World of K-Pop Essay Example
World of K-Pop Essay Example

World of K-Pop Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (946 words)
  • Published: November 17, 2016
  • Type: Essay
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The K-Pop Fever and Its Asian American Victims (http://www.mochimag.com/article/k-pop-fever-and-its-asian-american-victims). Undoubtedly, Korean pop culture, also known as K-pop, has become a global sensation. It has gained popularity in American pop culture, even attracting avid fans like Perez Hilton. However, for Asian American teens, the allure of K-pop goes beyond just surface-level enjoyment.

The influence of Korean music and culture, including popular K-pop groups like SNSD, Big Bang, and 2PM, has spread quickly through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. This has led to a global interaction where both Korean and non-Korean American teenagers are impacted. For Korean Americans, K-pop serves as a means of connecting with Koreans from their "motherland" despite being halfway across the world. Last year, when news broke about the departure of Jay Park, one of the lead singers of 2PM, both Am

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erican and Korean girls expressed their grief together through online forums and discussion groups.

Watching stars on and off the stage via YouTube videos has assisted Korean American girls in staying updated with the latest fashion trends in Korea, including thick winged eyeliner and the newest variations of fake glasses. This ongoing connection, which is not readily found among other first-generation immigrants and their home countries, explains the strong loyalty that many Korean American teens have towards Korea. Despite the materialistic nature of the Korean entertainment industry, K-pop's impact still has a positive influence on teenagers.

One notable difference between Korean music and American music is that Korean music often features clean lyrics and positive messages, unlike songs about partying, drinking, or hook-ups. According to both Lee and Lin, Korean music videos and on-stage performances

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tend to have cleaner dance moves and less revealing clothing compared to American pop stars. Additionally, K-pop stars are constantly promoting their music through frequent live stage TV performances, endorsements, and interviews.

Being a Chinese American teenager surrounded by K-pop enthusiasts, although not completely obsessed myself, I have witnessed the immense passion that so many people have for music from a country far away. Recently, when the Wonder Girls and 2PM visited San Francisco on tour, countless Asian American teens flocked to the concert, with some even waiting in line for hours just to get a photo with the stars. There are moments when I find this entire K-pop craze annoying, but ultimately, I believe it has a positive impact on Asian American teens like me, even though it is an unexpected influence. Plus, the songs are unbelievably catchy!

Young people today are becoming obsessed with South Korean showbiz stars. This phenomenon is not limited to Vietnam alone. Over the years, people's great fascination with the South Korean entertainment industry has led to the rise of what is known as Hallyu, a cultural wave that has been sweeping across the globe. This Hallyu trend has gained immense popularity not only in Asian nations such as Vietnam, Japan, China, and Thailand, but also in South America and Europe. It is only natural for the South Korean population to feel proud of Hallyu's widespread acclaim overseas.

However, Vietnam, like other countries, went through intense debates and disagreements before finally reaching a consensus on the appropriate strategies to promote Hallyu to the global audience. Around two decades ago, we were deeply concerned about the potential

impact of Western hip-hop music on our youth. There was a noticeable trend among teenagers trying to outdo each other by getting their hair dyed, adorning themselves with unconventional jewelry and clothing. Numerous seminars were conducted during this period, sparking various questions such as whether young people were rejecting their traditional roots and imitating Western cultures.

Are young people no longer patriotic? Nonetheless, we eventually realized that the youth's obsession with western artists stemmed from the fact that the South Korean entertainment industry was not captivating enough to attract them. Therefore, we implemented policies to promote changes in this field. A perfect example of this is seen in today's K-pop industry. People from my generation and older ones are not accustomed to listening to this genre of music mainly because western professionals have been recruited to educate local musicians, who are also encouraged to pursue music studies abroad in order to discover new trends for the development of K-pop.

The local musicians studying abroad must create songs that blend traditionalism and modernism. I am aware that many South Korean musicians have enlisted the help of foreigners to provide professional guidance in order to appeal to both locals and foreigners. Not only musicians, but film producers, choreographers, singers, and others have also worked hard to bring about changes. Therefore, the phenomenon known as Hallyu is the outcome of collaborative efforts between the government and the entertainment industry.

After South Korean football team ranked fourth in the World Cup 2002, all arguments about the topic "Crazy fans of western celebrities" came to an end. Millions of youngsters, wearing red T-shirts, flooded the streets,

cheerfully shouting the country's name to show their support for the national football team. These patriotic scenes have left a profound impression on local sociologists, who have concluded that the youth dying their hair or wearing unconventional hip-hop clothing such as loose pants or unusual jewelry is not a significant issue.

Despite the occurrence of "crazy fans" among young and ebullient individuals in Vietnam, it is important to note that the people still exhibit deep patriotism and pride for their country. Rather than being overly concerned, Vietnamese individuals should ask themselves why they are unable to create idols for the youth. By constantly raising and answering such questions, the Vietnamese showbiz industry can potentially rival its South Korean counterpart in the near future.

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