Korean people have chronically long history of musical play and performances, from government official musics to general public performances. 아악(Aak, 雅樂) was played on rituals, 사물놀이(samulnori, 四物놀이 where 놀이 is pure Korean word meaning “play”) was played on public concert. The modern form of musics, there has been tradition in Korean music, and modernized form appeared when late Jeseon dynasty era opened their door to the Western industrial cultures.
In Japanese invasion era, trot was played. Trot has features like unashamed fun melody and sometimes bright, sometimes melancholy and emotional lyrics, many singers sang it. It is still popular in present day Korea, originally 60s or 70s of age generation, and many younger generations also listen to it because it provides sentiment over all generations. The idol pop has completeness in it with singing and dancing, its lyrics is straightforward, and melody is somehow fed up style (trendy is too much driven same style in Korea) trot is milder than that, so it is preferred even though trot is primarily developed for older generations.
The modern music is starting from 1950s. 1950s, after Korean War, many musicians played at US army band, notable musicians include Shin Jung-hyun, Patti Kim, Hyun mi and so on. Shin Jung-hyun particularly has attention on Korean music history. He is guitarist, composer and contributory introducer for experimentalist of new music genre to Korea.
Shin Jung-hyun is gifted, award winning musician who left huge footstep on Korean modern music industry. He was born in the year 1938 and debut in the late 1950s as guitarist playing at US army band. His father and mother died after Korean War, he was orphaned and had to earn money from performance to US army band. His guitar play is legendary, and composition was also able, he composed many hit songs to various famous singers and it was largely successful. However, when President Park Chung-hee tookover military dictatorship government, he was persecuted because he rejected to write musics advocate of President Park’s regime, and drug scandal. At the era, popular songs are censored by government, quite arbitrary decisions to determine release of the songs, Shin’s songs are too. It is known that drug was not used by him, however, there has many entertainers suffered by drug scandal, he was one of the person who arrested by the scandal. In short, it is historical tint in Korean music history, and in present day Korea, it is shameful one when we talk about it.
In 1970s, C’est Si Bon cafe was famous place for some singers, Cho Young-nam and Song Chang-sik and so on, folk song was popular. They sang folk song style songs, emotionally acclaimed songs, it was during 1970s, however, after 2010, their music was highlighted again as nostalgic property of retrospect mood in their songs.
In 1980s, when Chun Doo-hwan also overtook presidency, censorship is loosened and many singers were actively expressing their spirit into the songs more freely. However, there was still senses to restrict artistic expressiveness into it, legacy remained in the industry. The comparison to present day Korean songs, there was remnant of censoring government committee, which persisted until late 1990s.
1980s to 1990s, the most popular genre was ballad. In that era, Korea was high-context community, lyrics are not strong spicy and costume is gentle. It is similarly that Beetles era, even rock band wears suit, music industry in Korea was similarly. There was no severe censorship than Chun era, there was still the examinative system for each song’s release, many songs are mellow even when hip hop and rap music were introduced. It is still tended to be like that compared to the Western style rocks. So, when some Korean began to listen up Western style funky rock included novacaine or gunfire sound, it is sometimes surprise at different musical cultures.
The time goes by early 1990s, the epic band Taeji Boys were debut. The band introduced rap music for the first time to Korean music industry, mixed with funky dance performance, they are later becoming “Cultural President” (문화대통령) because their introductory release of music genres that were new to Korean culture. I have vivid memory for their first performance of broadcasting, singing “난 알아요” (I know it) it was quite revolutionary in music experiment, even elementary school students memorized their song’s lyrics. Taiji Boys later on too, introduced many experiment at their newly release album, for example, western style melody collaborative with Korean traditional instrument, which is quite refreshing experiment at the years.
The award competition is also notable phenomena in Korean music scenes. There were growing attention to targetting young peoples, 10대 가수상 (music awards given to singers favored by teenager) is famously granted.
Simultaneously, 대학가요제 (Singer’s Festival in University Students) and 강변가요제 (Singer’s Festival at Riverside) were held annually, Shin Hae-chul and Lee Sang-eun are the singers who debut at the festival. They are talented singers with clever composition of songs and lyrics are also artistic gems, people who are born 1980s also envalue their songs very favourable. The singers debut from the festival are remained legendary.
Most recently, television programs have tendency to this: Idol pop music, trot music, or rest of the genre for presenting on the screen. The most specialty is the rise of idol pop music as worldwide phenomena. The Korean Wave especially extended by Korean Idol pop’s blooming to worldwide scale, BTS and Kara or similar girl and boy groups are symbolic to recent year’s idol pop scene in Korea. Dated back to 1997, Idol Josangnim (Idol ancestors) original idol groups such as H.O.T. and S.E.S., with their debut idol pop was popularized by systematic tailor by entertainment offices, it is continued until now, BTS is evolutionary from the tradition. Trot, which is music genre for older generations (aged 60 or later) are now also oriented by teenagers too. There are widely held populace by successful television contest programs such as “미스터 트롯” (Mister Trot) or “미스 트롯” (Miss Trot) it is not strange that young people under 20 of ages also set their career to Trot singers, it is also at issue to research further.
There is also another important point in Korean music industry. Hongdae, which is nearby places from Hong-ik university, there are performances by underground music bands and it is also at issue for further research. Indie bands play on the street near Hongdae. They are not appearing on television from the appearance at offline place of Hongdae and gained popularity by people who have witnessed from the street, they sometimes appear television program but remained legendary for music industry. They are not controlled by officiality’s restraints, soaring spirit and symbol of liberty. It is quite tougher melody and lyrics but mellow still, it is also thing to focus more on Korean modern music culture.
From 2000, corporation era began. What is so-called “K-Pop” started from this era. SM entertainment systematically fostered girl group and boy group, it is seed of K-Pop (or idol pop) that bloomed to present day’s fame of Korean idol singers. They trained young boys and girls to singing and dancing well, and taught foreign languages too. BoA and Dongbangsingee are examples. The topics about these idol tailoring compare to Japanese idols, Korean idols are debut at complete skillsets, while Japanese idols are debut at young age and to see their development as artists, are also popular topic to understand both countries’s idol cultures. It is becoming similarly that skillsets are complete both countries, traditional showa age aidoru is still under this topic. Korean idol ancestors too, not only focused on skillset completely, it is also good topic to ponder up thinking about cultural shifts in modern Korean music industry too.
Reportedly and repeatedly K-Pop is now occupied large portion of the global music industry’s statistics. The entertainment offices are grown large scale. In the features of corporation business, there was issues concerning idol singers’s right as unprotected workers, slavery contract was issue. Many idol singers also should act real documentary program and it is stressful so it is also issue of attention in researchers and fans.
The economical impact is applicable to Korean Wave owe to Idol Pop popularization, Korean modern music is meaningful to the globe. The modern Korean music is not their sole invention, however, it is successful. The things are well sofar and it would be expectation further.
The peculiarity in Korean music fandom is also meaningful topic. They manipulated many technical terms and very loyal but critical fandom communities which influence office’s strategies and correction to, it is another cultures how Korean music industry is.
This posting summarized brief history. It is more than this, so please look closer to it ^^