The Obligatory Gangnam Style Post

Dear Korean,

We've all heard it and we all love it, but what exactly is Gangnam Style and what makes it so popular in your opinion?

Chris

The Korean tried. He really tried to avoid the fad. He thought this was going to blow over in a few days, and everyone will feel a bit silly afterward. But no . . .

Gangnam Style just kept coming on -- 273 million views and counting, appearances on network televisions shows, continuous climb up the charts and numerous homages to the original. (The latest one: from the Ohio University marching band.) Questions about Gangnam Style just kept coming also, even though the Korean has been slower with blog updates.

So, FINE. Let's discuss Gangnam Style. First, what exactly is "Gangnam Style"? "Gangnam" literally means "south of the river." But generally, Gangnam refers to a specific area in Seoul located south of the Han River that bisects the city. The area generally encompasses the northern half of (confusing name alert) Gangnam-gu and Seocho-gu, covering neighborhoods like Apgujeong, Sinsa and (confusing name alert, again) Gangnam. It is an area with posh malls, expensive dining and swanky clubs. People who populate those areas are rich, stylish and beautiful, carrying all the appropriate status symbols like imported cars and fancy handbags. They are often celebrities or heirs of Korea's magnates.

The Korean was raised in Apgujeong, so he is the original Gangnam man. And it has been a little bit funny to see his old home described breathlessly as some place that "has no real equivalent in the United States. The closest approximation would be Silicon Valley, Wall Street, Beverly Hills, Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and Miami Beach all rolled into one[,]" according to the Wall Street Journal (quoting this clueless blogger.) Finding the U.S. equivalent of Gangnam is quite easy: it's West Hollywood / Beverly Hills. It has celebrities, style, money, and nice homes and good schools just behind those flashing lights.

(Aside:  This "no equivalent in U.S." trope is really overused, and in this instance, the comparison is clearly hyperbolic and incorrect. Gangnam is obviously not a Silicon Valley, since there is no huge concentration of tech companies in Gangnam. Nor is it Wall Street -- that would be Gwanghwamun / City Hall area, north of the river, where all the major banks have their headquarters. Gangnam is not Upper East Side either, since Gangnam is decidedly nouveau riche. The old money of the kind that occupies the Upper East Side of New York is found in Yeonhee-dong of Seoul, north of the river. The Miami Beach comparison is too dumb to address.)

So when PSY speaks of "Gangnam Style," he means to invoke the trendy, stylish image. But of course, what PSY ends up doing in the music video is a parody of such image. He is wearing a ridiculous suit and dances a ridiculous dance. He appears in decidedly un-Gangnam areas:  children's playground, on a paddle boat, riverside park, a bus with a disco ball, etc. A couple of times, PSY does encounter what might be fairly close to a Gangnam-type occasion -- a man driving a fancy car (a cameo appearance by the legendary comedian Yoo Jae-seok,) and a beautiful woman (cameo by Hyuna from the girl group 4Minute) flirting. But those moments quickly dissolve into another round of ridiculous dancing.

(Aside:  If you immediately understood the relevance of the bus with a disco ball, you have a black belt in Korean culture. The "party" bus is usually for older Korean men and women, who would like to dance away from the public view. To release their urges to shake it, they would charter these buses with total strangers and have a mobile dancing session. By the way, those old Korean folks dance about as well as your parents. It is probably the most un-hip mobile party in the world -- which fits perfectly with Gangnam Style's aesthetics.)

Having said that, what made Gangnam Style so popular?

(More after the jump)

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

Open Question Post: Traveling in Korea

One type of questions that the Korean receives frequently is questions about traveling in Korea. The Korean's standard answer is -- go buy a travel book. Most travel books about Korea do a fairly good job about introducing the country and giving the basics of how to get around. And unless you are planning to stay in Korea for several months, there is very little chance that you would exhaust the sights and destinations given in a travel book. And if a travel book does not work for you, there are many, many websites and blogs that are run by people who do this stuff for a living.

But just because the Korean has been receiving so many of these questions, he figured he should have a post about traveling in Korea. The Korean will make this post an "open question post" -- that is, he will accept questions from the comments section below, and update the post with answers. He will also post good answers and recommendations from the comments.

To start off, here are some basic stuff about traveling in Korea.

Where should I stay in Seoul?
Most tourist attractions are clustered around the center of the city, but a hotel room in the central city can get pricey. If you are budget-conscious, feel free to stay toward the outer edges of the city, as Seoul is covered with excellent public transportation. But be mindful that Seoul is a very large city area-wise -- you could easily travel an hour and a half on a subway, and still remain in Seoul.

Are there any dangerous areas in Seoul or Korea?
Korea is safer than the U.S. and Europe in terms of crime, but it is hardly crime-free. In Korea, as are in everywhere else in the world, tourists are an easy target. There are certainly bad areas in Seoul or any Korean city, but if you are an ordinary tourist looking for sights, there is no reason for you to be there either. Use your ordinary precautions.

What is the best way to exchange money?
You can actually get the best rate from ATM machines that accept foreign cards. The easiest one to identify is a Citibank ATM, which is fairly common in large cities.

What happens if I get lost? Do Koreans speak English?
Most Koreans speak decent enough English to give directions. When in doubt, ask professional-looking people or students, who are more likely to speak English.

Where is the Korean's favorite place in Seoul?

Bukchon. It looks like this.

(source)

More questions will be answered as they come in, after the jump.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

More Questions

From birdscout: I remember reading in a previous post that whenever you travel to Korea you buy your underwear there (Korea has the best nae-bok/cotton underthings!). Where do you shop?

The "best" place -- as in, a place that is worth visiting as a destination -- is probably Dongdaemun Market, a large outdoor wholesale market in Seoul. But personally for the Korean, he simply picks them up wherever he sees them, because underwear and socks do not have to be in such high quality.

From Urban Reverie:  What's the best street atlas to buy? Will I be able to buy one at a bookshop at Incheon Airport? Is there a street atlas or some other book which details all the bus routes in Seoul? (I can find plenty of subway maps, but there's not much about the Seoul bus system.)

Korea's street address system is a confusing jumble -- even Koreans themselves have a difficult time finding a certain place just with an address. Hence, there will be a massive overhaul of the address system next year. It will help in the long term, but it will only add to the confusion in the short term.

The Korean has found that searching Naver.com tends to give the most accurate address and public transit information. Of course, the downside of this is that you will need to be able to read and type Korean. In a pinch, the surest place to ask is a nearby real estate agent's office, because they are the people who are most familiar with any given neighborhood.

Also, check out many helpful tips provided in the comment section.

The Mosquito Truck

Dear Korean,

What chemicals are used in the mosquito fogging trucks and are they harmful to people? If so, why are they so accepted by Korean society?

James M.

If you don't know what James M. is talking about, this is the mosquito fogging truck that can be seen in Korea from time to time:

The fog is mostly made up of kerosene, mixed in with a small amount of pesticide. (The ratio is around 300:1 kerosene to pesticide.) The petroleum-based "carrier" is heated into a fog, which carries the pesticide particles that would eventually kill mosquitoes.

Why do this? This is a great example of how little distance there is between the poorer-than-sub-Saharan-Africa Korea of the 1960s and the modern-wealthy-and-technologically-advanced Korea of the 2010s. In the bad old days of Korea, mosquitoes were one of the greatest threats to public health. As recently as 1982, Japanese Encephalitis -- only one of the many diseases carried by mosquitoes -- infected nearly 1200 people every year, killing more than 50 of them. And the most efficient way to kill the mosquitoes was the fog truck, spraying pesticide in a large area. (This practice actually was instituted by the U.S. military, as they occupied South Korea at the end of World War II.) Although mosquito-borne diseases are less of a threat today, anyone who spent a summer in Korea can tell you that the incessant mosquito attacks are quite a nuisance.

Obviously, the fog is harmful to people -- pesticide is meant to kill living things. But the amount of pesticide involved is actually very small. For an hour's worth of spraying, less than 30 ml of pesticide (= 1.5 tablespoon) is used. The bigger problem of the fog, in fact, is the kerosene, which is carcinogenic and causes air pollution. Because of the health and environmental concerns, many of Korea's municipalities have banned the use of the fog truck, opting instead for water- or vegetable oil-based sprays.

But then again, the poor country habits die hard. Kerosene-based pesticide fogging is cheaper, and it is a nice demonstration that the local government is doing something -- it just seems so effective. So a lot of smaller cities continue to use the truck, and it is not uncommon for a group of residents in a city to hire a pest control company to fog the neighborhood.

(N.B. One of the Korean's fondest memories of his childhood is Korea was to run after the fogging trucks. When you were a kid growing up in Korea, it was a thing to do -- the "fart truck" came through the neighborhood, you chase it while screaming at the top of your lung. It was a lot of fun. Generations of Koreans grew up chasing the fog truck, and we all turned out fine.)

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

Live Chat! 9/3/2012

Live Chat in 1:15 hours

It's been a while since we chatted live. Let's talk! Live chat will be active at 9:30 p.m. EDT.

Gonna be on a break

Dear readers, it is that time of the year when the Korean must remind everyone that he has a day job, which can get incredibly busy. After about a month of trying to keep up, the Korean is throwing in the towel -- he will have to take a blogging break. He might answer some questions, but most questions will have to wait longer than usual.

See you guys when the Korean gets back. :)

-EDIT- If you simply have to be in constant contact with the Korean's thoughts at all times, check out his Facebook and Twitter.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

50 Most Influential K-Pop Artists: 17. Kim Gwang-Seok

[Series Index]

17. Kim Gwang-Seok [김광석]

Years of Activity: 1988-1996

Discography:
Solo Albums
Kim Gwang-Seok 1 [김광석 1] (1989)
Kim Gwang-Seok 2nd [김광석 2nd] (1991)
Kim Gwang-Seok Third Collection of Songs [김광석 3번째 노래모음] (1992)
Singing Again 1 [다시 부르기 1] (1993)
Kim Gwang-Seok Fourth [김광석 네번째] (1994)
Singing Again 2 [다시 부르기 2] (1995)

As a member of People Who Seek Music [노래를 찾는 사람들]
People Who Seek Music 2 [노래를 찾는 사람들 2] (1989)
Song of the People [겨레의 노래] (1990)
Song that Opens the Morning [아침을 여는 노래] (1991)
People Who Seek Music 3 [노래를 찾는 사람들 3집] (1991)
The One Who Opens the Morning of Peace [평화의 아침을 여는 이] (1992)
People Who Seek Music 4 [노래를 찾는 사람들 4집] (1994)

Note - Kim Gwang-Seok was also a regular member of Dongmulwon [동물원], participating in the group's first through fifth albums.

Representative Song:  Around Thirty [서른 즈음에] from Kim Gwang-Seok Fourth

서른 즈음에

Around Thirty

또 하루 멀어져간다

Another day drifts away

내뿜은 담배연기처럼

Like exhaled smoke

작기만한 내 기억속에

In my memories so small

무얼 채워 살고 있는지

What do I fill and live on

점점 더 멀어져간다

Drifts farther and farther away

머물러있는 청춘인줄 알았는데

Thought it was staying youth

비어가는 내 가슴속엔

In my emptying heart

더 아무것도 찾을 수 없네

Nothing more can be found

계절은 다시 돌아오지만

Seasons again return

떠나간 내 사랑은 어디에

But where my love that left

내가 떠나보낸 것도 아닌데

I did not let it leave either

내가 떠나온 것도 아닌데

I did not leave it either

조금씩 잊혀져 간다

Forgotten little by little

머물러 있는 사랑인줄 알았는데

Thought it was staying love

또하루 멀어져간다

Another day drifts away

매일 이별하며 살고 있구나

Living on saying good bye every day

매일 이별하며 살고 있구나

Living on saying good bye every day

In 15 words or less:  The curator of a generation.

Maybe he should be ranked higher because...   Few Korean singers have more iconic songs than Kim Gwang-Seok.

Maybe he should be ranked lower because...  Unfortunately, died too early.

Why is this artist important?
Can an artist define an era with songs that were not his? Kim Gwang-Seok is certainly a talented singer/songwriter. But without his contribution as a curator, we may remember Korea's pop music history in a different light.

The counterculture movement touched Korea during the 1970s and 1980s, and just as well -- as Korea had mass murdering dictators as its leaders. The new generation of youth, more educated and freed from the crushing poverty, sought freedom through art and beauty. They eschewed the rigid two-beats of their parents' generation, and instead composed and played their own tunes on the guitars they carried. Those tunes would be sung, at times joyfully and at times solemnly, as the young generation led the waves and waves of street protests that eventually brought down the dictators.

People Who Seek Music was at the peak of that movement. The group initially began as a combination of college singing groups from the prestigious Seoul National University and Ewha Woman's University. (The legendary Kim Min-Gi, alumnus of SNU, assisted the formation of the group.) It sought to participate in social movement through songs. Their songs were initially distributed as illegal cassette tapes, copied and passed around among democratization activists who sang the songs as their anthems.

Kim began his musical career as a front man for People Who Seek Music from their second album. His clear voice and guitar-playing were as Bob Dylan-like as anyone in Korea outside of Kim Min-Gi. That alone is an impeccable pedigree, worth a mention in the annals of Korean pop music history. But it is his role as a curator that turned Kim from a passing thought to an icon. In his two Singing Again albums, Kim Gwang-Seok collected the best songs of the guitar-resistance era and made them his own. Few Koreans now remember that Kim Gwang-Seok was not the original singer or composer for such iconic songs as Letter of a Private [이등병의 편지] or Though I Had Loved [사랑했지만]. Just like the television show Mad Men will shape the way Americans of today remember America of the 1960s, Kim's two album shaped the way Koreans remember their pop music from the 1970s and 80s.

Tragically, Kim committed suicide in 1996, perhaps portending the onslaught of celebrity suicides in Korea in the next decade. With the deaths of Kim Gwang-Seok and Kim Hyeon-Sik, the era that Kim Gwang-Seok curated and brought back to life met its close.

Interesting trivia:  Kim Gwang-Seok was a Buddhist, although not devoutly so. After his passing, his body was cremated. Nine sarira, the cremation pearls that are supposed to be discovered only from the remains of the highest spiritual masters, were discovered from his remains.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.