Korean Popular Songs Research Articles

Korean popular music in-between: Identity strategies between Japanese style and American standards in the 1960s

This article explores collective experiences of Japanese popular music within the post-Second World War South Korean society along with related identity strategies – elimination, stratification and standardization – from postcolonial perspectives and discuss what characterizes ‘Japanese-ness’ as a musical, industrial and social product. In the context of strategies to eradicate it from the urban spaces, cultural industry and memories and bodies of Korean people, Japanese-ness – labelled under the moniker waesaek – was proscribed as a cultural remnant of imperialism, militarism and colonial dominion and thus, a harmful influence on its public. South Korean popular songs categorized as waesaek music within this model were subject to social criticism and gentrified in the music marketplace as trot. On the other hand, Americanization was an important strategy used to construct a new ‘Korean-ness’ separate from the Japanese-ness lingering within the country from its colonial past. Japanese-ness in popular music in post-war South Korea continually changed as it was re-imagined and re-constructed in parallel with musical, social and industrial changes in South Korea. Each of these strategies carries its own corresponding paradoxes, and Korean-ness and Japanese-ness are cast in sharp relief as distinct cultural products while still containing those paradoxes. This article argues that these strategies, both global and local in scope, highlight the fact that post-colonialism cannot be explained merely by the relationship between one colony and one empire but rather evolves in a global and local milieu, in which multiple empires and colonies are intertwined.

중등학교 가창 제재곡과 지도방법에 관한 실태 분석

In recent music classes in secondary schools, singing activities are not well performed, and the proportion of classes is decreasing. The purpose of this study is to understand the reasons and issues related to this trend and explore solutions by analyzing the current state, perceptions, and demands of vocal repertoire and teaching methods in secondary schools singing education. To achieve this goal, various literatures on singing class vocal repertoire and teaching methods were reviewed, and based on this, a survey tool was developed to find out the actual condition and demand of singing class vocal repertoire and teaching methods, and a survey was conducted on middle and high school music teachers nationwide, and statistics on the responses of 67 respondents were analyzed.
 As a result of the analysis, secondary school music teachers were strongly aware of the necessity of singing education. However, in actual music classes, singing classes were allocated as the third priority after instrumental and listening classes, resulting in a decrease in singing education. As singing class vocal repertoire, both art songs and popular music were used in the same ratio, but there was a preference for Korean art songs in the art song category and Korean popular songs in the popular music category. The main contents dealt with when teaching art songs were vocalization and breathing, but in the case of popular music, the focus was on the content of the lyrics and background knowledge.

중등학교 가창 제재곡과 지도방법에 관한 실태 분석

In recent music classes in secondary schools, singing activities are not well performed, and the proportion of classes is decreasing. The purpose of this study is to understand the reasons and issues related to this trend and explore solutions by analyzing the current state, perceptions, and demands of vocal repertoire and teaching methods in secondary schools singing education. To achieve this goal, various literatures on singing class vocal repertoire and teaching methods were reviewed, and based on this, a survey tool was developed to find out the actual condition and demand of singing class vocal repertoire and teaching methods, and a survey was conducted on middle and high school music teachers nationwide, and statistics on the responses of 67 respondents were analyzed.
 As a result of the analysis, secondary school music teachers were strongly aware of the necessity of singing education. However, in actual music classes, singing classes were allocated as the third priority after instrumental and listening classes, resulting in a decrease in singing education. As singing class vocal repertoire, both art songs and popular music were used in the same ratio, but there was a preference for Korean art songs in the art song category and Korean popular songs in the popular music category. The main contents dealt with when teaching art songs were vocalization and breathing, but in the case of popular music, the focus was on the content of the lyrics and background knowledge.

한국 대중가요가 노래해온 죽음에 관한 탐색적 연구 - 1920년대부터 1950년대까지를 중심으로

This study analyzes how the meaning of death has changed in early Korean popular songs. As a representation of social change and popular sentiment, such songs have constantly changed the meaning of death throughout history. The view of death and the way it is sung has also changed at different points in the 100-year history of Korean popular songs, which began as a praise of death. The nihilism of the loss of sovereignty during the emergence of popular song was expressed in songs of personal mourning, martyrdom for the emperor during the period of increased militarism, and mourning for those who died for their country during the period from liberation to the Korean War.
 As we learn about the future from the past, a retrospective of the history of popular songs about death at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is forcing us to reflect on death more seriously will be an opportunity to observe not only the changes in public interest in death, but also the cross-section of death as perceived by society.

현대 대중가요에 나타난 읊조림(吟詠)의 전통

The dictionary meaning of “eupjorhim” is “reciting poetry in a low voice while appreciating its meaning,” which corresponds to “吟” or “詠” in Chinese characters. However, “eupjorhim” is now widely used to mean “in a way that does not sing loudly” and “to sing songs that have a limited range of voices” as if individuals were referring to themselves. This thesis attempts to consider the way of “eupjorhim” in modern Korean popular songs, search for its origins in our traditional poetry, summarize its characteristics, and analyze the characteristics that can be deemed to have inherited the tradition of reforestation in modern Korean popular songs.
 The analysis showed that the meaning of “eupjorhim” in traditional poetry can be summarized by the following three aspects. ① The melody: Although it is less present than in singing, it exhibits pitch and rhythm contrarily to simple reading. ② The lyrics: It is does not aim to appreciate tune-like singing, but to convey meaning. ③ The singing style: It can be performed by ordinary people as well as experts. Furthermore, it is not an other-centered performance to impress the listener, but a self-centered performance method that values one's own enjoyment. Considering various examples in modern K-pop, “eupjorhim” inherits the context of traditional poetry regarding ① melody within a narrow range, ② song that is more lyrics-oriented than melody, and ③ a calm singing method as if talking to oneself.
 “Eupjorhim” is meaningful in that it not only reminds us that modern popular songs deeply lean on both foreign influences and the inherent traditions that exist in us, but also makes us realize various ways of singing and, ultimately, leads us to reconsider “What Is Song?”

한국 대중가요 가사에 나타난 “세상”의 공기어 네트워크 연구

The analysis of Korean popular song lyrics is helpful in investigating the social phenomenon or emotions of a certain age, but previous studies have only been limited to a small number of qualitative or quantitative analyses. To overcome this limitation, we collected 3,488 songs from 1964 to 2020 and created networks that link words in noun phrases and verb phrases appearing in the same line of lyrics. Then, we traced how the usage of the word “world” (“sesang” in Korean) changed during the periods from 1986 to 1997 and from 2015 to 2020 whereby to explore the world view of the masses diachronically. As a result, we found that the public in the past had a great interest in the change of the world and had a strong view of the world negatively, whereas recently, interest in the world itself decreased. The network data generated in this study will be made public, so anyone can access it through a web page.

조용필 노랫말 속 사회상과 문학적 표현

This study set out to analyze the social nature of Cho Yong-pil’s lyrics and examine the ways social aspects are expressed and messages reflected in Korean popular songs. The findings were as follows. First, Cho’s songs such as <Come Back to Busan Port>, <Seoul, Seoul, Seoul>, and <Arirang in My Dream> were written to commemorate historical moments. <Come Back to Busan Port> offers lyrics reflecting the pain of family separation due to the Japanese occupation, national unity, and his wish for the unification of North and South Korea. <Seoul, Seoul, Seoul> focuses on the placeness of Seoul and paints a depressing outlook for the social aspects that the nation would face after the Seoul Summer Olympic Games. <Arirang in My Dream> reinterprets the Arirang folk song that represents the history of the Korean people’s suffering, indicating that the history of Korea faces a grand turning point. Secondly, <The Empty Sky>, <Life>, and <1987 of Seoul> reflect people’ aspirations for anti-autocracy and democratization. <The Empty Sky> and <Life> are set against the backdrop of “Seoul’s Spring in 1980” and the “Gwangju Democratization Movement of May,” depicting the dream of democratization that was lost in the “empty sky” and the noble spirit of sacrifice of democratic souls. The lyrics of <1987 of Seoul> talk about the historical site of a democratic protest on June 10 and the beginning of the democratic society that the Korean people finally won. Lastly, <Ilseong> represents people’s anger toward the political world. Its lyrics are impressive for their harsh political satire. <My Friend’s Morning> and <One Day on the Way Back Home> talk frankly about the anxiety and alienation of the middle aged and the older generations that faced a rapidly changing social situation after the foreign currency crisis. These findings show that many of Cho Yong-pil’s songs contain social messages in their lyrics, that the lyrics of his songs did not enjoy as much attention as their popular awareness, that it was inevitable for him to hide his original intentions with literary expressions, and that he continued to deliver his social messages.

International Song Festivals and Musicians’ Sense of the World—Inter-Asian Perspective and Eurasian Imagination in the Study of Korean Popular Song during the Cold War

International Song Festivals and Musicians’ Sense of the World—Inter-Asian Perspective and Eurasian Imagination in the Study of Korean Popular Song during the Cold War

A Study on the Characteristics of Frequently Used Words in Korean Popular Songs

A Study on the Characteristics of Frequently Used Words in Korean Popular Songs

대중가요에 대한 선호 및 인지도의 요인 분석: 나이와 교육 효과를 중심으로

본 연구에서는 지금까지 사회과학 분야에서 크게 주목받지 못했던 대중가요에 대한 취향 형성 요인을 탐색하였다. 먼저 개인의 대중가요 취향 형태를 구분하기 위해 14곡의 대표적인 우리나라 대중가요를 선정하여, 개별 노래에 대한 인지도, 선호도, 극단적인 선호와 비선호 등 네 가지 속성을 측정했다. 다음으로 각각의 대중가요 취향 형성에 영향을 줄 수 있는 다양한 설명변수들의 효과성을 분석했으며, 이 과정에서 특히 나이와 교육수준의 영향력에 대해 더 집중하였다. 분석 결과 설명변수와 대중음악에 대한 개인들의 취향 간에 다음과 같은 관련성을 발견하였다. 첫째, 사람들이 나이가 들수록 대중가요에 대한 인지도와 선호도, 그리고 극단적으로 좋아하는 노래의 수가 함께 증가하는 경향을 보이지만, 극단적으로 싫어하는 노래의 수는 별다른 변화가 없었다. 둘째, 교육수준은 대중가요에 대한 평균적인 선호도와 극단적으로 좋아하는 대중가요 곡 수에 부정적인 영향을 주지만, 대중가요 전반에 대한 인지도나 특정 대중가요를 매우 싫어하는 태도에 대해서는 별다른 효과가 없었다. 셋째, 이러한 결과에 의하면 나이와 교육수준은 분명 대중가요에 대한 취향에 큰 영향을 주는 변수이지만, 또 다른 분석인 다중대응일치분석 결과에 의하면 이들 두 변수와 대중가요의 취향사이에 반드시 선형 관계가 존재한다고 보기는 어려웠다.

Socio-Economic Implications of Korean Popular Songs per period

Socio-Economic Implications of Korean Popular Songs per period

한국 대중가요 분석과 언어문화 교육을 위한 활용

한국 대중가요 분석과 언어문화 교육을 위한 활용

대중가요를 활용한 한국 사회문화교육 방안 연구

This study aims to select contents for Korean social culture education by the period for foreign students, and propose measures for Korean social culture education using Korean popular songs. To this end, we first presented the contents of Korean social culture education in the past 70 years from 1946 in 10-year units. We referred to a study that analyzed the key words in newspaper articles and the Korean history curriculum suggested by the Department of Education to identify social culture education by the period. The following educational contents were identified: “The Korean War and division of the South and North Koreas”(1946- 1955), “Changes of social aspect before and after war”(1956-1964), “Light and darkness of government-led economic development”(1965-1974), “Urbanization and youth culture”(1975-1984), “Advent of new generation and new technology and environmental problems”(1985-1994), “Adolescent issues and the financial crisis” (1995-2002), and “Youth unemployment and class conflict”(2003-current). In addition, Korean popular songs about Korea’s social culture were selected by reviewing previous studies and popular Korean music websites. Next, the contents about “Urbanization and youth culture”(1975-1984) were presented as a class model. Korean culture is the classic channel through which Korean language learners are introduced to Korea, and among various Korean cultural media, Korean popular song attracts the most attention. Thus, Korean popular song may be an effective pedagogic instrument to teach Korean social culture to foreign students.

A Quantitative Study on the Lexical Usage of Korean Popular Song in China

A Quantitative Study on the Lexical Usage of Korean Popular Song in China

Between Technological Advancement and Protectionism: The Bumpy Evolution from MP3 Players to Smartphones in Korea

In recent years, K-pop or Korean popular songs have enjoyed immense popularity around the world. However, the situation was very different before the mid-2000s when the industry was suffering from widespread piracy of its music. Furthermore, the emergence of the MP3 phone in the early 2000s provoked two critical conflicts. One was between the producers of the MP3 phone who were large conglomerates and the manufacturers of the standalone MP3 player who were smaller companies that feared for their future. The other conflict was between the producers of the MP3 phone and the Korean music industry who believed this new device would hinder their development. Given the current global popularity of K-pop, it is meaningful to analyze the position and rationale of these players at the time and their consequences. In brief, protecting existing industries hindered the corporate and industrial adaptions in the global competition and held back the momentum to explore innovation and a new business model. First, the MP3 player manufacturers encountered serious financial and managerial problems and even went into bankruptcy because they were too slow in pursuing change. Second, the Korean conglomerates were late in producing a new digital device, the smartphone, and entering its growing market. Third, the Korean music industry was able to survive but only because entertainment companies have adopted a new business model that generated alternative sources of earnings. This paper demonstrates the importance of having a broader view and recognition of industrial dynamics in formulating effective policies.

Between Technological Advancement and Protectionism: The Bumpy Evolution from MP3 Players to Smartphones in Korea

In recent years, K-pop or Korean popular songs have enjoyed immense popularity around the world. However, the situation was very different before the mid-2000s when the industry was suffering from widespread piracy of its music. Furthermore, the emergence of the MP3 phone in the early 2000s provoked two critical conflicts. One was between the producers of the MP3 phone who were large conglomerates and the manufacturers of the standalone MP3 player who were smaller companies that feared for their future. The other conflict was between the producers of the MP3 phone and the Korean music industry who believed this new device would hinder their development. Given the current global popularity of K-pop, it is meaningful to analyze the position and rationale of these players at the time and their consequences. In brief, protecting existing industries hindered the corporate and industrial adaptions in the global competition and held back the momentum to explore innovation and a new business model. First, the MP3 player manufacturers encountered serious financial and managerial problems and even went into bankruptcy because they were too slow in pursuing change. Second, the Korean conglomerates were late in producing a new digital device, the smartphone, and entering its growing market. Third, the Korean music industry was able to survive but only because entertainment companies have adopted a new business model that generated alternative sources of earnings. This paper demonstrates the importance of having a broader view and recognition of industrial dynamics in formulating effective policies.

Japanese Translation of Korean Popular Songs

Japanese Translation of Korean Popular Songs

Research on Korean Popular Songs Written by Korean Residents in Japan

Research on Korean Popular Songs Written by Korean Residents in Japan

The Aspect of Alcoholic Beverage in Korean Popular Song

The Aspect of Alcoholic Beverage in Korean Popular Song

A Study on Strategies for Popularization of Local Tourism using Korean Popular Song and Song Monument Contents – Centered in Southeastern Region -

A Study on Strategies for Popularization of Local Tourism using Korean Popular Song and Song Monument Contents – Centered in Southeastern Region -