Transcript of an Interview with Mr. Kim Hyung-suk, Composer-producer of the Godfather of K-pop and BTS, at the Sheldonian Theatre, Hosted by Faculty of Music, Oxford University. Part 2

Posted by Joseph Hwang Joseph Hwang 7/23/2024

Transcript of an Interview with Mr. Kim Hyung-suk, Composer-producer of the Godfather of K-pop and BTS, at the Sheldonian Theatre, Hosted by Faculty of Music, Oxford University. Part 2

Joseph Hwang

* On July 4, 2024, Mr. Kim Hyung-suk, the godfather of K-pop and one of Korea's leading composers and producers, gave a lecture and interview at an event hosted by the Faculty of Music at Oxford University. Here, I will post a series of interviews based on the Korean summary of Mr. Kim's interview, with some of my commentary.

** I am especially grateful to Ms. Jieun Kiaer, a professor at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, for arranging and hosting this lecture and interview.

Question #2.

K-pop has been widely popularized by idol groups such as BTS and BLACKPINK. Unlike European music such as Britpop, K-pop is characterized by the boom of idol dance music instead of band music and electronic music. Why did idols emerge in South Korea? (Socio-political background of K-pop idols)

Answer #2.

You can look at it from several different perspectives:

- Economic development and cultural industry

As South Korea experienced rapid economic growth in the second half of the 20th century, the South Korean government targeted cultural industries as a new pillar of economic development. In the 1990s, the South Korean government actively supported the "cultural content industry," which is believed to have played an important role in developing Korean popular music, including K-pop.

- The collapse of the Korean music market

Another issue is the collapse of the Korean music market. Since music consumption shifted from CDs and tapes to digital files, illegal recordings led to a market crash. As a result, music production companies could no longer survive on music alone. This led to the formation of groups with multi-talented members who added dancing to the mix. This was the beginning of the birth of idols. "TURNING A CRISIS INTO AN OPPORTUNITY!"

- The unique Korean system of management and entertainment companies

Korean companies have come a long way in discovering and training idols. Through a well-structured trainee system, major management companies have been able to discover and train talent and produce high-quality music and performances. This system has contributed to the team format of an idol culture that goes beyond individual artists to groups.

- Fandom culture

Fandom culture in Korea is very passionate and community-based, with fans actively supporting their loving artists and backing up their activities in various ways. This culture has helped idol groups to grow by connecting closely with their fans.

- Legacy media and social media

South Korean broadcasters have long showcased Korean artists through music programs, making the genre more accessible to the audiences. More recently, in addition to legacy media, social media such as YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram have been instrumental in promoting communication between idols and their fans, thus I believe that they have played an important role in promoting K-pop idols globally.

- Cultural trends

I think that Korea has always had a strong culture of unity.

This culture of unity has been representative of Korea, such as the civilian-led soldiers (patriotic soldiers) during the Japanese invasion of Joseon (the last dynasty in Korean history), the gold collection movement during the IMF financial crisis, and the realization of democracy through candlelight rallies during the Park Geun-hye government, and I think K-pop has grown based on this culture.

This cultural trait has influenced the formation and development of idol groups that emphasize teamwork, therefore I think fandom culture has also revolutionized cultural development through the unity of many fans.

In terms of music, Korean popular music has been blended with Western pop music and various Asian musical styles to form a unique K-pop idol music style, and genre.

I believe that these composite factors have influenced the birth and development of idol culture in Korea.

* Joseph's comment:

The change in recording media - the shift in the distribution of recorded goods from physical, fixed media to digital data transmission - has facilitated illegal distribution, but it has also fostered a boom in compilation album releases in the early days of the digital music market.

The massive shift in the recording market itself was a global phenomenon, not just in Korea, and the advent of Apple founder Steve Jobs' iTunes Music Store that crystallized this revolutionary change was the solution. However, South Korea was largely excluded from Apple's advanced entry into the music market, partly because its music copyright management system differed from the Anglo-American legal system.

This change eventually led to a shift in the artist policy of Korean music management companies, and the most successful model in the market was the idol group. When artists achieved a reputation from their fans after their debut, their fame was attributed to their personality. For the artist management company, which is the impresario, to enjoy this economic benefit with the artist, it is possible by entering into a legal method called the artist exclusive contract, still after the termination or expiration of the exclusive contract, the company's business continuity becomes problematic. One way to compensate for this weakness is to organize several artists into a group and subordinate all rights under the team brand. This has proven to be a legitimate and efficient way for management companies to overcome the personality-dependent advantage of artists whose personalities are commodities. This is why there are so many idol groups in the K-pop market.

* References and quotations:

https://www.music.ox.ac.uk/event/k-pop-from-the-godfather-of-k-pop-and-bts

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2024/07/398_378556.html

* Series Posts

Part 1.

https://www.musicbusiness.co.kr/2024/07/transcript-of-interview-with-mr-kim.html

Part 2.

https://www.musicbusiness.co.kr/2024/07/transcript-of-interview-with-mr-kim_0392194405.html

Part 3.

https://www.musicbusiness.co.kr/2024/07/transcript-of-interview-with-mr-kim_01853689220.html

Part 4.

https://www.musicbusiness.co.kr/2024/07/transcript-of-interview-with-mr-kim_0403319480.html