KCON LA: Experts Explain the Global Explosion of K-Pop and the Issues Ahead for Long-Term Dominance
variety.comPatrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThousands of excited and knowledgeable fans on the floor of the Los Angeles Convention Center for KCON LA would dispel any doubt that K-Pop and Korean culture have become major phenomena in America.
But such raw energy must surely burn itself out. Right?Two high-profile U.S. professors were on hand on the sidelines of this weekend’s K-culture confab to offer high-minded analytical of the current Korean wave and suggest ways in which it may be made sustainable.Kim Suk-young, a professor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, explained that K-Pop is closely in tune with Gen-Z, generally defined as people born between 1995 and 2010.
YouTube, TikTok and online fandom all work as perfect vectors with this group of digital natives. Kim also characterizes Gen-Z as idealistic, inspirational and welcoming of globalization, meaning that they are open to global culture, the ideals of free trade, borderless societies and unlimited online consumption.
They are also socially liberal, but fiscally moderate or conservative. Korean pop culture plays to many of these themes with its emphasis on “small things in exquisite harmony and looking lovely,” says Kim.“To take a look at a BTS video, you’ll see so many cute gestures and lyrics about the pleasure of spending today, because the future is futile. [What could be seen as] a satire about a bleak future is sublimated as cute and affective.
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