Whence
K-pop (music)
Music & dance

Where does K-pop (music) come from?

K-pop comes from Seoul, South Korea. Its modern form is usually dated to 11 April 1992, when the trio Seo Taiji and Boys performed 'I Know', a mix of rap and dance pop, on a Korean television talent show.

Lowest score, biggest hit

Seo Taiji, who had started out in a heavy metal band, formed the group in 1992 with Yang Hyun-seok and Lee Juno, and their single 'I Know' came out on 23 March. On MBC's talent show in April the jury gave it the lowest rating of the night. Listeners disagreed: the song stayed at number one for a record 17 consecutive weeks, a success put down to its new jack swing beats, catchy chorus and lyrics about the problems of Korean society.

From rap dance to idol groups

The trio's popularity with teenagers turned the music industry towards teen pop, and their second album became the first record in Korea to sell over 2 million copies. Lee Soo-man founded SM Entertainment in 1995 and developed the idol system: H.O.T. debuted in 1996 after rigorous training in singing, dancing, etiquette and dealing with the media. That same year Yang Hyun-seok, by then a former member of the trio, founded YG Entertainment, and idol groups multiplied.

Why people say Japan

The term K-pop is the South Korean counterpart of J-pop, and its first known use was in Billboard magazine on 9 October 1999. In the late 1990s Korean talent agencies also took up an idol business model used in J-pop, selecting and training young performers. Yet the sound grew in Seoul, from Korean musicians mixing Western dance music, hip-hop, R&B and rock, and at home Koreans often still call their pop music gayo.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org › K pop ↗ · en.wikipedia.org › I Know (Seo Taiji and Boys song) ↗ · koreaherald.com ↗

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