Korean Pop Trivia | 100 trivia & facts about K-pop [Part 3]

One of the genres of music that are gaining worldwide popularity is K-pop. The Korean pop phenomenon is getting worldwide recognition.

You already talked about the start of this new genre of music and its many unique components. It is time to dive a little deeper into its history.

After the Korean Peninsula was partitioned into North and South following its liberation in 1945 from Japanese occupation, Western culture was introduced into South Korea on a small scale
Then a few Western-styled bars and clubs playing Western music
After the Korean War (1950–53) U.S. troops remained in South Korea, causing American and world culture to spread in South Korea and Western music to gradually become more accepted
Prominent figures of American entertainment like Nat King Cole, Marilyn Monroe and Louis Armstrong held USO shows in South Korea for the U.S. Army
In 1957, the American Forces Korea Network radio started its broadcast, spreading the popularity of Western music
American music started influencing Korean music, as pentatony was gradually replaced by heptachords and popular songs started to be modeled after American ones
In the 1960s, the development of LP records and improvements in recording technology led to the pursuit of diverse voice tones
Open auditions were also held to recruit musicians to perform at the U.S. army clubs
Since South Korea was impoverished after the Korean War, skilled Korean singers regarded performing for the U.S. troops as a good means to earn money
Many singers sang for the American troops, usually in dedicated clubs, the number of which rose to 264
They performed various genres like country music, blues, jazz and rock & roll
The South Korean economy started blooming and popular music followed the trend, spread by the first commercial radio stations
Korean cinema also began to develop and Korean musicians began performing to wider audiences
When Beatlemania reached the shores of Korea the first local rock bands appeared
The first of these is said to be Add4
The band was founded in 1962
The first talent contest for rock bands in Seoul was organized in 1968
Some Korean singers gained international popularity
In 1959, the Kim Sisters went to Las Vegas and became the first Korean artist to release an album in the U.S. pop market
Their cover of “Charlie Brown” reached No.7 on the Billboard Single Chart
The Kim Sisters also appeared on TV programs and radio programs and held tours in the U.S. and Europe
They made 25 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show
This was more than American stars like Patti Page and Louis Armstron
The Kim Sisters, Yoon Bok-hee and Patti Kim were the first singers to debut in such countries as Vietnam and the United States
Han Myeong Suk’s 1961 song “The Boy in The Yellow Shirt” was covered by French singer Yvette Giraud and was also popular in Japan
In the 1960s, the Korean artists such as Shin Joong-hyun, Pearl Sisters and Patti Kim who previously performed for the U.S. army clubs reached out to the Korean public
In the mid-1960s, due to the influence of the legendary British group The Beatles, there was a rise of “group sound” in South Korea
Some examples are Add4 and the Key Boys
Add4, Korea’s first rock group, was formed by Shin Joong-hyun in 1962 and produced Korea’s first rock song, “The Woman in the Rain”
The song is a form of light rock reminiscent of the early Beatles
Shin Joong-hyun was so instrumental in the development of Korean rock music that he is regarded as the “godfather of Korean rock” in South Korea
During this period, with the rise of Western pop music and Korean rock music, trot was no longer predominant in South Korea
However, trot singers like Lee Mi-ja still managed to attract a certain level of popularity, with famous songs like “Camellia Lady”
During the 1950s and 60s, Western pop music, Korean rock music, and trot co-existed in South Korea
At the end of the 1960s Korean pop music underwent another transformation
More and more musicians were university students and graduates who were heavily influenced by American culture and lifestyle, including the hippie movement of the 1960s and made lighthearted music unlike their predecessors, who were influenced by war and Japanese oppression
The younger generation opposed the Vietnam War as much as American hippies did
This resulted in the Korean government banning songs with more liberal lyrics
In spite of this, folk-influenced pop remained popular among the youth, and local television channel MBC organised a music contest for university students in 1977
This was the foundation of several modern music festivals
The younger generation born after the 1950s had grown up under the U.S. influence and preferred the U.S. lifestyle, giving rise to the “youth culture” which was expressed through long hair, jeans, acoustic guitars and folk music
The folk music of that time is made up of melodies sung plainly, with the singing accompanied by a guitar or two
A majority of the folk music at that time was initiated by elite university students and those who graduated from prestigious schools
Like the activists of the U.S. student movement, they turned to folk music as the preferred music of politicized youth, who staged demonstrations against the authoritarian government
In turn, the government banned folk music due to its association with the students’ anti-government movements
In the 1970s, the Park Chung-hee government banned American pop music and Korean rock music for their association with sex and drugs
Shin Joong-hyun, the “godfather of Korean rock music”, was imprisoned in 1975 due to a marijuana scandal
In order to bolster its anti-Japanese credentials, the government also banned trot songs because of its “Japaneseness” given the influence of Japanese enka songs on trot
However, President Park actually embraced trot
One of the leading figures of the era was Han Dae-soo, who was raised in the United States and influenced by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and John Lennon
Han’s song “Mul jom juso” (Give Me Water) became iconic among young people in Korea
His daring performances and unique singing style often shocked the public and later he was banned from performing in Korea
Han moved to New York City and pursued his musical career there, only returning to his home country in the 1990s
Other notable singers of the period include Song Chang-sik, Cho Young-nam and Yang Hee-eun
In the 1970s, DJs also started to become popular
The 1980s saw the rise of ballad singers
Lee Gwang-jo’s 1985 album “You’re Too Far Away to Get Close to” sold more than 300,000 copies
Other popular ballad singers included Lee Moon-se and Byun Jin-sub, nicknamed the “Prince of Ballads”
One of the most sought-after ballad composers of the era was Lee Young-hoon
His songs were compiled into a modern musical in 2011 titled Gwanghwamun Yeonga (Gwanghwamun’s Song)
The Asia Music Forum was launched in 1980, with representatives from five different Asian countries competing in the event
Korean singer Cho Yong-pil won first place and went on to have a successful career, performing in Hong Kong and Japan
His first album Chang bakkui yeoja (Woman outside the window) was a hit
He became the first Korean singer to take to the stage at Carnegie Hall in New York
Cho’s musical repertoire included rock, dance, trot and folk-pop
Despite his early association with rock music as an electric guitarist in a rock band, Cho Yong-pil’s initial popularity came from his trot songs which were popular in both South Korea and Japan
In 1976, his trot song, “Please Return to Pusan Port” was a great hit
He had a temporary setback due to his involvement in a marijuana incident in 1977
He managed to bounce back with the song “The Woman Outside the Window” which reached a record-breaking sales of 1 million in 1980
In 1988, he sang “Seoul Seoul Seoul” in three languages (Korean, English and Japanese) to celebrate the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games
In the 1990s, Korean pop musicians incorporated partially Europop and mostly American popular music styles such as hip hop, rock, jazz, and electronic dance in their music
In 1992 the emergence of Seo Taiji & Boys marked a revolutionary moment in the history of K-pop
The trio debuted on MBC’s talent show with their song “Nan Arayo” (I Know) and got the lowest rating from the jury
However, the song and album of the same name became so successful that it paved the way for other songs of the same format
The song’s success was attributed to its new jack swing-inspired beats and memorable chorus, as well as innovative lyrics which dealt with the problems of Korean society
Their footsteps were followed by a wave of successful hip hop and R&B artists like Yoo Seung-jun, Jinusean, Solid, Deux, 1TYM and Drunken Tiger
In 1995, South Korean record producer Lee Soo-man, who was educated in the U.S. and was exposed to the trends in American music, founded the entertainment company SM Entertainment
Former Seo Taiji & Boys’ member Yang Hyun-suk formed YG Entertainment in 1996
Park Jin-young established JYP Entertainment in 1997
The huge popularity of Seo Taiji & Boys among teenagers shifted the focus of the Korean music industry to teen-centred pop music
Idol bands of young boys or girls were formed to cater to a growing teenage audience
H.O.T. was one of the first idol boybands
The band had its debut in 1996 after rigorous training encompassing not only singing and dancing skills but also etiquette, attitude, language and the ability to deal with the media
The song “Candy” sung by H.O.T. presented a softer and gentler form of pop music with upbeat and cheerful melodies accompanied by energetic dance steps
This was a formula adopted by many subsequent idol groups
H.O.T.was a huge success and the fans copied the group’s hairstyle and fashion
Merchandise affiliated with the group ranging from candy to perfume were sold as well
Their success was followed by that of young boys and girls idol groups like Sechs Kies, S.E.S., Fin.K.L, NRG, Baby Vox, Diva, Shinhwa and g.o.d, which also became popular among the younger generation
During the late 90s, talent agencies began to market K-pop stars by implementing a idol business model used in J-pop
They are trained via an extensive and intensive process that includes physical and language training
This program sometimes is called abusive
They are selected for height as well, being much taller on average than their Japanese counterparts
As for looks, “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”
Over time, Korean-American artists have become successful due to their fluency
These efforts increase the marketability of K-pop while also increasing South Korean soft power
K-pop has become an important part of official policy
The 1990s saw a reactionary movement against mainstream popular culture with the rise of illegal underground music clubs and punk rock bands such as Crying Nut
The 1997 Asian financial crisis prompted South Korean entertainers to look for new markets
H.O.T. released a Mandarin-language album
Diva released an English-language album in Taiwan