Korean Pop Trivia | 100 trivia & facts about K-pop [Part 2]

K-pop is gaining worldwide recognition and many acts are taking their leap into mainstream. The genre is currently reaching its peak.

We already found out how it all started. So, now, let’s dive into some more specifics about the rising genre.

Dance is an integral part of K-pop
The genre usually combines multiple singers who often switch their positions while singing and dancing by making prompt movements in synchrony
This is a strategy called “formation changing”
The K-pop choreography often includes the so-called “point dance”
This refers to a dance made up of hooking and repetitive movements within the choreography that matches the characteristics of the lyrics of the song
Super Junior’s “Sorry Sorry” and Brown Eyed Girls’ “Abracadabra” are examples of songs with notable “point” choreography
To choreograph a dance for a song requires the writers to take the tempo into account
According to Ellen Kim, a Los Angeles dancer and choreographer, a fan’s ability to do the same steps must also be considered, as a result K-pop choreographers have to simplify movements
The training and preparation necessary for K-pop idols to succeed in the industry and dance successfully is intense
Training centers like Seoul’s Def Dance Skool develop the dance skills of youth in order to give them a shot at becoming an idol
Physical training is one of the largest focuses at the school
Much of a student’s schedule is based around dance and exercise
The entertainment labels are highly selective, so few make it to fame
Students at the school must dedicate their lives to the mastery of dance in order to prepare for the vigorous routines performed by K-pop groups
Companies house much larger training centers for those who are chosen
According to K-pop choreographer Rino Nakasone, her focus is to make dance routines that are flattering for the dancers but also complementary to the music
Her ideas are submitted to the entertainment company as video recordings done by professional dancers
Nakasone mentions that the company and the K-pop artists themselves have input on a song’s choreography
Choreographer May J. Lee gives another perspective, telling that her choreography often starts out as expressing the feeling or the meaning of the lyrics
What starts out as small movements, turns into a full dance that is better able to portray the message of the song
The emergence of Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 paved the way for the development of contemporary K-pop groups
The group revolutionized the Korean music scene by incorporating rap and American hip-hop conventions into their music
This adoption of Western style extended to the fashions worn by the boy band
The members adopted a hip-hop aesthetic
Seo and bandmates’ outfits for the promotional cycle of “Nan Arayo” (I Know) included vibrant streetwear such as oversized T-shirts and sweatshirts, windbreakers, overalls worn with one strap, overalls worn with one pant leg rolled up, and American sports team jerseys
Accessories included baseball caps worn backwards, bucket hats, and do-rags
Many acts that followed Seo Taiji and Boys adopted the same fashion style
Deux and DJ DOC can also be seen wearing on-trend hip-hop fashions such as sagging baggy pants, sportswear, and bandanas in their performances
Manufactured teenage idol groups began debuting in the mid and late ’90s, wearing coordinated costumes that reflected the popular fashion trends among youth at the time
Hip-hop fashion, considered the most popular style in the late ’90s, remained, with idol groups H.O.T. and Sechs Kies wearing the style for their debut songs
The use of accessories elevated the idol’s style from everyday fashion to performance costume, like ski goggles (worn either around the head or neck), headphones worn around the neck, and oversized gloves worn to accentuate choreography moves were widely used
H.O.T.’s 1996 hit “Candy” exemplifies the level of coordination taken into account for idol’s costumes
Each member wore a designated color and accessorized with face paint, fuzzy oversized mittens, visors, bucket hats, and earmuffs, and used stuffed animals, backpacks, and messenger bags as props
While male idol groups’ costumes were constructed with similar color schemes, fabrics, and styles, the outfits worn by each member still maintained individuality
On the other hand, female idol groups of the ’90s wore homogeneous costumes, often styled identically
The costumes for female idols during their early promotions often focused on portraying an innocent, youthful image
S.E.S.’s debut in 1997, “I’m Your Girl”, and Baby Vox’s 2nd album 1998 hit, “Ya Ya Ya”, featured the girls dressed in white outfits
“To My Boyfriend” by Fin.K.L shows idols in pink schoolgirl costumes
“One” and “End” of Chakra presented indu and African style costumes
To portray a natural and somewhat saccharine image, the accessories were limited to large bows, pompom hair ornaments and hair bands
With the maturation of female idol groups and the removal of bubblegum pop in the late 1990s, the sets of female idol groups focused on following the fashion trends of the time, many of which were revealing pieces
The latest promotions of the girl groups Baby Vox and Jewelry exemplify these trends of hot pants, micro-miniskirts, crop tops, peasant blouses, transparent garments and blouses on the upper part of the torso
K-pop became a modern hybrid of Western and Asian cultures starting from the late 2000s, fashion trends within K-pop reflected diversity and distinction
Fashion trends from the late 2000s to early 2010s can largely be categorized under five categories.
These are Street, Retro, Sexy, Black & White and Futurism
Street focuses on individuality
It features bright colors, mix-and-match styling, graphic prints, and sports brands such as Adidas and Reebok
Retro aims to bring back “nostalgia” from the 1960s to 1980s
It features dot prints and detailed patterns
Common clothing items include denim jackets, boot-cut pants, wide pants, hair bands, scarves, and sunglasses
Sexy highlights femininity and masculinity
It features revealing outfits made of satin, lace, fur, and leather
Common clothing items include mini skirts, corsets, net stockings, high heels, sleeveless vests, and see-through shirts
Black & White emphasizes modern & chic
It symbolizes elegance & charisma
It is mostly applied to formal wear
Futurism is commonly wore with electronic and hip-hop genres
It features popping color items, metallic details and prints
The style promotes a futuristic outlook
K-pop has a significant influence on fashion in Asia
The trends started by idols are followed by young audiences
Some idols have established status as fashion icons
Such idols are G-Dragon and CL, who has repeatedly worked with fashion designer Jeremy Scott, being labeled his “muse”
According to professor Ingyu Oh, “K-pop emphasizes thin, tall, and feminine looks with adolescent or sometimes very cute facial expressions, regardless of whether they’re male or female singers”
The South Korean government has acknowledged benefits to the country’s export sector as a result of the Korean Wave
It was estimated in 2011 that a US$100 increase in the export of cultural products resulted in a US$412 increase in exports of other consumer goods including food, clothes, cosmetics and IT products
Government initiatives to expand the popularity of K-pop are mostly undertaken by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
This Ministry is responsible for the worldwide establishment of Korean Cultural Centers
South Korean embassies and consulates have also organized K-pop concerts outside the country
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regularly invites overseas K-pop fans to attend the annual K-Pop World Festival in South Korea
In addition to reaping economic benefits from the popularity of K-pop, the South Korean government has been taking advantage of the influence of K-pop in diplomacy
In an age of mass communication, soft power (pursuing one’s goals by persuading stakeholders using cultural and ideological power) is regarded as a more effective and pragmatic diplomatic tactic than the traditional diplomatic strategy hard power (obtaining what one wants from stakeholders through direct intimidation such as military threat and economic sanctions)
Cultural diplomacy through K-pop is a form of soft power
An example of the South Korean government effort in diplomacy through K-pop is the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA)
MAMA is a K-pop music award ceremony
Park Geun-hye (the Korean president at the time) delivered the opening statement at the 2014 MAMA
The event was held in Hong Kong and sponsored by the Korean Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA)
This event was considered a deliberate endeavor by the Korean government to support Korean cultural industries in order to strengthen the nation’s international reputation and political influence
Another example of cultural diplomacy is K-pop performances in North Korea
Prior to 2005, South Korean pop singers occasionally gave performances in North Korea
After an interval of more than a decade, approximately 190 South Korean performers, performed in Pyongyang, North Korea
The performance was held on March 31 and April 3, 2018
Kim Jong-un was present in the audience
Some well-known musicians who were at the event were Red Velvet, Lee Sun-hee, Cho Yong-pil, and Yoon Do-hyun
K-pop music is easily accessible online mainly due to Korean entertainment companies’ deliberate openness to having their content as widely distributed as possible
This is done by having it be openly available via a large variety of content distribution methods
They are available through YouTube and other international social networking sites that are not exclusive to Korea
The history of Korean popular music can be traced back to 1885
Then an American missionary, Henry Appenzeller, began teaching American and British folk songs at a school
These songs were called changga in Korean, and they were typically based on a popular Western melody sung with Korean lyrics
For example, the song “Oh My Darling, Clementine” became known as “Simcheongga”
During the Japanese rule (1910-1945) the popularity of changga songs rose as Koreans expressed their feelings against Japanese oppression through music
One of the most popular songs was “Huimangga”(The Song of Hope)
The Japanese confiscated the existing changga collections and published lyrics books of their own
The first known Korean pop album was “Yi Pungjin Sewol” (This Tumultuous Time), by Park Chae-seon and Lee Ryu-saek in 1925
The album contained popular songs translated from Japanese
The first pop song written by a Korean composer is thought to be “Nakhwayusu” (Fallen Blossoms on Running Water) sung by Lee Jeong-suk in 1929
In the mid-1920s, Japanese composer Masao Koga mixed traditional Korean music with Gospel music that American Evangelists introduced in the 1870s
This type of music became known as Enka in Japan
Later in Korea developed into Trot