AAK! Music: Gangnam Style by PSY

Now that the Korean got the obligatory Gangnam Style post over with, let's milk it for what it's worth. Here it is -- your definitive guide for PSY and Gangnam Style.

PSY [싸이]

Years of Activity:  2000-2012

Discography
Psy from the Psycho World? (2000)
Ssa2 [싸2] (2002) (pronounced "Psy")
3mai [3마이] (2002) (pronounced "sammai")
Ssazip [싸집] (2006)
PSYFIVE (2010)
PSY6gap: Part I [싸이 6甲: Part 1] (2012)

Representative Song:  Gangnam Style [강남 스타일], from PSY6gap.

강남 스타일
Gangnam Style


오빤 강남스타일
Oppa is Gangnam Style
강남스타일
Gangnam Style

낮에는 따사로운 인간적인 여자
A woman who is warm and humane during the day
커피 한잔의 여유를 아는 품격 있는 여자
A dignified woman who knows the leisure of a cup of coffee
밤이 오면 심장이 뜨거워지는 여자
A woman whose heart fires up at night
그런 반전 있는 여자
A woman with a plot twist like that

나는 사나이
I'm a man
낮에는 너만큼 따사로운 그런 사나이
A man who's as warm as you during the day
커피 식기도 전에 원샷 때리는 사나이
A man who takes a shot before the coffee gets cold
밤이 오면 심장이 터져버리는 사나이
A man whose heart bursts at night
그런 사나이
That kind of man

아름다워 사랑스러워 그래 너 hey 그래 바로 너 hey
Beautiful, lovely, yes you, hey, right you, hey
아름다워 사랑스러워 그래 너 hey 그래 바로 너 hey
Beautiful, lovely, yes you, hey, right you, hey
지금부터 갈 데까지 가볼까
How about we go all the way now


오빤 강남스타일, 강남스타일
Oppa is Gangnam Style, Gangnam Style
오빤 강남스타일, 강남스타일
Oppa is Gangnam Style, Gangnam Style
오빤 강남스타일
Oppa is Gangnam Style

Eyyy- Sexy Lady
Eyyy- Sexy Lady
오빤 강남스타일
Oppa is Gangnam Style
Eyyy- Sexy Lady
Eyyy- Sexy Lady

정숙해 보이지만 놀 땐 노는 여자
Woman who looks demure but plays when she plays
이때다 싶으면 묶었던 머리 푸는 여자
Woman who lets her hair down at the first chance she gets
가렸지만 웬만한 노출보다 야한 여자
Woman who is covered up but sexier than any exposure
그런 감각적인 여자
A woman who is sensual like that

나는 사나이
I am a man
점잖아 보이지만 놀 땐 노는 사나이
A man who looks gentle but plays when he plays
때가 되면 완전 미쳐버리는 사나이
A man who goes completely crazy at the right time
근육보다 사상이 울퉁불퉁한 사나이
A man whose ideology is bumpier than his muscles
그런 사나이
That kind of man

오빤 강남스타일, 강남스타일
Oppa is Gangnam Style, Gangnam Style
오빤 강남스타일, 강남스타일
Oppa is Gangnam Style, Gangnam Style
오빤 강남스타일
Oppa is Gangnam Style
Eyyy- Sexy Lady
Eyyy- Sexy Lady
오빤 강남스타일
Oppa is Gangnam Style
Eyyy- Sexy Lady
Eyyy- Sexy Lady

뛰는 놈 그 위에 나는 놈 baby baby 나는 뭘 좀 아는 놈
Running guy, over him a flying guy, baby baby I'm a guy who knows a thing or two
뛰는 놈 그 위에 나는 놈 baby baby 나는 뭘 좀 아는 놈
Running guy, over him a flying guy, baby baby I'm a guy who knows a thing or two
You know what I’m saying
You know what I’m saying
오빤 강남스타일
Oppa is Gangnam Style

Eyyy- Sexy Lady
Eyyy- Sexy Lady
오빤 강남스타일
Oppa is Gangnam Style

In 15 words or less:  flag bearer of the new generation of Korean pop musicians.

So, the Korean, If You Knew This Would Happen, Where Would PSY Fit in the "50 Most Influential" List?  Somewhere between 30 and 35.

Why?  DBSK is ranked 34 purely on the back of their international popularity while having zero musical merit. Safe to say PSY would go a little higher than that. His musical influence is notable but limited, so can't go higher than 30.

Why is PSY important?

At this point, it is probably safe to say PSY will never be separated from Gangnam Style and his infamous horse dance. Of course, given the amazing height of success that PSY achieved with the song and dance, it is also probably safe to say that PSY wouldn't rather have it any other way. But at this point, there is a fair chance that he will be a victim of his own success, relegated to a one-dimensional character -- like a sitcom star whose show was too successful for too long. That would be a pity, because even before the worldwide Gangnam Style craze, PSY occupied an interesting space in Korean pop music history.

PSY -- born Park Jae-sang -- debuted in 2000, which was a major inflection point in Korean pop music history. Prior to late 1990s, popular musicians of Korea could be divided largely into two categories:  the entertainers and the artists. The entertainers were no better than singing clowns, driven to put on a good show to earn the public's adulation and another day's living. The artists were concerned with the quality and message of their music, endeavoring to create something new and meaningful. The two groups of people did not have much in common, and overlapped only infrequently. (When they did overlap, they are remembered as legends of Korean pop music. Shin Joong-hyeon was both an opening act at a USO show and pioneering rock musician. Seo Taiji was both a leader of a boy band and introducer of hiphop to Korea.)

But one thing did tie the groups together -- they were both serious people. The threat of poverty and hunger endowed the entertainers with a hardened edge, even if that edge would only be visible off the stage. It was the typical gravity of purpose that drove the artists into seriousness. Much of this was a function of the times they lived in Korea. There is nothing terribly fun about poverty, sweatshops, dictator rule and constant Red Scare -- the conditions that plagued Korea until late 1980s. It was not just Korean artists who were serious; all of Korea was serious.

It is too much to call these artists joyless  -- surely, they must have felt deep-seated satisfaction derived from their life's work. But still, they were serious; more often than not, they didn't seem to be having fun. As Korea became wealthier and freer, that began to change. And PSY was one of the first Korean pop musician to lead the charge.

Korea's emergence as a wealthier, freer country in the 1990s had a massive implication to its pop culture. Simply put, Korean people had money to spend, and they could spend their money on whatever they wanted. Korean pop music's first response to this new reality was rooted in the industrial-era mentality: "let's earn more money by putting out the best cultural product possible." Thus, late 1990s is when the idol group business model was developed. A production company would invest significant capital into beautiful and talented people, grooming them into money-making machines. As we all know, this business model ended up becoming wildly successful within a decade or so. But although the glitter and glamour of Girls' Generation and Big Bang are new and sophisticated, their raison d'etre is an old one. They exist to entertain others, and earn a living by doing so.

But there was a more subtle and under-appreciated development in Korean pop music, in response to the new reality. Being wealthier and freer developed new aesthetics among Korean pop musicians. Because they were no longer desperate to earn a living, this new breed of musicians could simply do what they wanted to do. Of course, they wanted to be rich and famous -- who doesn't? But this new breed of musicians were no longer threatened by abject poverty and hunger, nor were they burdened by a massive historical task that they must address, unlike their predecessors were. Faced with this unprecedented freedom, this new breed of Korean pop musicians decided to do something unprecedented in Korean pop culture history -- they decided to have fun. By doing so, they forged a truly new path in Korean pop culture. The artists will no longer exist for someone else, or something else; they will only exist for themselves, and for their own idiosyncrasy.

PSY's biography is an epitome of such new K-pop musicians. He was born into an upper-middle class family, in -- where else? -- Gangnam, in Seoul. His childhood was quite comfortable. His parents could afford to send him to U.S. to study, first at Boston University, then at Berklee College of Music. He could even manage to get himself illegally assigned to a soft position for his mandatory military service, a privilege generally reserved for the wealthy. (He was caught and had to re-serve his mandatory service, and nearly destroyed his career in the process.) No existential angst burdened him -- even if he failed as a musician, he probably could have made a decent, middle class living doing something else. He did not go through the extremely regimented production company as a youngster. He simply decided to become a musician because he liked music, and he liked putting on a show.

PSY debuted in 2000 with his first album, Psy from the Psycho World?. PSY's music -- electro-pop mixed in with rap -- was itself new and interesting for Korean pop music of early 2000s. But far newer, and far more interesting, was PSY's message. As a pop musician, PSY's central message has always been the same:  "I'm going to have fun, do whatever I want to do, and nobody is going to stop me." Laughing is fun; so is swearing, drinking, sex and partying. Accordingly, PSY constantly engaged in self-satire, crude language, blunt sensationalism and other fun things, both inside and outside of his music. PSY was arrested for smoking marijuana in 2001, a crime that is rare and carries a significantly more serious penalty in Korea. In his massive outdoor concert in Seoul a few days ago, PSY took off his shirt and downed a whole bottle of soju on stage in front of estimated 80,000 people, likely breaking several Seoul city ordinances in the process. PSY's Gangnam Style is simply another manifestation of the same things that PSY has always been doing. He does a ridiculous dance wearing a ridiculous suit. He is surrounded by hot girls and (ahem) appreciates a well-positioned booty. And he manages to work in a subtle satire of his own neighborhood.

PSY's outlandish success -- in which he found international fame without even really trying -- opened up a new era for Korean pop music in the international stage, and not just because PSY is a pudgy, funny man in his mid 30s as opposed to a set of gorgeous and leggy women. The most important difference between PSY and a typical idol group of K-pop is not their looks; it is the reason for their music. Ultimately, idol groups engage in music to entertain others; ultimately, PSY engages in music to entertain himself.

So far, the world has only seen the former type from Korean pop music, but not the latter. This hardly means that the latter group does not exist; unlike what many non-Koreans mistakenly suppose, K-pop is not limited to pretty manufactured puppets. Korea enjoys a vibrant scene of rock, hiphop, new age and indie music, played by musicians who engage in music for the sake of music. Now that PSY captured the world's attention, sooner or later, the world will catch onto the "other" K-pop as well. And when the "other" K-pop stars go international, they will have PSY to thank.

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

Ask a Korean! Wiki: What to do with Anti-Japan Sentiments in ESL Classes?

Dear Korean,

I am a Canadian living and teaching ESL at a Hagwon in Korea. With all the buzz about Dokdo lately, my Korean students have become increasingly outspoken about not liking the Japanese. I have learned about the history between the two countries, although I am obviously no expert, but these confrontations are really starting to bother me. The students seem angry when I choose not to answer them, or change the subject or when they hear that I don't hate the Japanese. They often do not say their thoughts completely outright (as in, "I hate the Japanese"), even though that has happened too, but are curious as to my stance on things. I do not tolerate racism, but I am trying to be understanding, and to teach tolerance. I'm not entirely sure how I should be handling the situation, and I don't feel comfortable asking my Korean co-workers.

Do you have any suggestions, advice, words of wisdom, or links that could send me somewhere with any of those?

Megan B.


Short answer? No. The Korean is, obviously, blends in with Korea's population rather well such that no Korean person comes to him for a validation of her views on Japan.

But surely, Megan is not the only ESL teacher in Korea who has been dealing with this issue. Readers, any pearls of wisdom?

Given that this is a topic that appears to sidetrack a lot of people, the Korean will issue this caveat: please keep your comments relevant. The issue is how to handle a situation like Megan is facing. Please stick with that.

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

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

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