Korean Culture No.2
The Korean Culture series is one of the Korean Culture and Information Service’s projects to furnish international readers with insights into and basic understanding of the dynamic and diverse aspects of contemporary Korean culture.
In its incipient stages, Korean pop music was strongly influenced by Western pop music, diversifying through many stages of copying, translation, and interpretation from the early 20th century. Those unique creations by experimental and creative Korean artists are now being received by international audiences in the form of “K-Pop,” an abbreviation for “Korean pop.” It is spreading beyond the regions of China, Japan, and Southeast Asia and into Europe and the United States. It is increasingly gaining recognition as something more than just a fad—as a phenomenon that has staying power with global audiences.
Korean Culture and Information Service
K - P O P Bey ond A s ia
About the series
K-POP BEYOND ASIA
What is K-Pop It was in the mid-1990s that Korean pop music first began gaining wider international attention under the name of “the Korean Wave,” or “Hallyu” in Korean. The term “K-Pop”—an abbreviation for “Korean pop”— entered wide use overseas during this period. One of the most common forms of the K-Pop song features a repetitive chorus with a synchronized group dance. Overseas fans of K-Pop copy the group dances and upload the videos onto YouTube, which promotes the rapid spread of K-Pop music.