WINTER 2019 | TORONTO
#03 TINA JUNG on the cover
The KOREA Issue
the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT 2
T T T T T T T T T T T T
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
NAOMI KWOK Editor in Chief, Art Director, Editorial Stylist, Editorial Designer, and everything else
JANICE LIU Copy Editor
SPECIAL THANKS TO Professor Daniel Drak John-Paul Lue Tina Jung @tina_jung
‘TIL WE MEET AGAIN
C
oming into the last issue of The Glorient trilogy, I want to express gratitude to everyone who has lended me their hands, their ears, or even their names.
I couldn’t have completed The Glorient by myself. I especially want to thank my mother, who took care of me every minute of this project. There is a Chinese saying that roughly
translates to “a mother’s child is like a gem”. Like Tina, who’s on the cover of this issue, as first and second-gen Asian Canadians, we can never repay our parents for what they have done for us, leaving their homes and comfort behind for a better future for us. I believe this is a story that many children of immigrants can resonate with.
Thank you my cousin Janice whom, if was allowed to, I would share my degree with. I can’t be too cheesy because she is proofreading this. Janice, I have a peace of mind (which is very important if you know me) knowing that you’ve always got my back!
A big thank you to my professor Daniel, who is also reading this. Thank you for being super
patient with me! Words cannot express how thank I am for all the kinds words (I wish I can be as eloquent as you) and reassurance you have given me. I hope you enjoy this project!
Thank you to my amazing “cover girls” — Renee, Lena, and Tina — who responded to the messages from a random stranger. Your contribution to this project is invaluable! I have learned so much from each of you and wish you all the best in your upcoming endeavours.
A special thanks to everyone who spent their precious time talking to me! Thank you to all my family members and friends who showed concern when I hit rough patches.
2019 is a year of change, and I hope one change will be feeling proud of not always liking
what’s considered “mainstream” — it’s cool if you are a minority or even if you don’t like pop. It’s what’s different that keeps the world moving forward! And finally? Glory in the Global East!
YOURS TRULY, NAOMI KWOK
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5
HALLYU DECODED
K-POP REWIND: 2018
An overview of Hallyu from the past to present
Who brought K-Pop to the West in 2018
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4
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28
THE FRONT ROW K-POP ICONS
Q&A WITH TINA JUNG
5 Korean fashion icons slayed front row to backstage
Meet The Kim’s Convenience actress
CULTURAL OVERVIEW
HALLYU DECODED
Hallyu, translated to the “Korean wave”, was first coined by the Chinese media in 2000 to describe the onslaught of Korean dramas and pop songs in China1.
Today, Hallyu refers to the global popularity of a wide gamut of cultural products and content of
South Korean origin — from celebrities, dramas,
films, and music, to food, fashion, cosmetics, and the Korean language. Expanded from Asia, it has encroached into Europe, Americas, and many other territories across the globe.
Source: Universal Studios
Hallyu is often divided as two intertwined waves:
the first original hallyu of the 1990s and the Shin-
The box office shockingly surpassed the sales of the
in the early 2000s2.
concluded that promoting the culture industry
Hallyu (new Korean wave), the new Korean wave
national pride — Hyundai cars. The government
could be the most proficient way to maximize profit
THE GENESIS South Korea’s cultural industry commenced in 1953, upon the signing the Korean Armistice
Agreement. From there, South Korea underwent the “Miracle on the Han River”, which is a reference to its swift economic growth after the end of the Korean War.
The film industry flourished and American film studies started to establish distribution offices in
South Korea. First to come was Twentieth Century Fox in 1986. It was followed by Warner Bros. in 1989
and Columbia the year after. In 1993, Walt Disney also had a distribution office in the country . 3
and established the Cultural Industry Bureau under
the Ministry of Culture to develop the country’s media culture, with many companies venturing into media and film1.
Due to the financial crisis of 1997, South Korea feared the onset of Japanese manga, anime, movies
and J-Pop, and started restricting cultural imports from Japan, which then led to a cultural void of sorts.
To combat this, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture embarked on a mission to strengthen the local cul-
ture within Korea and to build up local talents. This
involved a big budget, creating 300 culture-based departments in universities across Korea4.
Tracing back to the dawn of Hallyu, one unexpect-
The following year, the first big-budget locally
year after the 1993 film’s release, the presidential
success, earning more than $11 million and over-
edly encountered Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. A advisory committee reported to then-President
Kim Young-sam that the movie had made about $850 million in one year, roughly equivalent to the profit earned by selling 1.5 million cars.
produced film, Shiri, became a huge commercial taking the gross earnings of Titanic1.
Since then Korea turned from a pop culture importer to an exporter.
5
THE FIRST WAVE The first Korean wave is driven by the omnipresent
Asian popularity of South
Korean TV dramas, typi-
cally among middle-aged
Asian women. South Korean
dramas are serial soap operas
that feature young characters
Sou rce : KB
intertwined in romances and in-
S
tergenerational conflicts.
Two dramas, What Is Love About (1997) and Stars
in My Heart (1999), are usually credited with kickstarting the Korean wave. In the early to mid
2000s, Winter Sonata (2002) and Dae Jang Geum (2003), became phenomenal hits and catalyzed the
Korean wave by shattering ratings records, not only in South Korea, but also in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The demand for South
Korean TV dramas by Asian consumers continues to the current day3.
In 2000, a 50-year ban on the exchange of popular culture between Korea and Japan was partly lifted,
K-POP BEFORE K-POP K-Pop wouldn’t exist without democracy and tele-
ture in Japan5.
vision — specifically South Korea’s reformation of
Winter Sonata was the first Korean drama that en-
the reformation was modernization and less censor-
male lead Bae Yong-joon to superstar status in Ja-
its democratic government in 1987. Accompanying ship, which would have a drastic effect on television.
Prior to the establishment of the nation’s Sixth Republic, there were only two broadcast networks in the country. They largely controlled what music
South Koreans listened to. Singers and musicians
tered the Japanese market, which catapulted the pan. It has also attracted a cult following in Asia.
In 2004, former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi even jokingly said that the South Korean actor was more popular than him3.
weren’t much more than tools of the networks.
But TV was still the country’s major centralized me-
weekend music talent shows.
penetrated over 99 percent of South Korean homes,
Musical stars were introduced by networks through
Radio existed but, like the TV networks, was under tight state control. Radio served as little more than a subsidiary platform for entertainers who succeeded on those weekend TV competitions.
Independent music production didn’t really exist.
dia outlet. As of 1992, national TV networks have and viewership is highest on the weekends, when the talent shows take place. These televised talent shows were crucial in introducing music groups to
South Korean audiences; they still have an enormous cultural impact and remain the single biggest factor in a South Korean artists’ success.
Rock music was controversial and prone to banning.
K-Pop is an unusual genre due to its definitive start
Before the liberalization of South Korean media in
Seo Taiji had previously been a member of the
the late ‘80s, the music produced by broadcast net-
works was primarily either slow ballads or “trot”, a Lawrence Welk-ish fusion of traditional music with old pop standards.
However, after 1987, the country’s radio broadcast-
ing expanded exponentially, and South Koreans became more exposed to more varieties of music from outside the country, including contemporary American music.
6
which improved the surge of Korean popular cul-
date, thanks to a band called Seo Taiji and Boys. South Korean heavy metal band Sinawe, which was
a brief but huge influential factor in the development of Korean rock music in the late ‘80s.
After the band broke up, he turned to hip-hop and recruited two stellar South Korean dancers, Yang Hyun-suk and Lee Juno, to join him as backups in a
group dubbed Seo Taiji and Boys. On April 11, 1992,
they performed their single “Nan Arayo (I Know)” on a talent show.
CULTURAL OVERVIEW The Boys did not win the talent show; they actually
out East Asia. Contrary to the first wave, Shin-Hal-
diately after the song debuted, “I Know” went on to
adolescent consumers and is represented by the
received the lowest score of the evening. But imme-
top South Korea’s singles charts for a record-smashing
17 weeks, which stood for more than 15 years as the longest no. 1 streak in the nation’s history.
“I Know” represented the first time modern American-style pop music had been fused with
South Korean culture. Seo Taiji and Boys were pi-
oneers who challenged the norm of music, lyrics, fashion, and censorship. They sang about teen angst and the social pressure to succeed within a grueling education system, and insisted writing their own songs outside of the manufactured
net-
work environment. By the time Seo Taiji and Boys of-
ficially disbanded in 1996, they had
changed South Ko-
rea’s musical and
performance land-
scape, paving the way
for other artists to be
even more experimental
and break more boundaries —
and for music studios to quickly
step in and take over, forming an
entirely new studio system from the remnants of the broadcast-centered system6.
K-POP IS THE NEW WAVE From 1995-1998, three powerhouse entertain-
lyu is described as a youth movement, targeting
popular young K-pop idols such as Girls’ Generation, BigBang, and TVXQ2.
Through highly competitive auditions, starting
around ages 10 to 12, entertainment agencies in-
duct talented teens into the K-pop regimen. The life of a K-pop star is coveted by thousands of teens and preteens all over the world — so much so that walk-in auditions to scout kids for the
studio programs are held weekly
in the South Korea offices and even seasonally across the globe. The scouted teens
then take on rigourous singing, dancing, act-
ing, and language lessons. They learn
how to nicely present themselves to
fans. This is all to prepare for life as a
K-Pop idol.
They spend extre-
tremely long hours in
practice everyday and
perform in music shows.
o nd In these music shows, lucky : Ba
rce kids can make a name for themSou
selves before they even officially debut.
And when they’re old enough, around 15 or 16, and if they’re really lucky (luck comes with hard work
though), the agencies will put them into an idol group, or even occasionally, debut them as a solo artist.
ment agencies, collectively known as the “Big 3”,
Once an idol group has been trained to perfec-
tainment in 1997, and YG Entertainment in 1998,
girl group Girls’ Generation trained for 52 years in
appeared: SM Entertainment in 1995, JYP Enterwhich was created by the member of Seo Taiji and
Boys Yang Hyun-suk. Together, these studios began deliberately nurturing what would become known as K-Pop idols6.
The second wave of the early 2000s, Shin-Hallyu, is
the widespread diffusion of K-Pop music through-
tion (the then-nine-member K-Pop legendary combination), the studios generate pop songs for them, market them, put them on TV, send them
on tours, and determine when they’ll next make their “comeback” — a Konglish (Korean-English) term that signals the latest musical release, gen-
erally accompanied by huge fanfare, special TV appearances, and a totally new thematic concept6.
7
CULTURAL OVERVIEW THE FIRST IDOL GROUP The father of K-pop — the first ever idol group — is H.O.T., a five-member boy group that debuted in 1996 by SM Entertainment, specifically for the
teenage market. As the first “manufactured” boy group in South Korea, SM conducted market research to find out what type of singers and music teenagers valued2.
H.O.T. shared traits with today’s idol groups: a combination of singing, dancing, rapping and disparate personalities united through music. In 1999,
the band was chosen to perform in a major bene-
fit concert with Michael Jackson, in part because of their potential to become international pop stars — an indication that even in the ’90s, the industry was attuned to K-pop’s potential for global success6.
As the first modern K-Pop artist to perform over-
seas, H.O.T.’s 1999 sold-out concert in Beijing cemented their status as pan-Asian superstars
and opened up the Chinese market for subsequent South Korean acts. Before their disbandment
in 2001, H.O.T. saw unparalleled success. The five-member template — the prototypical band
configuration used around the world (e.g. Back-
street Boys, N’Sync, SMAP) — became the model
Source: SM Ent.
THE GLOBAL KOREAN WAVE
Girls, who were the opening
from which today’s K-pop groups are built2.
In the mid to late 2000s, K-Pop had undoubtedly
penetrated Asia, but it had yet to hit the Western hemisphere. Major entertainment agencies had begun to look at the US market, the biggest mu-
sic industry market. In 2008, top solosists BoA and Rain, from two of the three members of “Big 3” SM
and JYP, both announced their advancement into the US market.
Their footsteps were followed by JYP’s first girl
group Wonder Girls — who became the first K-Pop group to debut in America. They all made an impact in the States, but nevertheless, did not live up to the expectations as Korea’s biggest hits. The biggest accomplishment was perhaps Wonder
8
act for 45 Jonas Brothers con-
certs dates, as well as the first
Source: Mike Coppol
South Korean group to enter the Billboard Hot 100 in 2009 with “Nobody” charting at no. 767.
The K-Pop’s American Dream died down after until PSY’s ubiquitous 2012 hit “Gangnam Style” became
viral in the US and in the rest of the world. 2012 was also the year former US President Obama officially
acknowledged Hallyu during his speech at Hankuk University in Seoul. “Gangnam Style” had racked up
more than 3 billion views on YouTube in five years, reigning as the most-viewed video in YouTube history for years and paving way for subsequent K-Pop artists to make headway in the West6.
CULTURAL OVERVIEW The same superstar potential can be seen in the
In the ensuing years, she has become one of South
Korean soloist fluent in English, Korean and Japa-
stage name, an acronym for “Best of Asia” and the
of 13 in 2000.
Japanese album “Listen to My Heart” became the
SM’s eager promotion of BoA, a multilingual native
Korea’s best-known exports being true to her
nese. She made her public debut at the tender age
backronym “Bring on America”. Her 2002 debut first album by a Korean act to sell a million copies in Japan. Her self-titled English album entry was also the first Korean song to hit the Billboard 200 —
Source: SM Ent.
all thanks to SM’s pursuit of multicultural positivity.
Her superstar status in Japan had a spillover effect
on cultural diplomacy — BoA was the only Korean artist invited by the Japan’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs to attend the dinner hosted by former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 20137.
Source: JYP Entertainment
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TWICE
Source:Model Press JP
CULTURAL OVERVIEW
HALLYU’S FUTURE: THE THIRD WAVE? In July 2017, President Moon Jae-In declared his plans to increase the number of Hallyu fans to 100
million in the next five years. The number of Hallyu fans today is estimated to be 60 million1.
In fact, a Japanese media outlet has suggested there
is currently a third Hallyu wave taking place in Ja-
pan. The source claims that the third Korean wave is being led by idol groups TWICE, BTS, and G-Friend.
The Tokyo-based newspaper described the re-
cent accomplishments by TWICE in Japan, such as appearing on NHK’s esteemed year-end show
Kōhaku Uta Gassen. Meanwhile, BTS has gained worldwide attention, and G-Friend was able to garner over 1,500 fans during an outdoor smallscale debut party despite pouring rain.
Lastly, the report insisted that past Hallyu fans were largely women in their 30s-40s and new Hallyu fans are much younger and not as sensitive to the bilateralism between South Korea and Japan8.
Today, K-Pop music remains popular in China, Japan, and other parts of the globe. K-pop groups
such as TWICE and IZONE perform in the Japanese
language for the Japan market with their very own Japanese members.
Meanwhile other groups such as Super Junior, EXO, NCT have spawned “brand extensions.” Super Junior-M, EXO-M, and WayV (yep they have a
different name but are the same Chinese members
of NCT) feature Korean and Chinese members (ex-
clusively for WayV) and perform in Mandarin for the China market6.
Consumers in Asia vigorously consume K-Pop cul-
tural products, including TV dramas, music, film, and fashion. Not relegated to Asia, the popularity of
Hallyu now also extends to audiences in Americas and Europe. It can be puzzling to see fans enjoying
K-Pop and faithfully watching South Korean films
and dramas without understanding (or needing to understand) the language3.
Hallyu is a full economic and cultural force. The
South Korean government has recognized its cultural exports as key resources in its economy and agents of cultural diplomacy and strived to win over the world with it2.
1. Min-Sik Yoon, “Hallyu’s future; limitations and sustainability,” The Korean Herald, Aug 14, 2017. 2. Steven Chen, “Cultural technology: A framework for marketing cultural exports – analysis of Hallyu (the Korean wave),” International Marketing Review 33, no.1, (2016). 3. Bernadine Racoma, “Hallyu or Korean Wave Continues to Take the World by Storm,” Day Translations, Jul 30, 2018. 4. Elite Asia Marketing Team, “Hallyu Wave: How It All Started,” Elite Asia, Jan 4, 2017. 5. Martin Roll, “Korean Wave (Hallyu) – The Rise of Korea’s Cultural Economy & Pop Culture,” Martin Roll, Jan 8, 2018. 6. Aja Romano, “How K-pop became a global phenomenon,” Vox, Feb 26, 2018. 7. 뉴스큐레이션팀 권혜련, “K-POP, 영광의 순간들,”, Chosun.com, Jan 1, 2018. 8. Mkim93, “Japanese media suggest there is a 3rd Hallyu wave taking place led by TWICE, BTS, and G-Friend,” Allkpop, Jun 17, 2018.
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K-POP REWIND: If one can say BTS became a global sensation in 2017,
one must also acknowledge K-Pop reaching the
world in 2018. Although Hallyu encompasses more
that just pop music and includes K-drama, food, and fashion, K-Pop as a cultural/creative industry is growing the fastest both inside and outside Asia.
20 0 11 8
ACHIEVEMENTS
BTS MAKES HISTORY
Our favorite idols (referencing the singers whose
Since their first Billboard 200 entry in 2016, the
both veterans and rookies, are fervently promot-
the AMAs and appeared on other big US talk shows
target audience is or was once relatively young),
ing the genre through their far-ranging music that
resonantes globally. Last year alone saw K-pop’s massive impact on the music industry within Korea
like Ellen DeGeneres and Jimmy Kimmel. They
have become the first Korean act in many major shows, one of the many contributions to 2018 as a year full of breakthroughs!
Source: Ellen YouTube
and further into the West.
group has come a long way. BTS has performed at
11
Source: Billboard
In May 2018, BTS won the Top Social Art at the 2018
In October, Time Magazine names BTS “Next Gen-
for the second year in a row. They also performed
issue and becoming #1 on the Forbes Korea Power
Billboard Music Awards, the only Korean artist there at the show for the first time, premiering their new single “Fake Love”.
The album “Love Yourself: Tear” topped the Bill-
board 200 and “Fake Love” peaked at number ten, their highest so far, on the Billboard Hot 100. These
milestones make BTS the first Korean artist to
occupy many achievements, even earning a congratulatory tweet from the very own president Moon.
They dropped the sequel “Love Yourself: Answer” in September, which debuted at no. 1 on the Bill-
board 200 for the second time — the second pop act ever to have two no.1 albums in less than a year. The title track “Idol” is the fastest music video on
YouTube to hit 100 million views and held the title of the biggest first-day music video debut in 2018.
Later that month, leader RM delivered an impressive “Speak Yourself” speech at the UN on the
24th, touching people in all walks of life. UNICEF Korea told Korean media that the “Love Myself”
campaign in collaboration with BTS has raised over $1.4 million.
12
eration Leaders”, landing on the cover of the global Celebrity list3.
In November, Burn the Stage: The Movie was released in 620 theaters, compared to 2000-4000
locations for top sellers, worldwide. In the US, it hit $1.2 million on opening day, breaking One Direction’s record for the highest grossing event cinema musical production4.
Coming to the year-end, BTS ranked no. 8 on the
Billboard Top Artist Chart alongside the likes of
Drake and Taylor Swift, and no. 2 as a group, only behind Imagine Dragons5.
Twitter also announced that BTS was the most tweeted-about celebrity of the year3.
This year February, BTS attended the 61st Grammy
Awards and presented the Best R&B award, making them the first Koreans to do so. They also became the first K-pop artists to receive a Grammy nom-
ination though did not end up winning the Best Package Award6.
ACHIEVEMENTS BLACKPINK IS THE REVOLUTION Another first for K-pop is brought to us by YG, one
of the “Big 3” entertainment agencies in Korea and home to K-Pop juggernauts G-Dragon and CL. BLACKPINK’s musicality has invaded the world,
coming in at no. 78 on the UK’s Official Singles chart
as the first K-pop girl group ever to enter the charts.
BLACKPINK teamed up with Dua Lipa for the release
of “Kiss and Make Up”, which was strategic con-
sidering the fact that they signed with Interscope/ UMG in October 2018, and, one can imagine, they are making a direct play for Western audiences1.
It was announced at the beginning of January that
they would embark on their first “In Your Area” world tour with concerts in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and of course more shows in Asia.
And three days into 2019, they became the first ever Korean girl group to be
part of the lineup for Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, set to
perform in April alongside
headlining artists Ariana
Grande, Childish Gambino and Tame Impala.
Their very first time on American soil, BLACK-
PINK performed as part of UMG’s Grammy Artist
Source: ABC’s GMA
Showcase this February, sharing the stage with
Another honorable mention is their recent debut on
Grammy-nominated artists like J Balvin, Greta Van
100 with “DDU-DU DDU-DU” and no. 40 on the
their US TV debut, being the first K-Pop girl group
the U.S. Billboard charts, placing no. 55 on the hot Billboard 200 with the album “Square Up.” Both
are the highest-charting single and albums ever
by a K-pop girl group. “DDU-DU DDU-DU” even
Fleet and Post Malone. Shortly after this, they made to appear on Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Good
Morning America, and Strahan & Sara.
ranked No. 39 on the Streaming Songs tally as the
They weren’t kidding when they chanted “BLACK-
the first and only K-pop girl group to enter and top
“Forever Young”! More exciting news will come
first K-pop girl group song to do so. They are also Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart.
“DDU-DU DDU-DU” now holds the record of the
PINK is the revolution” in their bombastic single
just as they hinted on a comeback during their interview on GMA!7
most-viewed K-pop group music video on YouTube in history, having more than 600 million views and
outmatching former labelmate PSY’s “Gentleman” (as of Feb. 13)2.
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ACHIEVEMENTS NCT’S ABOUT TO TAKE OVER NCT 127 is a sub-unit of SM’s new conceptual
group NCT, which has ever-increasing numbers. Last October, they took a trip to the States.
With Apple Music naming them as a “New Artist
of the Week” after the album “Cherry Bomb” released, they visited the US headquarters in for the
first performance of their latest Latin trap-infused single “Regular”, sung in both English and Korean.
A rather rare decision that adds to their already
heavy workload, it paid off — two years and three mini-albums after their debut, NCT 127’s first
full-length album “Regular-Irregular” landed at
Source: Billboard
#86 on the Billboard 200 — not bad for a band who haven’t even held a solo show in America yet.
The Apple visit was just one stop among many on NCT 127’s US media blitz, which saw them become
the first ever K-Pop act for Apple Music’s ‘Up Next’ series, in addition to performances on Jim-
my Kimmel Live! and ABC’s Disney-led Mickey’s 90th Spectacular.
They also treadded the red carpet at the 2018
American Music Awards, meeting Tyra Banks and Ty Dolla $ign8.
NCT kicked off their world tour “Neo City - The
Source: #Kimmel
Origin” in Seoul in January followed by multiple shows in Japan. Although tour dates and venues have yet to be announced, the North American leg
will mark NCT 127’s first time touring the Western Hemisphere9.
With an already formidable arsenal of songs and multiple bilingual members, it isn’t a question of
“if” NCT 127 can tap into America, but simply a statement of ‘when’8.
Source: Axelle
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Source: Maddie Meyer
ACHIEVEMENTS
Source: Maddie Meyer
Source: @AlexShibutani Twitter
K-POP’S TRIUMPH AT 2018 PYEONGCHANG OLYMPICS
British skeleton racer Laura Deas, Russian figure
K-Pop’s effect reigned over sports. At the 2018
Yura Min and Alexander Gamelin share a common
PyeongChang Olympics, K-Pop was vividly highlighted throughout.
The musical genre received tremendous attention
from some of the participating Olympians. Especially those who competed in figure skating! Not only did these athletes skate to popular songs by
BTS, Red Velvet, BIGBANG and 2NE1 during their respective routines, but they also revealed themselves to be huge K-Pop fans.
U.S. ice dancers Maia and Alex Shibutani happen to be loyal BTS fans, and were hoping to meet them during the Winter Olympics. They came
skater Evgenia Medvedeva, and Korean ice dancers interest: they’re all devoted EXO fans.
During the opening ceremony, the parade of na-
tions took place with hit K-pop tracks being played as the background music. The lit setlist consisted
of PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” TWICE’s “Likey,” BIGBANG’s “Fantastic Baby,” BTS’s “DNA” and Red Velvet’s “Red Flavor.”
Finally, the closing ceremony included performanc-
es from CL and EXO. CL performed hit songs “The
Baddest Female” and “I Am The Best”, while EXO captivated the audience with “Growl” and “Power”10.
bearing gifts!
Taylor Glasby, “Everything that Happened to K-pop in 2018, “i-D, Dec 17, 2018. 2. Esmeel, “8 Significant K-Pop Moments From 2018 That We Have Witnessed So Far,” Soompi, Jul 1, 2018. 3. Tamar Herman, “Here’s Just About Everything BTS Did in 2018,” Billboard, Dec 31, 2018. 4. Jim Amos, “BTS Breaks The Box Office Bank With ‘Burn The Stage: Movie’,” Forbes, Nov18, 2018. 5. Jeff Jeffrey, “The Year in K-Pop on the Charts: BTS Breaks Genre Barriers While the Scene Expands Its Reach,” Billboard, Dec 8, 2018. 6. Nate Nickolai, “BTS Makes History at the Grammys as First K-Pop Presenters,” Variety, Feb10, 2019. 7. Emlyn Travis, “Reasons 2019 Is Going to be the Year of BLACKPINK,” PopCrush, Feb 13, 2019. 8. Taylor Glasby, “Meet NCT 127, the next K-pop group poised to cross over,” Dazed, Nov 6, 2018. 9. Tamar Herman, “NCT 127 Set to Tour North America For First Time: Exclusive,” Billboard, Feb 19, 2019. 10. Esmeel, “PyeongChang 2018: Olympics Highlights With A Touch Of K-Pop,” Soompi, Mar 1, 2018.
15
G G CELEBRITY PROFILES
-D ragon
BoF 500 2015-16 16.3M Followers
@XXIB GDRGN
Source: RINDOFF/DUFOUR
G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong and
is often called affectionately referred to as GD, has
been in show business since childhood. However, it wasn’t until 2006, when he debuted as the front-
The rapper has since sat front row for other brands
into the spotlight.
pearance at Chanel’s casino tables at the label’s
man of K-Pop supergroup Big Bang, that he shot
Almost overnight, the band had a monumental im-
pact on the Korean music industry, and GD quickly attracted attention for his eclectic outfits and fashion-forward taste1.
Arguably no one embodies the potential of partnership between fashion brands and K-pop more than this superstar2.
As one of Asia’s most popular celebrities, GD’s
chameleon-like style has won him the admiration of Karl Lagerfeld and Jeremy Scott1.
A Chanel brand ambassador and a Lagerfeld favou-
rite, he’s become a front-row fixture at the label’s shows, arriving in over-the-top outfits and posing alongside Hollywood A-listers . 2
16
like Lanvin and Saint Laurent, but it was his aphaute couture Autumn/Winter 2015 show that secured his status at the top of the fashion pyramid1.
It’s easy to see why the brand—and Lagerfeld him-
self—is so attracted to GD: his Instagram account
alone boasts an astonishing follower count of 16
million, and he averages 1 million likes per post,
meaning his fans are clearly invested in his every move thanks to personal, intimate, and authentic content. In that regard, G-Dragon—and most so-
cial-savvy K-pop stars—are more like influencers than traditional untouchable celebrities2.
Taking looks quite literally off the catwalk since he
gets dibs on runway pieces from collections before they’ve even debuted, what GD does consistently is own his confidence in pushing boundaries and borrowing from women’s collections3.
Source: Haobao.com
CELEBRITY PROFILES In 2017, he finally became an official brand ambassador for Chanel and starred in the Gabrielle bag campaign,
joining the likes of Pharrell, Kristen Stewart, and Cara Delevingne4.
Vogue has even written an article about his all encompassing style, calling him a “true fashion innova-
tor”. GD, as one of the fashion house’s few male ambassadors, proves that Chanel’s haute Parisienne vibe is not
Source: Chanel YouTube
Source: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff
Source: Anita Leung
limited to a single gender5.
Source: Francois Guillot
17
CELEBRITY PROFILES
Source: Juun.J
Source: Chow Tai Fook
In 2014, G-Dragon partnered with Chow Tai Fook
jewelry, the world’s largest pure-play jewelry, and launched a limited edition collection that com-
prises of 13 pieces of jewellery, including bracelets, anklets, and necklaces.
G-Dragon ensured that every jewelry piece was
priced with an 8 at the end. Besides being an auspicious number amongst Chinese beliefs, the singer’s
birth date is also on 18 August, 1988 — which obviously explains his love for the number!6
G-Dragon became such an influence in the fash-
ion industry that in 2014 LVMH invested over $50 million in YG Entertainment, the music label that represents him1.
A year later, he dropped a collaboration with Gi-
useppe Zanotti designing two unisex shoe styles — one lace-up dress shoe and one loafer — hand Source: Giuseppe Zanotti
embellished with fragments of glitter in what Zanotti says is a nod to ‘80s rock bands.
He also starred in the campaign for Seoul design
18
supremo Juun.J’s FW16 collection8.
In October 2016, he launched his own brand PEACEMINUSONE, an art project he runs with his
stylist Gee Eun. They threw a launch party during Paris Fashion Week, staging a four-day exhibition
at Galerie Frank Elbaz in Paris and inviting friends like Bella Hadid and Yoon Ambush9.
PEACEMINUSONE, although originally exclusively
available online, opened pop-up brick and mortar
stores outside Korea named Colette at the Dover Street Market in London (with a co-branded cap-
sule collection as well!), Joyce in Hong Kong, and
Source: @fakesickness Instagram
Alchemist in Miami10.
He later collaborated with Ambush in November
for a capsule collection of denim pieces, marking
Source: PEACEMINUSONE
their third collaboration together since 2013 . 11
The list of collaborations continues with Vogue Korea. GD opened set up a pop-up shop during Seoul Fashion Week and sold limited edition Peaceminusone x Vogue apparel12.
GD was included in the 2015 and 2016 Business of Fashion 500 list, the only K-Pop act to have made the cut1.
2016 was also a big year for GD with Forbes
naming him one of Asia’s Most Influential Person Under 30 in Eastern Entertainment and Sports, and spotlighted as the only Korean in Hypebeast’s 100 Innovators list13.
Often mixing high-end labels like Dior and Givenchy with haute streetwear brands like Ambush and KTZ,
the artist’s looks are routinely disseminated across social media.
His digital influence in Asia is impressive; design-
ers’ sales rocket in the region after GD posts an image of him in their clothing on his Instagram.
From Saigon to Surabaya, G-Dragon’s outfits are
meticulously observed by Asian superfans, some try to create a similar look for cheaper and others buy every piece of clothing GD wears14.
While GD has been diligently completing his mandatory service in the army, fans all around the world are anticipating his discharge in November. Source: PEACEMINUSONE 1. BoF, “G-Dragon,” accessed Feb 20, 2019. 2. Andrea Cheng, “In Fashion, K-Pop Stars Are the Newest Front-Row Fixtures,” Glamour, Jun 12, 2018. 3. Soey Kim, “The Front-Row K-Pop Stars To Look Out For At The AW19 Shows,” Vogue UK, Jan 16, 2019. 4. Jonathan Sawyer, “G-Dragon Is the Star of Chanel’s New Gabrielle Bag Campaign,” Highsnobiety, Jun 26, 2017. 5. Janelle Okwodu, “G-Dragon Borrows From the Girls and Wins at Chanel,” Vogue, Oct 3, 2017. 6. Tricia Oliveira, “Chow Tai Fook x G-Dragon Jewellery Collection,” Senatus.Net, Sep 9, 2014. 7. Rachel Allen, “Giuseppe Zanotti Collaborating With South Korean Pop Star G-Dragon,” Footwear News, Sep 9, 2015. 8. Alec Leach, “Juun.J’s FW16 Campaign Features G-Dragon and Taeyang,” Highsnobiety, Aug 11, 2016. 9. Abbey Vannelli, “‘Crooked’ music video by BIGBANG’s G-Dragon hits 100 million YouTube views; Singer throws a party at Paris fashion week,” Yibada, Jan 28, 2017. 10. Joanna Fu, “Peaceminusone X Colette Collection,” Hypebeast, Jul 30, 2018. 11. Joanna Fu, “G-Dragon’s PEACEMINUSONE & AMBUSH Design Team up for a Denim Offering”. Hypebeast, Nov 30, 2016. 12. Jake Silbert, “Inside the PEACEMINUSONE x ‘Vogue’ Korea Pop-Up,” Hypebeast, Oct 23, 2017. 13. Hypebeast, “G Dragon,” accessed Feb 20, 2019. 14. Robb Young, “The Digital Asia Effect,” BoF, Sep 29, 2015.
19
C C CELEBRITY PROFILES
BoF 500 2016
L
Source: Paper Magazine
Source: Kevin Tachman
@CHAELINCL 7.4M Followers
Source: Stephane Feugere
Chaelin Lee, known by her stage name CL, is a
K-Pop Queen and the leader of 2NE1. As a labelmate of GD, she has also been a well-known figure in the fashion industry since her debut in 2009.
Born in Seoul and raised in Tokyo and Paris, CL’s international upbringing exposed her to a wide
spectrum of creative influences. She has been credited with pushing the societal expectations of female musicians, especially in Asia.
Her collaborations, with the likes of Diplo and
Skrillex, helped raise her profile in the West, and in 2013, CL stepped away from 2NE1 to launch her first English solo track, “The Baddest Female.”
In 2014, she signed with School Boy Records un-
der the management of mogul Scooter Braun, who brought her single “Hello Bitches” to the Ameri-
can market. A stream of online coverage on Vogue
US won her a wide fashion following.
20
CL released “Lifted,” her first English language EP in the summer of 2016. Having conquered South
Korea, Japan and China, the global fashion industry was firmly in CL’s sights1.
Her genuine friendship with Jeremy Scott and
unadulterated love for Moschino also helped her succeed in the West2.
During their interview with Paper Magazine, Jere-
my named CL his best friend. Their friendship was first kickstarted when Jeremy saw CL wearing his
Adidas shoes in her MV. Eventually, Jeremy came to Korea for Adidas and had a chance to meet CL in person. They even starred together in a music
video and performed on stage a few days later! The
duo have been spotted together on many occasions ever since3.
CL is also friends with other designers, landing her prime seats at shows such as Chanel, Marc Jacobs,
Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Opening Ceremony and Alexander Wang.
CELEBRITY PROFILES
At the Alexander Wang Fall 2016 show, CL’s porcelain complexion struck a stark contrast against
her clothes, an effect further emphasized by her white-gray grey hair, deep oxblood lipstick and
glossy brown eyeshadow, finished with a black Source: Alexander Wang
flick of liquid liner4.
She performed at the Alexander Wang SS17 show and has been part of his ‘WANGSQUAD’ since the SS16 campaign5.
After topping TIME 100 Reader’s Poll in 2015, beating Source: Han Myung-Gu
out the likes of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Rihanna,
TIME named her the “future of K-pop in America” a year later.
In addition to the accomplishment, 2016 was also fruitful for other reasons. CL kicked off her first solo tour, the “Hello Bitches Tour”, in North America6.
In 2018, she made her Hollywood debut in Peter Berg’s Mile 22 starring Mark Wahlberg5.
CL went out to support her friend Hedi Slimane’s
first debut as creative director of Celine. Known for her fashion forward and groundbreaking personal style, CL made everyone’s heads turn, fashion and music fans alike7.
After Slimane debuted his first Celine purse with Lady Gaga at the Venice Film Festival in August,
he enlisted an equally fashionable pop star CL to preview his second on Instagram who gave fans a
Source: CL’s Instagram
closer look at Slimane’s latest creation “C.”8
BoF, “CL,” accessed Feb 20, 2019. 2. Kim, “The Front-Row K-Pop Stars.” 3. Jessica Jean Jardine, “Jeremy Scott and CL On Moschino, Pop Culture and the Power Of Girls,” Paper Magazine, Aug 26, 2015. 4. Mackenzie Wagoner, “Why Korean Rapper CL Is the First Breakout Beauty Star at New York Fashion Week,” Vogue, Feb 13, 2016. 5. Alec Leach, “Vic Mensa, Alice Glass, CL & ILoveMakonnen Join Alexander Wang’s SS16 Campaign,” Highsnobiety, Mar 15, 2016. 6. Joyce Lee, Arpita Aneja, and Salima Koroma, “Here’s Why CL Is the Future of K-Pop in America,” TIME, Nov 1, 2016. 7. Dianne Kim, “16 Celebs Who Turned Heads During This Year’s Biggest Fashion Weeks,” Soompi, Oct 10, 2018. 8. Janelle Okwodu, “CL Reveals Hedi Slimane’s Latest Bag, Moments Before His Celine Debut,” Vogue, Sep 28, 2018.
21
JJ
CELEBRITY PROFILES
ESSICA
Jessica Jung, former member of K-pop best-selling girl group Girls’ Generation, was removed from
the group in 2014, due to conflicting schedules.
She has since pivoted into the fashion business. Amid her busy schedule, Jung went on to launch her own brand, Blanc & Eclare, where she has served as creative director since 2012.
Blanc & Eclare specializes in eyewear, denim, readyto-wear, and accessories, even branching out into skincare. Jung’s label is sold in more than 70 stores
worldwide, including the flagship store in Soho. Solid colors and sharply cut, feminine designs are the key aesthetics of Blanc & Eclare, Jung’s vision1.
Jung totally embodies her role as creative director
ion crowd as a constant figure in the front row. She has been a fashion week street style favourite for
several seasons now, and is often spotted wearing Blanc and Eclare pieces paired with other designer brands2.
In 2017, Forbes named her one of Asia’s top 30 under 30.
As a rising star, it was no surprise to learn that in May
2018, Jung signed with United Talent Agency, home to Benedict Cumberbatch, Tyra Banks and Mariah Carey, to oversee her North American activities3.
She completed a whirlwind tour of the Fall 2018 collections during New York Fashion Week, hit-
ting up marquee shows like Tom Ford, Calvin Klein 205W39NYC, and Marc Jacobs4.
22
Source: @ lastsanai_nyc Instagram
for her brand, blending in perfectly with the fash-
Source: Blanc & Eclare
Source: @jiephot Weibo
CELEBRITY PROFILES She also attended Paris Fashion Week where she, along with her sister Krystal, were announced to be
the faces of the second chapter of Fendi’s Peekaboo campaign (with the first starring Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and North West)5.
8.2M Followers
@JESSICA .SYJ Source: Fendi
She was invited to the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival, wearing a stunning lavender gown by Ralph & Russo!6
As a star who transitioned into the business of
fashion while maintaining her status as a global influencer, Jessica was chosen as one of the models for Dolce and Gabbana’s Spring/Summer 2019
runway, where she walked with ’90s supermodels
Helena Christensen and model Ashley Graham, among many other prominent personalities2.
During the latest NYFW, Jung appeared at shows
non-stop: first with Ralph Lauren, then Christian Siriano, Carolina Herrera, and ending off her busy week with Proenza Schouler.
More recently, it was announced that Jung is offi-
cially joining the #BvlgariFamily, despite attending
Source: @jaylim1 Instagram
Source: Bvlgari
Source: @jaylim1 Instagram
the brand’s events as early as 20176.
1. Tamar Herman, “Jessica Jung on Moving into Fashion From K-Pop: ‘It Came Very Naturally’,” Billboard, Sep 25, 2017. 2. Kim, “16 Celebs.” 3. Li Ying Lim, “K-Pop Star-turned-entrepreneur Jessica Jung: It’s Natural to Feel Nervous When Starting Something New,” SCMP, Jul 13, 2018. 4. Cheng, “In Fashion, K-Pop Stars.”5. Teresa Lam, “K-Pop Sisters Jessica & Krystal Jung Tapped as New Faces of Fendi’s Peekaboo Bag,” Hypebae, Jul 16, 2018. 6. @jessica.syj. “ Instagram, accessed Mar 23, 2019
23
KK
CELEBRITY PROFILES
RYSTAL Krystal Jung, the ice princess as her fans call her
affectionately, was discovered by SM Entertainment at the tender age of six on a family trip to
Korea (note: her sister Jessica Jung and Krystal are both born and raised in San Francisco). Her parents thought Krystal was too young, and instead, recommended her older sister Jessica Jung to train who later debuted in Girls’ Generation.
Source: 1st Look Magazine
In 2009 at the age of 14, Krystal, finally debuted as
a member of K-Pop girl group f(x) after three years of training, as well as making her debut as an actress in the small screen a year later.
In 2016, she was awarded the title Fashion Icon at China’s famous Jumei Awards Ceremony, attending alongside her group leader Victoria1.
Her style is well recognized as she was one of the guest judges in Project Runway Korea and has modSource: Tod’s Weibo
elled for InStyle Magazine, wearing the winning feathery one-piece2.
She received a big stamp of approval when Tod’s
announced that she would be the Italian luxury leather brand’s first Asian model.
Calling her the Korean pop icon, Tod’s invited her
on the “Italian Journey” to experience the craftsmanship of Italian artisans.
She also attended Milan Fashion Week for its SS17
collection and has been attending the shows and events since then. Tod’s posts about their collaboration every so often on their Instagram3.
Having graced magazine covers many times, Krystal was selected by GQ Korea as the “Woman of the
24
Source: GQ Korea
Source: @ jeong_jaehoon Instagram
Year” in 2017 4.
She appeared at the premier of Rag & Bone’s “Why Can’t We Get Along” in New York and Moncler’s 2018 FW show during Milan Fashion Week.
Cutting her hair short for the first time since debut, Krystal is seen at Piaget’s event in Taipei in April 2018. Six months later, she brought her sister to Piaget’s photocall in Seoul. The duo are inseparable!
The season later, Krystal stood out in the crowd Source: Dimitrios Kambouris
Source: GQ Korea
with her breathtaking red outfit from Salvatore Ferragamo at the SS19 show5.
On February 10, she visited New York City for Coach’s 2019 F/W New York Fashion Week. While
in the fashion capital, Krystal took the time to pose for Allure6.
Source: @SCMP_style Instagram
7.6M Followers
@VOUSME VOYEZ
Source: @Ferragamo Twitter
Source: Allure Korea
Source: @ @Zebra_GG_Sy Twitterj
1. Michelle Lam, “Happy 24th birthday Krystal Soo Jung! 5 reasons why the K-pop star is China’s darling,” SCMP, October 24, 2018. 2. D. Kim, “f(x)’s Krystal Transforms into a Bird,” Soompi, May 6, 2013. 3. Tod’s, “Krystal Italian Journey with Tod’s,” accessed Feb 20, 2019. 4. KpopJoA, “‘GQ Korea’ selects Krystal as the ‘Woman of the Year’,” Allkpop, November 28, 2017. 5. Beansss, “Check out f(x) Krystal’s edgy fall fashion in ‘Elle’,” Allkpop, October 18, 2018. 6. Yckim124, “Krystal is a chic city girl in New York for ‘Allure’,” Allkpop, February 19, 2019.
25
CELEBRITY PROFILES
SS
In early 2017, she was introduced as Fendi’s new-
est face of their delicate Spring/Summer collection,
which resonates with her persona. Since then, she has been invited to both domestic and overseas Fen-
di events, featured on magazine covers, and starred in a number of pieces for the Italian fashion house.
uzy
Fendi describes their collaboration as “classic
French rococo opulence meets modern silhouettes” and Suzy as an “enchanted beauty”. This descrip-
tion is available in several languages to cater to the global fans and audience.
Upon her departure for Milan, she was spotted in head-to-toe Fendi at the Incheon Airport. She filmed a promo clip for Fendi while spending sun-
ny days in a beautiful lakeside villa in Italy, dressed in the romantic and regal SS17 collection3.
B ae
Source: InStyle Korea
Suzy Bae, better known as Suzy, is a quarter of the K-Pop girl group Miss A, which debuted back in
2010. After the band’s success winning first place
on music charts ot the 21st day of their debut, Suzy went on to pursue her own solo singing, acting and
She became the first female celebrity to win triple rookie awards in all three fields of music, televi-
sion, and movies. Winning her first rookie award as a K-pop idol, her innocent image of first love in
her breakout role in Architecture 101 earned her a
Source: Fendi
Best New Actress film award as well as the title of “nation’s first love”. She followed this with her role as Ko Hye-Mi in the coming-of-age drama,
Dream High. No other Korean celebrity has won so many awards in each category1.
She then became the most in-demand endorser in
Korea and has been hailed as a “CF Queen” and “10 Billion Won Girl”, earning the large sum through 14 endorsement deals in 20132.
Source: Han Myung-Gu
9.4VM Followers
@SKUUKZKY
modeling career, building a name for herself.
In December 2017, Lancôme revealed that the actor/ singer has been chosen as their new model, stating,
Source: Lancome
“Suzy is an artist who tackles unending challenges in music and acting. Her confident, beautiful image
matches well with our brand value of wanting sincere happiness for women, so she has been chosen as our new model.”4
In her latest music video “Sober”, she even wore a shade of Lancôme’s lipstick named after her “#373 Suzy Coral”, which sold out shortly after5.
She also filmed commercials “Love Your Age” and “Find Your Light” for the cosmetic brand6,7. Source: VCG
Source: gguljae.me
Source: kstarshk.com
This January, Suzy graced the “Dior Lady Art” event in Seoul wearing a men’s white polo shirt with long sleeve paired with a black necktie.
However, their partnerships actually seemed to
begin when Suzy tagged Dior in her Instagram post wearing a white studded Diorama flap bag.
Source: Suzy’s Instagram
Source: gguljae.me
She has since attended Dior’s FW19 show during
PFW and the brand’s opening in Taipei. She also has been seen with Lady Dior every now and then en route to the airport.
She also attended the Parisian jeweller Chaumet’s
event in Hong Kong, trying on diamond tiaras and looking like a real princess8.
Hanan Hada, “Bazaar Spotlight: Meet Suzy, A Triple Threat With An Angelic Face,” Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, June 23, 2017. 2. Sun-Min Lee, “Suzy is top celebrity for ads,” Korea Joongang Daily, October 17, 2013. 3. Fendi, “Suzy (Bae) for Fendi,” accessed Mar 20, 2019. 4. Jennywill, “Suzy is now the face of ‘Lancome’ in Korea,” Allkpop, Dec 4, 2017. 5. “秀智和周冬雨令人驚艷的素顏！讓她們擁有由內而外透亮肌的原來是這樣聖品！”, Popbee, Aug 26, 2018. 6. Lancôme Singapore, “Lancôme - Love Your Age - Suzy Bae,” YouTube, posted Apr 27, 2018. 7. Lancôme Singapore, “Suzy X Find Your Light | Lancôme,” YouTube, posted Sep 5, 2018. 8. @ skuukzky. “ Instagram, accessed Mar 23, 2019.
27
Q&A’S TINA WITH JUNG Photography by John-Paul Lue
28
COVER STORY
E
ven before Crazy Rich Asians,
Kim’s Convenience (2016) made
@TI N J U N AY G
waves as a TV show portray-
ing an ethnic Asian (Korean
Canadians to be specific) family in North America. It’s also one of the
very few English-speaking dramas
r at ow he l l o F
that I have watched — mainly be-
cause of the Asian cast and storyline.
It’s also how I got to know Tina Jung,
who plays Jeanie Park, an introverted
church-going teenage girl. Jung is also known for her appearance on
Make It Pop (2015), alongside former K-Pop star Megan Lee, and Man
Source: Thunderbird Films
Seeking Woman (2015).
Q
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am a Korean-Canadi-
an actor currently based in Toronto.
When I was five, my family immigrat-
ed to Canada and my parents wanted
my sisters and I to stay in tune with our culture, so we were all raised bi-
watched a lot of shows, news, films,
anything, they are the ones who really
My older sisters were more engaged
passion for the craft and desire to be
and variety programs after school.
with Korean entertainment and music; so by their influence, I started
I like to express that on my social me-
since all our relatives live in Korea.
of me on set, projects I’m currently
to visit Korea every chance we can
When people first learn that I’m an
school every Tuesday evening.
portive with my career choice. I’m
My parents actively encouraged me to only speak Korean at home, and then subscribed to Korean cable so I
an artist.
listening to K-Pop in the 90s. We try
lingual. I started kindergarten here
and my parents enrolled me in Korean
know the industry and understand my
actor, they ask if my parents are sup-
blessed to say that they have been nothing but supportive and encourag-
ing. My parents were both actors back
in Korea when they were younger; if
dia platform. I share stories and posts working on, promote projects that are
out, photoshoots I’ve had with incredibly talented photographers from
both Toronto and Los Angeles, and
places I’ve traveled to for work and leisure. I also tag in English and Kore-
an so I can reach both audiences. My follower base is a healthy split.
29
COVER STORY
Q
I was heavily immersed in it growing
Q
pop culture over here, and I’ve seen
pressing; it displays our culture in a
How well do you know
K-pop? What do you think about it?
up. It’s all I’ve known, along with the
both sides from the 90s till now. Korean pop culture has always been
unique and it’s own thing. There has
never been anything like it or even
close to it. If anything, I felt like it has always been a step ahead. I grew up
listening to K-Pop before it became a global phenomenon. The concept of girl/boy bands was already established and successful; in the 90s, they
were already experimenting with vi-
brant colours, catchy tunes, unique music videos, etc.
I remember in elementary school, I
would try to assemble a K-Pop group
Why do you consume or follow K-Pop?
It’s a part of who I am.
It’s an identity to be proud of. Asian pop culture has a special way of exunique, fresh, and creative way, but
also invites everyone to experience
it. It’s not apologetic and doesn’t
ask for permission to be its own thing. Rather it’s a display of “this
is our pop culture, this is who we are, I guarantee that you’ve never seen
this anywhere else and you won’t be
disappointed. If you don’t vibe with it, that’s okay, but we’re still going to keep doing our thing.” It gives you a platform to take its influence
and also make it your own. It en-
courages you to be creative with your own style.
and all the kids would just giggle and
make fun of me because it wasn’t a familiar concept to them. As the Korean pop culture established it-
self, it quickly spread through China and Japan, and it became even more popular. From there, it wasn’t long
until it became a global sensation. Now everyone knows what K-Pop
is, it is widely loved by all, and more
people are interested in the culture,
the language, the cuisine, etc. It’s a really cool thing!
30
“ IT’S PART OF
WHO I AM
COVER STORY
Q
ative. It’s constantly evolving to a
Q
an attractive quality because it always
photographers and explored lots of
What do you think are its appeals and strengths?
It’s unapologetically cre-
point where you can’t catch up. It’s stays fresh and is never dull. Everything about it is colourful. It’s eclectic.
There’s layers of meaning, and it’s never afraid to experiment. I think
people who are introduced to this pop
culture for the first time might be
overwhelmed at first, but are quickly
Have you worked with other artists? Was your
ethnic background a factor leading up to the collab?
I have worked with very talented concepts and thoroughly enjoyed that process. Every photographer has his/
her own style and to be able to partner up and have the freedom to play with
them often results in shots that we’re both very pleased with.
Q
I know you starred in Kim’s
Convenience. How was it?
I actually watched the
play in my fourth year of university
(for all of you who don’t know, Kim’s
Convenience actually adapted Ins
Choi’s 2011 play of the same name). It was the first play that actually spoke to me. I was like wow — this
resonates with me on so many levels. Not only is it a Korean family, it is our story as Asian immigrants in Canada.
drawn into this quality as a whole and
I would say that most of my collabo-
For that to be super successful and
ful. There is an addictive charm to it.
and I genuinely believe that we are
I believe this is the first all-Asian
that’s why it’s been globally success-
And you naturally become curious to learn more about it.
rations have been with other Asians, very supportive of each other. We all
know how important our culture is and we enjoy sharing that with others and spreading those influences to
others to do the same. As Asians, we
like getting our messages out and our voices heard, and if we work together only great things can happen.
get a deal on CBC, it was incredible! cast about an Asian family on Canadian broadcast. It’s not only just for
Asians. It’s about our story of mov-
ing here, parents living a life for your kids. You want the best for your kids. We are all going through it! That itself
alone is incredible! And the audience
gets more of an understanding about
our side of the story — more than one kind of Asian family, aside from the one you see on ABC’s Fresh Off
the Boat, and definitely more than one story.
I actually auditioned for the role of Janet (the female lead) and got screen
tested with a few other actors. I didn’t
IT’S AN IDENTITY TO BE PROUD OF “
end up getting the role, but they
called me back to tell me that they have a character in mind for me. And
that was the role of Jeanie Park! I was like hell yeah, any way to be involved with the show! She was super funny!
31
COVER STORY
Q
singers, producers, actors and social
Q
crew, Claudia Kim, Daniel Henney and
way to get known and put yourself
Which celebrities do you follow on social media?
I follow a lot of Korean
media influencers like the AOMG
Pony. These are just a few of the ce-
lebrities that have collaborated with luxury brands. I’m always interested
in seeing other people’s style and if I vibe with them I will follow them. So-
cial media is a great platform for one to express themselves, and I’m sure
they’re even more amazing in person.
Q
Do you know any collabs
between East Asian celebrities and luxury brands?
I think more and more luxury brands
and designers are collaborating with, not only East Asian celebrities, but
East Asian social media influencers as well. For example, Pony is a very
successful Korean makeup artist who has collaborated with luxury brands
such as Dior, Givenchy, Shiseido, and more. Various K-Pop artists frequently collaborate with luxury brands and
designers ranging from clothing to makeup and even high end cars. Examples being CL with Jeremy Scott,
G-Dragon with Karl Lagerfeld, Mino
with Christopher Bailey, and Taeyang with Silvia Venturini Fendi, just to name a few.
32
Do you know why did the
brands choose to partner with these celebrities?
I think fashion is largely driven by social media nowadays. The quickest out there is through social media.
Everyone is on social media and if you have a large following, chances
are you will be known globally. It’s straightforward advertising in a way.
If you sponsor an influencer, what-
ever they post will be seen by all of their followers. It’s the best way to partner up and share the product.
I read somewhere that the Asia-Pacific’s share of luxury goods market has grown significantly in percentage
over the past few years. With that I think these brands are reaching out to the consumers with the help
of Asian celebrities. These designers
share a similar fashion code with the
celebrities and I think that’s why they want to collaborate together. They fit their branding. It’s a dream
collaboration! Who doesn’t want to see that?
“ I FELT LIKE K-POP HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STEP AHEAD “
Q
Any trends regarding this subject matter you notice? With the rise of BTS at the
current time of this interview, I think
a lot of collaborations with them will surface up in the near future. Apparently, Mattel has recently partnered with them and they will have their
own doll line coming out in the summer which is crazy if you think about
it. Growing up playing with Barbie dolls myself, I never would have imagined that there would be Asian
Ken dolls, but how amazing is it that this is happening and Asian children
today now get to see their race as dolls
on North American shelves? Wild. I think it’s amazing how far Korean
pop culture has evolved and reached a global audience today. I hope to
see it continue to surprise people and constantly reach milestones in their creativity and popularity.
J
ung is in the process of filming a feature film — Queen of the
Morning Calm — a heartfelt story about a young Korean
immigrant sex worker, her daughter,
and their journey of self-empower-
ment and love. She plays the role
of Debra, the protagonist, who is devastated by traumatic experiences of abuse and poverty. The movie,
written by the award-winning Kore-
an Canadian filmmaker Gloria Ui, is expected to released in this fall. With
the success of Kim’s Convenience,
Fresh Off the Boat, and Crazy Rich Asians, we can only anticipate more
and more Asian-related stories on big and small screens alike.
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make history
in #myglory
the Glorient
Source: SM Ent. Source: SM Ent.
I
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Taeyeon, Leader of Girls’ Generation
the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT the GLORIENT
GLORY IN THE GLOBAL EAST
SCAN TO SEE MORE 36