The South Korean girl group Exid poses during a showcase for its new single 'Lady'. EPA
The South Korean girl group Exid poses during a showcase for its new single 'Lady'. EPA
The South Korean girl group Exid poses during a showcase for its new single 'Lady'. EPA
The South Korean girl group Exid poses during a showcase for its new single 'Lady'. EPA

The international rise of Korean pop music


Saeed Saeed
  • English
  • Arabic

At the opening ceremony of this year's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, the South Korean team walked together in tight formation in time to their native brand of futuristic pop. Then, on Sunday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a two-hour K-pop performance, shaking the performers' hands afterwards. One of the songs that was reportedly sung was Our Wish Is Reunificationshowing that we are now in a very different world to two years ago, when North Korea deemed South Korea playing K-pop on loud speakers at the border "an act of war".

At first listen, it may all sound like a bunch of up-tempo pop numbers, but for those in tune with the nuances of modern pop culture, it is clear that K-pop, which is wildly popular in the UAE, is about more than just the music.

Korean pop, to give it its full name, is known for its blend of well-groomed performers, carefree lyrics and militaresque training. For the past two decades, it has grown from a regional curiosity into a global cultural phenomenon in line with India's Bollywood and Japan's Manga.

To demonstrate its growing reach, Dubai's Autism Rocks Arena will host the festival SM Town Live on Friday. More than 20,000 fans are excepted to attend the showcase featuring nearly a dozen K-pop bands, including one of the scene's leaders, Exo.

SM Town marks a new peak for K-pop concerts in the UAE, which started back in 2011 when pop star Seo In-young and girl group Nine Muses performed as part of the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix celebrations.

This was followed by international festival K-Con, which added Abu Dhabi to its growing number of international stops in 2016, bringing with it a colourful spectacle of South Korean music performances, fashion, the Korean cosmetics scene and social-media personalities. While it all resembles smooth and steady progress, according to associate professor Roald Maliangkay, the director of the Korea Institute at the Australian National University in Canberra, the music began to take hold in the late 1990s in South Korea for reasons that had nothing to do with entertainment – but rather changing gender roles after a financial crash.

“We were going toward the Asian financial crisis in 1997, and that resulted in a reaction when it comes to the portrayal of male body image which, at the time, was all about being macho,” explains the researcher and lecturer on Korean popular culture.

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Read more:

SM Town Live Dubai: All you need to know about the acts performing

North Korean leader attends concert by South Korean pop stars

K-pop stars CL and Exo close out Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang

Watch: Social media frenzy as fans welcome K-pop band Exo to Dubai

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After job losses, "Korean women didn't trust that character to look after them anymore... so a lot of people, also in places such as Japan, felt that this traditional 1980s male character had become a failure. And that's one of the reasons that led to them being more attuned to these new kind of [K-pop] characters, with their modesty, soft voices and near-perfect looks."

The Asian financial crisis was also behind K-pop spreading across Asia and, ultimately, the Gulf. With the entertainment industry also affected as part of the economic downturn, cultural rivals Japan began purchasing the rights to Korean television dramas, which Maliangkay notes were sold at a fraction of the cost of production of Japanese shows.

These tales of young love and family tradition often featured K-pop stars, who would also contribute to the soundtrack. “In South Korea, acting comes after they become well known,” Maliangkay says. “The show is a way for the singer to become even closer to the fans.”

When it comes to the Gulf, it can be argued that it was Korean television dramas, also known as K-dramas – which first screened as far back as 2005 with early hits My Lovely Sam Soon and I'm Sorry, I Love You – that forged the path for K-pop to take a foothold in the region. Dubbed in Arabic – specifically the chatty Lebanese dialect – these dramas were genuinely sanguine, emphasised noble values and eschewed vulgarity.

Hence, by the time Psy's Gangnam Style arrived in 2012, the region was ready to be swept up by the international viral hit. It was also the song that finally got western audiences – and the American entertainment industry – in on the party. As a result, critics began a genuine appraisal of K-pop's musical sensibilities.

The colourful and vibrant music video (which has now amassed a staggering three billion hits on YouTube) may have propelled Gangnam Style to become a cultural juggernaut, but the track and its ilk, including 2012's Fantastic Baby by Big Bang and 2015's I Need U by BTS, are notable for their crisp, almost-clinical production. They blend modern and popular music styles such as hip-hop, dance and bubblegum pop.

Ironically, while the song helped unleash a new wave of appreciation for K-pop across the world, Gangnam Style's bitingly satirical lyrics hinted at the dark flip side of K-pop culture, which is powered by the relentless quest to achieve perfection in both the professional and personal lives of South Koreans.

According to Psy, such a world view results in the type of “girl who does not wear low-cut dresses, but looks so cute”. When it comes to the fellas, Psy says they “look gentle, but must be ready to play”. While the lyrics are witty, the pressure they allude to is heartbreakingly real.

The suicide of Kim Jong-hyun, the 27-year-old lead singer of SHINee who died in December (his parting note spoke of a depression that "slowly chipped me away"), and the death of Seo Min-woo from a suspected overdose last month shocked South Korean society and shed a spotlight on the gruelling entertainment industry. It is a world in which young singers experience intensive training (vocals, choreography and language) in addition to moving away from home to live with their band and facing pressure to change their physical appearance to conform via styling, plastic surgery or whatever it takes.

Relatives weep during the funeral of Kim Jong-hyun, the lead vocalist of the K-pop group SHINee. Getty
Relatives weep during the funeral of Kim Jong-hyun, the lead vocalist of the K-pop group SHINee. Getty

Such factors have moved Maliangkay to publicly call for a union protecting the rights of K-pop singers. “They are young idols, who are 17 and 18 years old, and are going through an important phase of their lives, and they wonder how much they can keep this up because K-pop bands come and go.

“South Korean society can be very competitive. The pressures over having the perfect partner and with the rising cost of living, as well as a host of other things, can be extraordinarily stressful for young people. That’s why the best way I can describe the whole K-pop scene is as a pressure cooker.”

Whether it will pop remains to be seen.

SM Town is on Friday at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net

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The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store

To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.

The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.

Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.

 

Results

Stage three:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s

General Classification:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s

4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

What went into the film

25 visual effects (VFX) studios

2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots

1,000 VFX artists

3,000 technicians

10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers

New sound technology, named 4D SRL

 

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Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma

When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Top tips to avoid cyber fraud

Microsoft’s ‘hacker-in-chief’ David Weston, creator of the tech company’s Windows Red Team, advises simple steps to help people avoid falling victim to cyber fraud:

1. Always get the latest operating system on your smartphone or desktop, as it will have the latest innovations. An outdated OS can erode away all investments made in securing your device or system.

2. After installing the latest OS version, keep it patched; this means repairing system vulnerabilities which are discovered after the infrastructure components are released in the market. The vast majority of attacks are based on out of date components – there are missing patches.

3. Multi-factor authentication is required. Move away from passwords as fast as possible, particularly for anything financial. Cybercriminals are targeting money through compromising the users’ identity – his username and password. So, get on the next level of security using fingertips or facial recognition.

4. Move your personal as well as professional data to the cloud, which has advanced threat detection mechanisms and analytics to spot any attempt. Even if you are hit by some ransomware, the chances of restoring the stolen data are higher because everything is backed up.

5. Make the right hardware selection and always refresh it. We are in a time where a number of security improvement processes are reliant on new processors and chip sets that come with embedded security features. Buy a new personal computer with a trusted computing module that has fingerprint or biometric cameras as additional measures of protection.

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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