How K-pop became a propaganda tool

April 30, 2018 11:50 AM

Ahead of Friday’s intra-Korean summit, the South put an end to its pop music assault at the border. But the country’s catchy music is a potent psychological weapon.
posted by bq (5 comments total)

As a Red Velvet fan, I've been giddy for weeks. Knowing that Red Flavor [YT], my summer jam of 2017, was (one of?) the first K-Pop song(s) performed live in North Korea since 2005, in a concert that Kim Jong-un himself attended and reportedly felt very moved by ...is quite surreal.

I love this. I want more of this.
posted by bigendian at 1:31 PM on April 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

Well, J-pop worked on the Zentradi.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 1:51 PM on April 30, 2018 [5 favorites]

Well, shit. Now I have to listen to the Kyary Pamyu Pamyu album again. PON PON PON PON
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:33 PM on April 30, 2018

I was only recently made aware of TWICE via the very cute and recently released "What is Love?" video. I only caught a few of the movie references before looking at one of the sidebar videos though.
posted by The arrows are too fast at 10:00 PM on April 30, 2018

I can tell you this much: I'm in a Korean hotel and the only English-language channel is Arirang TV, which is how I caught the Pyongyang Concert for Peace and Cooperation, and the aesthetics of choice for the North and South performers reminds me of how abstract expressionism was fostered as counterpoint to Soviet realism.

I haven't caught up to the great catch-all thread because of why I'm in Korea but apparently NK just agreed to standardize its timezone with SK's starting this Friday. For all the speculation for the whys of this round of normalisation, it does feel to be moving fast from where I am.
posted by cendawanita at 11:32 PM on April 30, 2018 [1 favorite]