Korea's Presidential Election - Part II: Moon Jae-in

Part II of this series will discuss Moon Jae-in, candidate from the Democratic United Party.

Moon Jae-in (Democratic United Party)
 

Moon Jae-in [문재인]
(source)

Moon Jae-in is one of the two chief rivals against Park Geun-hye in the upcoming presidential election. And like Park, Moon's political identity is tied to a polarizing figure of the past -- i.e. his old boss and closest friend, former president Roh Moo-hyun.

Moon is a National Assemblyman of the Democratic United Party, the progressive minority party of the National Assembly. He represents Busan's Sasang-gu. Moon Jae-in was born in 1953 in Geoje, an island in the southeastern coast of Korea. Moon was born in a refugee camp toward the end of Korean War. (Moon's parents was from Heungnam, North Korea.) His family later moved to Busan, where Moon spent most of his childhood.

The seeds of Moon's entry into politics were sown the same way as most progressive politicians of Korea -- as a student activist. Moon entered Kyunghee University in 1972, when the tyranny of Park Chung-hee dictatorship reached its height. In October 17, 1972, Park declared martial law; two months later, Park unveiled the new "constitution" that essentially made him a lifetime president who can disband the legislature and suspend constitutional protections at any time. As one of the leaders of Kyunghee's student government, Moon organized and led protests against Park Chung-hee's dictatorship. For his activism, Moon was arrested and imprisoned numerous times.

Moon passed the bar in 1980. (He learned that he passed in the bar while being held in prison.) In 1982, he graduated second in class from the Judicial Training and Research Institute, which meant that he should have been appointed as a judge. But the court -- under the thumb of Chun Doo-hwan dictatorship at the time -- passed on Moon due to his history of activism. Moon would then enter into private practice by joining a law office in Busan. The managing partner of the law office was a man named Roh Moo-hyun.

At the beginning of his practice, Roh was a tax attorney who earned enough for a very comfortable life. (His hobbies included yachting.) But by the time Moon joined the firm, Roh was considered one of the leading legal minds for the democratization movements, thanks to his pro bono representation of 22 Busan-area activists who were beaten, waterboarded and electrocuted for as long as 63 days. With Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in primarily represented democracy and labor activists. Even after Roh entered into politics in 1988, Moon took over the practice and continued to work as a civil rights attorney. Although Roh pestered Moon for more than a decade to join him in politics, Moon did not enter into politics until 2002, when Roh was elected president. Moon joined Roh Moo-hyun's Blue House, eventually serving as Roh's chief of staff.

After the rocky presidency of Roh ended in 2007, Moon returned to his law practice. When Roh committed suicide in 2009, Moon directed Roh's funeral, and later chaired the Roh Moo-hyun memorial foundation. In 2011, Moon published a very well-received autobiography, Moon Jae-in's Destiny [문재인의 운명]. Finally, in April 2012, Moon officially entered into popular politics by winning a National Assembly seat. Despite being a relative newcomer, Moon swept the DUP's presidential primaries, muscling aside the grizzled veterans of progressive electoral veterans.

As evident from Moon's biography, Moon's political identity is inseparable from Roh Moo-hyun. And as with his rival Park Geun-hye, this association both benefits and damages Moon's candidacy because, as with Park Chung-hee, Roh Moo-hyun was a polarizing figure.

If one measured Korea's presidents only by the capacity to cause polarizing reactions, Roh's presidency is right up there with Park Chung-hee's dictatorship. With his charisma and speech-making abilities, Roh inspired a passionate group of supporters who eventually made him president. (Roh Moo-hyun was likely the first Korean politician to have a self-generated fan club.) Yet through his rash and divisive governing style that demonized his opponents, Roh created an equal number of opponents who passionately revile him. Roh is almost certainly the most hated president among the Korea's right-leaning voters. Even among many left-leaning voters, Roh is not fondly regarded because of his political tactics that excluded a broader spectrum of Korea's left in favor of dedicated followers, somewhat like the way in which the smaller Tea Party managed to set the direction for the U.S. Republican Party.

This is the political landscape that Moon Jae-in is facing: passionate opposition from conservatives who see him as Roh Moo-hyun's heir, and mostly lukewarm support from his progressive base. This is the greatest reason why Ahn Cheol-soo -- the subject of the next part -- has been able to create such a sensation.

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

Korea's Presidential Election - Part I: Park Geun-hye

Dear Korean,

Can you explain a little bit about the current Korean presidential election, mainly about the candidates running today? What are the problems S.Korean citizens are most concerned about and should be concerned about as well as the candidates' positions on those issues. And who would you prefer, if you do care?

Paul K.

Korea's presidential election is now approximately 40 days away, and exciting times are ahead. First, if you are completely unfamiliar with the general landscape of Korean politics, the Korean would recommend reading this post first for an introduction.

Let's address Paul's question in reverse order. What are the biggest issues at hand for the upcoming presidential election? Interestingly, this election has been a relative anomaly because there has not been a big campaign promise that is dividing the electorate. For example, in 2002, the winning candidate Roh Moo-hyun promised that he would move the capital away from Seoul to promote balanced regional growth. In 2007, the winning candidate Lee Myung-bak promised that he would construct a Grand Canal that would make transportation more efficient. Each promise was controversial, and Korean electorate spent a great deal of time debating them.

This time around? Not as much. To be sure, there currently is a very strong policy demand from Korea's electorate -- namely, expansion of the welfare state. But the demand is so strong that even the conservative candidate, who might oppose such initiative under regular circumstances, is promising free childcare for children between ages of 0 and 5, increased welfare payments for the disabled, expansion of public housing, etc. While there are certainly differences in the specifics of the campaign promises from each candidate, it is fair to say that the campaign promises are at least directionally the same. Thus, the current election is driven more by the personalities of the candidates, and the standing ideologies that they represent, rather than any particular policy ideas. Which is just as well, because each candidate in the running are extremely interesting in his/her own way.

Thus, this series will examine the three major candidates currently running in the presidential election, and what the standing ideologies that they represent. As of now, the three major candidates are:  Park Geun-hye of the conservative New Frontier Party, which is the majority party of the National Assembly and the current holder of the Blue House; Moon Jae-in of the progressive Democratic United Party, the minority party of the National Assembly, and; independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, a Seoul National University professor who made a fortune through a start-up anti-virus software company. Then the series will conclude by giving the current state of play.

At this point, full disclosure:  the Korean supports Moon Jae-in of the DUP. Each part of this series will examine each major candidate. At the end of the series, the Korean will briefly explain why he supports Moon. First up is Park Geun-hye, after the jump.

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



Park Geun-hye (New Frontier Party)

Park Geun-hye [박근혜]
(source)

Park Geun-hye's identity as a politician is centered around this fact:  she is the oldest daughter of Park Chung-hee, the dictator who came to power by rolling tanks into Seoul and ruled the country for 18 years. Park is a National Assemblywoman of the New Frontier Party, the conservative majority party of the National Assembly. (The current president Lee Myung-bak also belongs to the NFP.) Born in 1952, she was thrust into politics early when, in 1974, her mother was shot and killed by a North Korean spy who was aiming at her father. After her mother's death, she acted as the de facto First Lady to her father, directing the operation of the propaganda machine for her father's dictatorship. However, after her father was assassinated in 1979, she stayed away from the public's eyes for more than 20 years.

Park re-entered politics in 1998, by winning the National Assembly seat based in Daegu, her father's hometown. She eventually made her way to be the head of the party in 2004, and made her first presidential run in 2007 against Lee Myung-bak, who was then a popular mayor of Seoul. In a hotly contested primary election, Park lost to Lee, who went on to win the presidential election. For the next five years, the Grand National Party (which later changed its name to NFP) would be divided into a pro-Lee faction and a pro-Park faction. Lee went on to become an extremely unpopular president, which played to Park's advantage. Her presidential run in 2012 was considered an inevitability as early as two years ago, and she indeed won her party's nomination by handily winning the NFP primaries.

Park is nicknamed the "Queen of Elections," and for a good reason. Twice -- in 2006 and 2012 -- she delivered the NFP from the brink of death. Perhaps because of her extensive experience with Korean politics that reaches back into her childhood, she has an instinctive sense of emotionally connecting with the electorate -- particularly the part of the electorate that forms her base. She has also shown remarkable poise and determination in her public life, projecting an image as a steady and grounded leader. In 2006, while being on a campaign trail, Park was attacked by a knife-wielding lunatic who cut her from underneath her ear to her jaw, for as deep as an inch and a half. After Park woke up from the surgery, reportedly her first words were: "What happened with Daejeon?" -- asking about the battleground city. She also more or less successfully distanced herself from the very unpopular outgoing president Lee Myung-bak by systematically eliminating the pro-Lee faction from the NFP.

But of course, even as one can recognize Park's formidable achievement as an individual, no responsible overview of her politics can omit the long shadow of her father. Park Chung-hee's legacy remains to be a complicated and conflicted one. There is no question that, under his 18-year rule, Korea achieved an economic growth that was unprecedented in human history, set upon a path toward becoming a significant world power only several decades after being one of the poorest countries in the world. But there is also no question that, under Park Chung-hee's 18-year rule, South Korea did not look all that different from North Korea -- elections were rigged, Park's political enemies were assassinated, propaganda was 24/7, protesters for democracy were imprisoned and tortured.

Depending on how a Korean made out of his 18-year rule -- which ended only 30 years or so ago -- her assessment of Park Chung-hee's rule is bound to be starkly different. For a significant number of Koreans, Park Chung-hee was a hero who delivered Korea from the twin threats of poverty and communism. For equally significant number of Koreans, Park Chung-hee was a mass-murdering dictator who stunted the growth of democracy and freedom in Korea. And the particular Korean's assessment of Park Chung-hee's rule will directly impact her assessment of Park Geun-hye.

This is even more so because Park Geun-hye's awkward stance with her father's legacy. Based on her public statements, perhaps the best way to describe Park's position with respect to her father is that, while she is sorry to see a lot of people were hurt in the process, she is not sorry for her father's legacy of elevating Korea from poverty and combating communism. (Of course, she hardly ever mentions that most people who were branded as "communists" during Park Chung-hee era were actually her father's political enemies.) Park did issue multiple apologies to those who were injured during her father's rule, but until very recently, she stonewalled the calls for her to recognize that her father was in fact a dictator who destroyed the constitutional order. As recently as four months ago, Park claimed that her father's coup d'etat was an "unavoidable, best possible choice" given the circumstances.

This stance came to a head when Park seemed to suggest that eight democracy activists were executed in 1972 for allegedly being in the People's Revolutionary Party -- a phantom organization made up by the KCIA -- received a fair trial and a fair sentence. A publicity crisis and sinking poll numbers compelled Park to do an about-face, as she finally issued a statement in late September that "ends could not justify the means" and her father's rule "caused damages to the constitutional values." But in late October, Park did another semi-about-face, claiming that she currently had nothing to do with Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation, the organization that (still!) manages Park Chung-hee's remaining slush funds. (The president of JSF would soon disprove Park's claim when, unaware that he was being recorded, he said JSF's funds should be used to support Park's campaign.)

With a little more than a month to go, the defining issue for Park Geun-hye will be about the shadows of the past. Which is quite interesting, as the subject of the next part -- Moon Jae-in -- is not free from the shadows of the past either.

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

Looking for Someone?

Dear Korean,

How do I go about finding someone in Korea? I only have a name, and what he used to be back in the 1980's. Any help would be much appreciated.

F.V.

This is a very frequent question for which the Korean has no good answer. Just think about the absurdity of the question -- how can F.V. seriously expect to find someone with just a name, from the 1980s? It is not as if the Korean knows everyone in Korea across all time and space. Yet this type of questions continue to come in.

The Korean suspects that part of the reason why this question is so frequent is because people often do not realize is just how populous Korea is. Korea is a country with 50 million people. It has more people than Spain, Argentina, Poland or Canada, just to give a few examples. Finding one person among the 50 million will not be easy.

Short of hiring a private detective in Korea, there is no "good" -- as in, high-percentage -- way to find someone in Korea. If one is willing to try even a very low percentage shot, the best option for someone living outside of Korea is, in fact, Facebook, as approximately 8 million Koreans are on Facebook now. But it would be wise not to get your hopes up.

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

50 Most Influential K-pop Artists: 16. Jo Seong-Mo

[Series Index]

16. Jo Seong-Mo [조성모]

Also romanized as:  Jo Sung-mo

Years of Activity: 1998 - present? (last single in 2010)

Discography:
To Heaven (1998)
For Your Soul (1999)
Let Me Love (2000)
No More Love (2001)
Ga-In [가인] (2003)
My First (2005)
Second Half (2009)

Representative Song:  To Heaven from To Heaven

To Heaven
To Heaven

괜찮은거니 어떻게 지내는거야
Are you ok? How are you doing?
나 없다고 또 울고 그러진 않니
You are not crying again because I'm not there, are you?
매일 꿈속에 찾아와 재잘대던 너
You were so chatty when you visit my dreams every night
요즘은 왜 보이질 않는거니
Why can't I see you nowadays?
혹시 무슨 일이라도 생겼니
Did something happen?
내게 올 수 없을 만큼 더 멀리갔니
Did you go even farther away, so far you can't come to me?
니가 없이도 나 잘 지내 보여
I look like I am doing fine without you so
괜히 너 심술나서 장난 친거지
You are upset and playing a joke with me
비라도 내리면 구름 뒤에 숨어서 니가 울고 있는 건 아닌지
When it rains, maybe you are crying, hiding behind the clouds
걱정만 하는 내게 제발 이러지마
That's my worry, so please don't do this to me
볼 수 없다고 쉽게 널 잊을 수 있는 내가 아닌걸 잘 알잖아
 You know I can't forget you that easily, just because I can't see you


혹시 니가 없어 힘이 들까봐
If you think I am suffering without you
니가 아닌 다른 사랑 만날 수 있게 너의 자릴 비워둔 것이라면
If you left your space empty so I can meet another love
그 자린 절망 밖에 채울 수 없어
That space can only be filled with despair
미안해 하지마 멀리 떠나갔어도
 Don't be sorry, even if you are far away
예전처럼 니 모습 그대로 내 안에 가득한데
You are filling me up looking just like the way you did
그리 오래 걸리진 않을거야
It will not take that long
이별이 없는 그곳에 우리 다시 만날 그날이
The day when we will meet where there is no more parting
그때까지 조금만 날 기다려 줘
Until then, wait for me just a little bit

In 15 words or less:  The logical conclusion of the "ballad" movement.

Maybe he should be ranked higher because...   He is the only singer in K-pop history who has two albums that sold more than 2 million copies.

Maybe he should be ranked lower because...  Somehow, he is simply not remembered that much.

Why is this artist important?
Many critics term the 1990s as the golden age of K-pop. Although such characterization is hardly indisputable -- how many international sensations did 1990s K-pop create, compared to the 2000s K-pop? -- it does have certain legitimate bases. One such basis for the claim is that the wide variety of available genres in K-pop. The "industrial" K-pop machine that would choke out the music scene did not yet arrive in the 1990s. The strong tradition of rock music from the 1980s K-pop continued into the 1990s, while the new waves of hip hop, R&B, reggae and techno were taking root in Korea.

From this perspective, the genre that ruled the 1990s may be considered the greatest K-pop genre, the crown jewel of the golden age. And there is no question what that genre is: "ballad", a term denoting easy listening, adult contemporary music with light beats and saccharine lyrics. In the first half of 1990s, it was Shin Seung-hoon who owned the genre. In the second half, it was Jo Seong-mo. Owing to the fact that his career peaked before online file sharing became prevalent, Jo Seong-mo holds the distinction of being the only K-pop singer who sold more than 2 million copies of two different albums, a feat that not even the more influential luminaries of K-pop could match.

Jo also set another trend: a proliferation of music videos as a mini-movie. The music video for To Heaven starred Lee Byeong-heon, an A-list Korean actor, and cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars to make -- both an unprecedented step for a K-pop music video. To Heaven would lead an era of "epic" K-pop music videos, some stretching to as long as 20 minutes.

Interesting trivia:  Jo's songs, including To Heaven, are often about dead lovers. In an interview, Jo said those songs were inspired by his older brother, who died early in a car accident.

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

Why are Asian Americans Liberal? (Are They Even?)

Dear Korean,

According to polling data, Asian Americans tend to be more liberal on average than other minority groups. In fact they are the second most Democratic ethnic group in America according to this poll. The Gallup poll linked fails to give me any convincing reasons as to why Asian-Americans are liberal. In fact, Asians seem to fit the mold of a more conservative voter: they are wealthy, they tend to raise talented children with a strict upbringing, first generation immigrants tend to be more socially conservative, and most of them don't really care for an active, high taxing government. So why are Asian-Americans more likely to be liberal Democrats?

Right Wing Nut Job

'tis a season for politics in both U.S. and Korea, as both countries are gearing up for the presidential election at the end of this year. So let's talk some politics -- first, on the U.S. end.

Before we begin, full disclosure: the Korean is a Democrat, because he thinks the taxes are too low and the federal government is too small. (Seriously.) Take the following for what it's worth, which may not be a lot.

Right Wing Nut Job is exactly right that, in general, Asian Americans seem to have many, if not most, of the traditional characteristics of conservative-leaning Americans. Asian Americans have the highest household income among all races in America. They tend to value family relationship. Many Asian Americans are staunchly Christian (yours truly included,) and therefore tend to be on the more traditional side of many hot button cultural issues in American politics, such as same sex marriage. Finally, many Asian Americans are small business owners, who generally favor lower taxes and less regulations. So what's with the Gallup poll that shows Asian Americans being liberal?

There are two possibilities -- the Gallup Poll could be flawed, or there are real reasons why Asian Americans tend to be more liberal. The Korean thinks both scenarios are plausible. Let's address each in turn.

The Gallup Poll could be flawed, because surveying of Asian Americans is tricky for a number of reasons. Compared to, say, African Americans, Asian Americans are a very diverse group with very diverse historical experience. Asia is a big continent, covering all the way from the edge of Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean. The circumstances by which various Asian American groups arrive at America are markedly different as well. Indians who immigrate to the U.S. tend to be in the middle-class with white collar professions that requires advanced degrees. Cambodians and Laotians, in contrast, arrive at American shores as poorer working class.

Language barrier is also a significant factor when it comes to surveying Asian Americans. Compared to other ethnicities, Asian Americans are disproportionately comprised of first generation immigrants who are often not completely comfortable speaking English. When an English-speaking pollster calls, most such Asian Americans would simply hang up the phone.

But there are also real reasons why Asian Americans tend to be more liberal. The Korean cannot say for certain whether Asian Americans, overall, are more liberal. But he can say with relative confidence that Asian Americans who vote -- the subgroup of Asian Americans whose political opinion truly matters -- tend to lean strongly toward the left. And when we look at the demographic characteristics of this particular subgroup, it makes perfect sense that they tend to be more Democratic.

Asian Americans who are likely to vote tend to be young, because the older generation of Asian Americans tend to be disconnected from mainstream America because of language and cultural issues. Asian Americans also tend to live in large cities, where the jobs are. They are generally highly educated, frequently with post-graduate degrees. All of these characteristics tend to indicate a lean toward the Democratic Party.

One additional factor that particularly affects Asian American voters: they are immigrants and racial minorities. And -- whether these perceptions are fair or not -- there is no question as to which party is winning the hearts and minds of immigrants. (Hint: it's not the party that opposes a sensible immigration reform laws like the DREAM Act.)

Next up, an overview of the upcoming presidential election of Korea.

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

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.