The Pursuit of Modernity: The Evolution of Korean Popular Music in the Age of Globalization

Abstract

This dissertation examines the various meanings of modernity in the history of Korean pop music, focusing on several crucial turning points in the development of K-pop. Since the late 1980s, Korean pop music has aspired to be a more advanced industry and establish an international presence, based on the economic leap and democratization as a springboard. Contemporary K-pop, originating from the underground dance scene in the 1980s, succeeded in transforming Korean pop music into a modern and youth-oriented genre with a new style dubbed "rap/dance music." The rise of dance music changed the landscape of Korean popular music and became the cornerstone of the K-pop idol music. In the era of globalization, K-pop’s unique aesthetics and strategy, later termed “Cultural Technology,” achieved substantial returns in the international market. Throughout this evolution, Korean Americans were vital players who brought K-pop closer to its mission of modern and international pop music. In the age of globalization, K-pop's modernity and identity are evolving in a new way. BTS' unprecedented success indicates that K-pop's modernity can be achieved through authentic narratives and Koreanness, not merely through cosmopolitan sounds and visual aesthetics that have eliminated nationality and locality.