In this post, I would like to honor University of Richmond’s International Week that is highlighting East Asia this year! I am participating in the event by hosting a K-pop station that will share Korean pop culture with all those who participate. In preparation for this event, I have been researching trivia and noting related vocabulary, and I have noticed some aspects of traditional Korean culture that are still prevalent in this modern industry.
One of these cultural aspects relates to my overall topic of the elder culture and attitudes around the aging population in Korea. In each K-pop group there is a leader who usually is the oldest member and there is a label for the youngest member called the maknae or 막내. Each of the younger members are expected to follow their leader by respecting their decisions and valuing their opinions and input over others. In turn the leader is expected to look out for the other members while always having the interest of the group in mind when making decisions. Each group acts as a family which reflects the idea of valuing community in Korean society. I have talked about this in my previous cultural posts as the family being of the highest importance. I find it interesting how those values maintain a striking presence in such a modern pop culture sensation that is now sweeping across the world and sharing its uniqueness with other societies.
Another traditional cultural aspect that it’s still prevalent in modern day culture, and can be seen in the K-pop industry today, is the hard work that is required to maintain a high status of honor and pride among the K-pop groups. Most trainees go through a period of 7 to 9 years of dance and voice instruction that prepares them for their later career. In many speeches by K-pop groups after their concerts, the members are always one to point out their own flaws and promise that they will work even harder to please their fans and create quality performances and products. This dedication is partially why the K-pop industry is so appealing to countries such as the US because of the seemingly perfect display of human creation. While artists in the United States also work hard, it is a critical part of Korean culture that one is always learning and always improving until, perhaps, they reach their elderly stage.
It was a bit eye-opening for me to make these connections between the aspects of K-pop culture and traditional culture. I have been following K-pop and learning about the functioning of the groups and the overall industry for several years now. But I have not realized until recently how their values are so closely intertwined with the values of previous generations.
Below I put a link to a video made about BTS, one of the most popular and successful boy K-pop groups world wide, that shows their struggles and highlights some of the down sides of the industry that holds such high standards. I would just like to note that BTS has confronted a lot of these issues since their debut in 2013, yet they continue to work hard while learning more about how to take care of themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuQ_O9aMXMg
Comments
It's great that you volunteered to table at OIE's International Week! I helped out too and got to share some of my experience studying abroad in China and Taiwan. In terms of the hierarchical structures that exist in K-pop groups, I am really taken aback that such a deeply-rooted yet traditional cultural concept can spread to something so modern and not immediately noticeable. It definitely changes the way I view these groups in performances. The video you included at the end was a great addition.
It's so interesting to know the family structure within a K-pop idol group! When I first started to watch Korean TV shows and dramas, I could not understand why they care about each other's age so much. It was also hard for me to understand that two friends are called 친구 only if they were born in the same year. Now though, as I know more about Korean culture, I know that 친구 is just a name for two people of the same age, rather than being friends. Two people can be really close as well when they are not necessarily 친구 to each other. It's also interesting to see in some idol groups that they have "막내", where the older members actually listen to 막내's words.
Great cultural post! My final cultural presentation was also about Korean music and Kpop. I watched the video of BTS and I found that it was really interesting to learn about the downsides and struggles BTS has gone through in the Korean music industry. I know how high the standards are set by Korean fans and it was very cool to learn about the hardships BTS has faced in the past. It’s good to see them become more and more popular in other countries like America.