union occupied the
North, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and The United
States occupied the South, the Republic of Korea.
When a pro-US government was established in Seoul on August 15,
1948, the Soviet Union reacted to it by establishing a pro-Sovjet
government in Pyongyang, three weeks later. This caused a situation
of extreme tension, especially during the time of an already
emerging Cold War.
North Korea tried to unify the peninsula once again, by force, on
the 25 of June 1950. The North was backed up by China and the Soviet
Union, while the South was backed up by The United Nations. On July
27, 1953, The Korean Armistice was signed by U.S. Army Lieutenant
General William Harrison and North Korean General Nam Il. The
agreement created the demilitarized zone, which is still intact.
5The Korean language and alphabet
Korean is a language spoken by about 80 million people across North
and South Korea and small communities around the world.
Language
Korean is the official language of the Republic of Korea (South) and
the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North). Post Second World
War influence from the United States of America has been reflected
in the use of English loan words in the South Korean language.
Alphabet
Hangeul 한글 (Chosongul in North-Korea) was introduced in the 15th
century by King Sejong. Hanja, a complex Chinese script, was used at
the time but only few could read it or had the time to learn how to
read it. He wanted to develop a writing system that was easy to read
for everyone, not just the wealthy, "Saddened by this widespread
illiteracy, I have developed 28 new letters. It is my wish that
people learn these letters easily and that they be convenient for
daily use." Although king Sejung was assisted by a group of people,
he was personally responsible for the working of Hangeul and it
became the official script in 1443. Hangeul is often seen as the
best writing system in the world.
Hangeul wasn’t the first name the alphabet we now know got, its
first name was Hunmin jeongeum, or "The correct sounds for the
instruction of the people". The modern name was used after linguist
Ju Si-gyeong changed it.
The spelling system right now is based on a draft proposed by Chosun
Language Institution in 1933. The draft was revised in 1988 but the
majority stayed the same. The shapes Hangeul uses largely
correspondent with what they sound like. They, however, are not
written linearly, they are written in syllable units. For example,
‘꿀벌(bee)’ is written like '꿀벌' not like 'ㄲ ㅜ ㄹ ㅂㅓㄹ'.
Consonants
There are fourteen basic consonants.
Hangeul Initial Final position
position
ㄱ Go Sick
ㄴ N N
ㄷ D T
ㄹ Ray Mall
6ㅁ M M
ㅂ Boy Cap
ㅅ S S
ㅇ No sound ng
ㅈ Joy Cat
ㅊ Church Cat
ㅋ Korea Sick
ㅌ Table Cat
ㅍ Piano Cap
ㅎ Home Cat
Vowels
There are ten basic vowels.
Hangeul Roman Phonetic
ㅏ a ah
ㅑ ya yah
ㅓ eo uh
ㅕ yeo yuh
ㅗ o oh
ㅛ yoh
ㅜ oo
ㅠ yoo
ㅡ uh
l ie
7South Korean leaders
The First Republic
Popular elections on August 15, 1948, chose Rhee Syngman 리승만 as
the first president of the Republic of Korea. Not long after, in
December 1948, the United Nations recognized the Republic of Korea
as the only legal government of Korea.
After the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, political turmoil
followed. Rhee wanted to exempt himself from the eight-year term
limit and made the president position a directly-elected position.
To get this through, he jailed everyone who might vote against it.
After years of autocratic leadership by Rhee, a student revolt, the
April revolution, broke out on election day in 1960 and he resigned
on April 26.
The Second Republic
After the student revolution, South Korea changed from a
presidential system to a cabinet system with Chang Myŏn 장면 as their
president. This constitutes the first and only time the president
took on a nominal role in South Korea. During this time,
unemployment and wholesale prices rose, while the Korean won (Korean
currency) lost half its value in a few months’ time.
A military coup om May 16, 1961, led by Major General Park Chung Hee
박정희 , put an end to the Second Republic. Park wasn’t satisfied with
the way the new government had cleaned up the mess the First
Republic left behind. He wanted to return the government to a
democratic system again and promised he would not run for office
during the next elections. Which he did do.
The Third Republic and the Fourth Republic
During the Third Republic, Korea took on a more confident role
regarding international relations. They even normalized their
relationship with Japan, in an agreement in 1965. The close bond
with The United Stated stayed the same and South Korea still
received large amounts of aid from them.
The economy grew massively during the Third and the Fourth Republic.
The Fourth Republic began with the Yusin Constitution on November
21, 1972. Which gave Park complete control over the parliament after
announcing martial law.
8After Park Chung Hee was assassinated in 1979, Prime Minister Choi
Kyu-Hah 최규하 became acting president. Yet another martial law is
declared the year after when another student protest breaks out and
200 people are killed by the military.
The Fifth Republic
General Chun Doo-hwan 전두환 is elected president in 1980 and martial
law was lifted in 1981. Chun’s administration has to endure some
scandals and problems. The biggest one being the bombing by North
Koreans in Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar), in October 1983. In
which several members of the South Korean government were killed.
Roh Tae-woo, chairman of the ruling Democratic Justice Party,
announces a program of reforms to get the country back on track
after the military took over. The Koreans aren’t happy with the
government and new elections are held in 1987. The first free
election is won by Roh Tae-woo 노태우 in 1987.
The Sixth Republic
The country is starting to shift to a high-tech and computer
industry and the 1988 Olympic Games are held in Seoul. The games
were boycotted by North-Korea and were the last Olympics before the
end of the Soviet Union and East Germany. The games were special
because they hosted the most athletes during the Cold War era.
Roh and his government took on a “northern diplomacy” policy toward
the Soviet Union and its allies. They established diplomatic ties
with Hungary, Poland, and Yugoslavia in 1989 and with the Soviet
Union a year later.
The first civilian president was elected in 1993, Kim Young-Sam
김영삼 . When Kim Dae-jung 후광 is elected ten years later, he starts
the “Sunshine policy”, in which he strives for a better bond with
the North. Part of the policy is offering economic and humanitarian
aid to North Korea. It results in a summit talk between North-Korean
leader Kim Jung-il and South Korean president Kim Young-sam in 2000.
After the summit, North-Korea stops its broadcasts of propaganda
against the south.
Kim Dae-jung even received a Nobel peace price for his peace
initiative. His policy, however, knew some scandals and he met
resistance from The United States. That same year, Korea hosted some
sports events. Together with Japan, they co-hosted the World Cup
association football finale and the Asian Games in Busan.
9Kim is succeeded by lawyer Roh Moo-Hyun 노무현 of Kim’s Millennium
Democratic Party in 2003.
During the 2007 elections, former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-Bak 이명박 is
elected.
When new elections were held in 2012, South Korea got their first
woman as president, Park Geun-Hye 박근혜. Park’s administrator came
under fire when a ferry sank in 2014 because of laxity of safety
regulations. 172 people died, most of them high-school students.
When parliament elections took place in 2016, Park’s longtime
confidant and friend, Choi Soon-Sil, was arrested on suspicion of
meddling in state business without a governmental function.
Later in 2017, Moon Jae-in 문재인 is elected as president and
promises to solve the countries crisis with North-Korea.
When the Olympic Games are held in Korea for the second time in
2018, North and South compete under the same flag. Later in 2018,
North-Korean Leader Kim Jung-un becomes the first North-Korean
leader to enter the South, when he meets Moon at the Panmunjom
border crossing.
10Korean surnames
Names are of great importance in Korea, according to history
professor Yumi Moon. When getting married, South Korean women, keep
their family name. "Changing your surname which is inherited from
your ancestors is disgraceful, according to the custom of the olden
days," Moon said. A person’s surname is also rendered first in South
Korea, and followed by his or her first names, because of its
importance. This all could be because of the strong want for
collectivism in South Korean life. It’s also the reason why, when
writing a letter, the biggest group is written first. You start with
province and city but end with the person’s name.
Why is everyone named 김?
김 → Kim (pronounced more like gim)
Around 1 in 5 South Koreans is named 김. Why? ‘’There are a few
factors at work’’, said Andrew Eungi Kim, a professor at Korea
University's Graduate School of International Studies. Half of the
population didn’t even have a surname until around the 17th century.
At the time, Koreans began using last names and most people chose 김,
Lee or Park because of its royal, important tint to it.
The first use of the name Kim known is by Korean king Jinhung (526-
576) from the Silla kingdom. His family rose to fame and became
rulers of the kingdom for 700 years. Kim means gold and is made up
of a Chinese symbol, along with a lot of other Korean surnames.
To still have some diversity, the name of your regional Clan was
added after Kim. Until 2005 it wasn’t possible to marry someone of
the same Kim-Clan because you were most likely family. To find out
if you’re from the same clan as your ‘to be’ husband or wife, just
find out if you’re from the same city originally.
Don’t ever write someone’s name in red, as it’s used to write names
of the deceased.
11Korea’s hierarchical respect scale and age
In most countries, age isn’t necessarily important in daily life. In
Korea however, it’s a different story. Your age decides where you
stand on the hierarchical respect scale. When you know where you
stand, you know how to speak to people, how to act around them and
how to listen.
Being older
Being older comes with its responsibilities but it also means you’ll
be getting a lot of respect. The younger one (your dongsaeng) needs
to treat you with respect. It doesn’t mean you’ll be getting ninety-
degree bows from everyone who is younger than you, which is the
ultimate sign of respect. It does, however, mean you’ll be listened
to because you are supposed to be wiser. Older Koreans also
naturally feel the need to take care of the younger one, and to pay
for their meal for example.
There are even words to address someone older than you, used in a
friendly way.
오빠 [o-ppa] → when you’re female, used to address an older male
형 [hyeong] → when you’re male, used to address an older male
누나 [nu-na] → when you’re male, used to address an older female
언니 [eon-ni] → when you’re female, used to address an older
female
Being younger
Being younger means you have to listen to what your elders say. You
don’t have to stay completely silent and you sure can add to the
conversation. But when decisions need to be made, the older ones
generally make them and when having dinner, waiting for your older
friend or family member to eat first is mandatory. When speaking
about someone superior(older) to him or herself, the speaker has to
use special nouns or verb endings to indicate the subject’s
superiority.
동생 [dong-saeng] → younger person
여동생 [yeo-dong-saeng] → younger female
남동생 [nam-dong-saeng] → younger male
12Being polite is of great importance in Korea. Speaking politely to
your elders is seen as something normal to do, even if someone is
just a day older. 존댓말 is used to describe this respectable way of
speaking.
존댓말 [Jondaetmal] →a polite way of speaking
Korean Age
When you’re born in Korea, you’re already one year old. The nine
months in the womb count as one full year. Then when it’s your
actual birthday, you don’t get to add a number to your age, because
everyone ages on January first.
For instance, if a baby gets born on December 31, he is one year
old. The next day, on January 1, he is two years old.
To avoid confusion, Koreans generally use the terms 한국나이 and 만
나이. International age is however used for official situations. Age
restrictions on alcohol or cigarettes are written in international
age, which for this example is nineteen.
한국나이 (Hanguk nai) → Korean Age
만 나이 (man nai) → International/birthday age
13Business Culture
Korea’s business culture is influenced by Confucian principles.
Confucianism was founded by Master Kong and originally contained a
set of moral and political doctrines, with Master Kong’s teachings
as its basis and humanism as its central feature.
You can see traces of Confucianism everywhere in Korean business.
The importance of group harmony, respect for elders and authority,
family, ancestors, and traditions. It all leads back to
Confucianism.
Your Counterpart
When working with a Korean, it’s important to know their rank and
title. Don’t use their first name, as it is extremely impolite.
Addressing someone by their last name is the normal thing to do,
‘Mr. Kim’ for instance. Because most surnames are used a lot, it can
be an option to use your counterparts first- and surname. This can
only happen when you’re in a not too formal situation. When the
conversation or place of conversation is very formal, you should use
your counterpart’s formal title, ‘Chairman Choi’ for instance.
Korean’s pay close attention to titles. Don’t ever send someone from
your company to talk with someone from another company that has a
higher title. The same goes for showing respect to people with
higher titles. You could have better competencies and
qualifications, but the other person has the title and plays part in
the decision making process.
Showing respect
As said before, showing respect is extremely important. Shaking
hands is always done with two hands. One hand holds the other
person's hand and the other hand holds your own forearm. Bowing is a
part of greetings as well. The deeper the bow, the more respect. A
ninety-degree bow is the ultimate signal of respect.
Learning how to say hello and thank you in Korean is also a great
way of showing respect. Say 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) when greeting
someone. Say 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) when thanking someone.
14Media
Newspapers
You can still see American influence in Korean newspapers as most of
them feature English pages and some are even completely in English.
Most Korean newspapers are part of the Korean Association of
Newspapers.
Full English
The Korea Times is an English language newspaper about “past,
present and future issues in Korea” according to their website. The
Times is published by one of the largest newspapers-companies in
Korea, Hankook Ilbo. The Korea Times first published in 1950 and is
the longest-running independent daily.
The Korea Herald was founded in 1953 and they call themselves a
“leading specialist paper”. They believe that the soul of a company
lies not in its profits but in its values. The Herald is all about
nature and they have been making investments in sustainability since
2012.
English Pages
The Chosun Ilbo is one of the major newspapers in South Korea and
was founded in 1920. “We constantly strive to produce professional
journalism. We firmly believe that our true value can only shine
when our confidence in providing unparalleled content matches the
trust our readers have placed in us.” Choson Ilbo has evolved into
one of the countries biggest media groups, Choson Media. The Chosun
Ilbo is a member of the Korean Association of Newspapers.
The Hankyoreh was established in 1988 by journalists who were
striving for independent journalism. Among them were a lot of
journalists who lost their jobs because they promoted freedom of
press and democracy. The Hankyoreh is a member of the Korean
Association of Newspapers.
Press Freedom
According to Freedom House, the press freedom of South Korea in 2017
was: partly free. The country gets a score of 34, where 0 is
completely free and 100 is not free at all. The final result used to
be free, up until 2011, when it became partly free. “South Korea
declined from Free to Partly Free to reflect an increase in official
censorship, particularly of online content, as well as the
government’s attempt to influence media outlets’ news and
information content,” wrote Freedom House on their website when
South Koreas status changed. The government also interfered in the
15management of major broadcast media a few times. Those in favor of
president Lee Myung-bak (2008-2013) got higher posts. “Under the Lee
administration, approximately 160 journalists have been penalized
for writing critical reports about government policies, as well as
for their roles in advocating for press freedom since 2008.”
Television
EBS – Educational Broadcasting System – 한국교육방송공사
“EBS, Korea Educational Broadcasting System, is a public
broadcasting organization that aims to inform, educate, engage, and
enlighten people for all walks of their lives. Complementing public
education in Korea, EBS is dedicated to ensure accessibility and
openness in education for all.”
EBS was founded in 1974 when they launched Radio School. Their first
television channels, EBS +1 and EBS +2 were launched in 1997. EBS
offers multiple broadcasting channels, EBS 1TV offers content for
all ages and all programs are informative and educational.
EBS 2TV offers content for students and was launched in February
2015. EBS FM offers content to learn foreign languages, like foreign
music and lectures.
EBS also offers cable, satellite and IPTV channels. EBS +1 is
Korea’s one and the only channel that offers CSAT exam preparation
lessons given by lecturers. EBS +2 offers content for elementary and
middle school students. EBSe offers English lessons broadcasted from
6 am till midnight for all academic levels. EBS Kids offers programs
for children and EBS America is on air in America since 2006 for
foreigners with an interest in Korea.
KBS – Korean Broadcasting System – 한국방송공사
TV1 is the only commercial-free channel in South Korea, funded by
viewers. The channel provides news services and is Korea’s leading
public channel. TV1 “reflects public interest in current affairs,
humanity issues, the environment, and culture. It also deals with
topics of national interest and contributes to social integration.”
TV2 broadcasts drama’s and variety shows, protecting their viewers
from provocative commercial subjects and programs. KBS WORLD
“broadcasts news programs in real time as well as other KBS shows
selected specifically for international audiences.” They want to
become a global public broadcaster.
KBS also offers seven radio channels, RADIO 1, RADIO 2, RADIO 3,
FM1, FM2, Korean Nation Channel, KBS WORLD Radio. RADIO 1 is
specialized in news and current affairs, RADIO 2 broadcasts shows
16for families and RADIO 3 offers programs for people with a
disability and the elderly. FM1 is all about classic and traditional
Korean music and FM2 is all about popular music. Korean Nation
Channel broadcasts about the country and inter-Korean exchange and
KBS WORLD radio is Korea’s only multilanguage international channel.
MBC – Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation – 문화방송주식회사
MBC is a broadcasting channel launched in 1969 and was the first
commercial broadcaster in Korea. The channel mostly offers drama’s,
entertainment, news, and sports. MBC dramas are exported worldwide.
SBS – Seoul Broadcasting System - 에스비에스 / 서울방송그룹
Seoul Broadcasting System was founded in 1990 and is based in Seoul.
SBS is the second commercial broadcaster in Korea after MBC. SBS
dramas have been exported to other countries and are a part of the
Korean wave. SBS doesn’t only air dramas, it also airs a wide range
of entertainment programs, international programs, comedies, music
of reality, SBS airs it all.
SBS produces news-analysis as well and programs that cover political
and economic issues.
Variety Shows
Koreans are a fan of variety shows. Variety shows are a mix of
interviews, performances, and entertainment usually presented by a
host. A popular variety show is “Infinite Challenge” (무한도전), which
MBC has been broadcasting since 2005. It combines variety with
stunts, which has been grabbing attention. After “Infinite
Challenge” became successful, other channels started to broadcast
variety shows like it too. SBS started Running Man and airs weekly.
Running Man is a show where the regular cast and their guests have
to complete missions. KBS came with “2 Days & 1 Night” (1박 2일),
that airs once a week as well. The cast members make trips to
different parts of Korea and have to complete missions on location.
The three biggest television networks all have their own lineup on
Sundays and they compete against each other for the most views. KBS
has “Happy Sunday”, MBC has “Sunday Sunday Night” and SBS has “Good
Sunday”.
17Korean Wave
The term Korean Wave or Hallyu (한류) is used globally to refer to
the popularity of Korean entertainment across the world. The term
made its debut after South Korea entered into public relations with
China, and the Korean entertainment industry and culture became
popular in China. A radio program called Seoul Music Room began
broadcasting Korean pop music from Beijing which introduced Chinese
teenagers to Korean Pop. The Korean group H.O.T. which was formed in
1996, held a concert in Beijing in 2000 and news outlets used the
term Korean Wave to describe the success of the group in China.
After China, the Korean Wave landed in Japan. KBS TV began
broadcasting drama series Winter Sonata in Japan which became
popular immediately. Starting with just music, the Korean Wave has
expanded to other parts of Korean culture as well, including food,
language, and literature.
Korean Pop
K-pop has been making its way to the West and news outlets have been
publishing about the Korean idols. Korean pop is not only about the
music, it’s an experience, a lifestyle. K-pop is the fastest growing
part of the Korean Wave.
History
For the beginning of what we now know as K-pop, we have to go all
the way back to 1885 when missionary Henry Appenzeller began to
teach American and English folk songs to school children. The
English lyrics were replaced with Korean ones and the new songs were
named changga. The Japanese banned the songs during their ruling
between 1910 and 1945.
The Korean culture first encountered Western culture in 1945 after
the Korean peninsula was divided into North and South. American
culture started to become accepted and the songs called changga
started to come back with influences from the West. During this
time, the first K-pop songs started to come.
A trio called The Kim Sisters, officially formed in 1959, consisted
of sisters Sook-ja and Aija, and their cousin, Mia. They originally
sang country songs to American troops but the trio decided to pursue
a career in Las Vegas. They were invited to perform in the
Thunderbird hotel for four weeks. After American television
personality and sports and entertainment reporter Ed Sullivan saw
them perform in the Stardust Hotel, he invited them on his show.
18The Kim Sisters introduced Korean music to American audiences for
the first time.
When the Beatles started to become a big deal internationally,
Korea’s first rock band was formed in 1962. Add4 was formed by Shin
Jung-hyeon, widely known as the father of Korean rock. Just like the
Kim Sisters, Shin started his career by performing for American
soldiers. His career didn’t get the chance to become as big as the
Beatles, he was arrested in 1975 on drug charges after he didn’t
want to write a song on request from president Park Chung-hee. After
he was released two years later, he was banned from performing.
Skipping some years to 1992 when Seo Taiji and Boys was formed, the
first idol group like we know them now. The group debuted on a
popular Korean television show. The shows judges were not blown away
by their song “Nan Arayo (‘I Know’, but the public was. Front man of
the group, Jung Hyun Chul, is seen as a cultural trendsetter and is
known as “The President of Culture” in South Korea.
Trainees
It all starts with auditions, usually held internationally. Due to
the global success of big K-pop groups like BTS, EXO and Girls
Generation, many teenagers want to become a K-pop idol. Training can
last years and Koreans are known for their hardworking
personalities. “Koreans spend the same effort on everything, whether
it is college entrance exams or an office job,” said culture critic
Lee Moon Won.
Future idols follow multiple classes, from language classes to
singing classes. Former K-pop idol Henry Mak spoke to The Guardian
about his schedule when he just entered his group JJCC. "We wake up
at 5.45am on the dot and go running. At 7.30am we go home, shower
and by 8 are at the dance studios until noon. Only then do we eat
our first meal of the day. The afternoon is for vocal or rap
lessons. After dinner, we practice our individual talents. Then at
11 pm we go back to the dance studios until 1.30am."
Group dynamics
K-pop groups usually consist of multiple members, who all have their
own specialty and personality that ensures good group dynamics. The
global hit group BTS for example, consisting of seven members, who
all have their own role within the group.
Jin – Vocal and visual
Suga – Lead rapper
RM – Leader and main rapper
J-hope – Main dancer and rapper
Jimin – Main dancer and lead vocalist
V – Lead dancer, vocalist and visual
19Jungkook – Main vocalist and maknae
Leader 지도자
Almost all groups have a leader; usually one of the oldest people in
the group. Leaders are expected to take the lead during interviews
and shows and motivate the rest of the members. Not all groups have
leaders, and some leaders aren’t fit for the task.
Maknae 막내
Maknae is a term used by young adults to refer to the youngest
person in a group and so every group has a maknae. It can be used
instead of someone’s name. It can also be used to refer to the
youngest person within a family.
Main vocalist
Usually the member with the best vocal ability.
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist has the second best vocal ability and usually
sings before the main vocalist.
Main rapper
Main rappers are supposed to have the best rapping skills and get
the most parts. They often write their own lyrics.
Lead rapper
The lead rappers are supposed to have the second best vocal ability
and usually begin the rapping parts.
Main dancer
The main dancer is the member with the best dancing skills and also
the one who gets solo parts.
Lead dancer
The lead dancer is the second best dancer. He or she dances in front
when the whole group is dancing together.
Visual or face
The visual and face of the group often overlap and are used for the
same meaning. The visual of the group is the one who matches the
Korean beauty standards the most. The face of the group is all about
charm, he or she has to be the representative of the group for
people who are not into K-pop.
Music videos
The K-pop industry is not complete without music videos. “Even at
this point, if you’re from a small label, your production for a
music video is still gonna be a thousand times better than a music
20video coming out in The United States,” said Tamar Herman of
Billboard magazine in an episode of Explained.
Psy’s song Gangnam Style is seen as the start of the global success
of K-pop. Psy’s music video of “Gangnam Style” might be one of the
most watched YouTube videos of all time, his second music video
“Gentleman” holds the record for most watched video in twenty-four
hours. The video came out in 2013 and 38.4 million people had seen
it within twenty-four hours. Other music videos in the top ten most
watched videos in twenty-four hours are BTS’ “Fake Love” with 35.9
million views and on place 5 “As If It’s Your Last” from BLACKPINK
with 13.3 million views in twenty-four hours.
Some artist take it a little to far and get their music video banned
from television. Some because of the lyrics, some because of the
music video and some because of both. Norazo’s “Your Fortune” was
banned from public broadcast because of its over exposure of tattoos
and hypnotism. Dalshabet‘s “Joker” was banned because of a subtle
lyrical reason. The word “좆” (pronounced “jot”) was used in the
lyrics, which is similar to the word “조”(pronounced “joh”) which
refers to a male’s private parts. The group with more than one ban
is BTS. Four tracks of their album, “Love Yourself: Her” were banned
from television for multiple reasons. They used slang words, which
KBS deemed vulgar and mentioned different brands in their songs.
Korean Dramas
Korean Dramas are television dramas in the Korean language and made
in South Korea. Korean dramas are nothing like dramas or television
show made in the West. “Their portrayal of love is a little more
PG,” says Jacqueline Sia, content manager of DramaFever. “Korean
dramas can spend 16 episodes getting to the point where the leads
kiss.”
The great success of What is Love and Winter Sonata plays an
important role in the Korean Wave. Between 2003 and 2004 MBC aired
“Dae Jang Geum”, which became one of the highest rated Korean shows
at the time. “Dae Jang Geum” was exported to 87 countries around the
world.
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