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Music in South Korea

We can assumed that the Korean music was begin on 1885 by an American missionary called Henry Appenzeller, when he started teaching in Korean school the American and British folk songs, which it was based on popular Western melody tone with Korean lyrics. The first Korean pop album was launched on 1925 by Park Chae-seon and Lee Ryu-saek. In 1929 Lee Jeong-suk wrote the first pop song "Nakhwayusu" (낙화유수, Fallen Blossoms on Running Water). After the partition of the Korean Peninsula the Western culture and music was introduced to South Korea by small clubs and bars. Because U.S. protect South Korea in the Korean War and they began to infiltrate South Korea, as well as, their music were more accepted among young adults. Also, when the American soldiers were stationed in Korea some of American entertainments like: Marilyn Monroe or Louis Armstrong visits them, where these visits prompt attention from the Korean public to western culture. In 1957 the Korean music started to influence by the American music. After these changes happened the Korean has faced various type of performed genres like country music, blues, jazz and rock & roll (Kim, Y.).  In beginning of the 1970s the Korean pop music was underwent to another transformation where a lot of university students and graduates were made music for fun and self entertaining, as well as, they were influence more to the American culture and lifestyle, unlike their earlier generations, who had to experience Japanese oppression and Korean War (K-pop explained). The turning point in the Korean music wan during the 1990s where the Korean pop musicians were incorporated with the American popular music styles like: rap, rock and techno in the American music. In addition, the SM Entertainment was founded on the 1995 by a Korea entrepreneur called “Lee Soo-man”. The SM Entertainment is one of the largest talent agency and record label in South Korea. And the other Entertainment agency such as: YG Entertainment, DSP Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and FNC Music were founded by the late 1990s. Because of the success of Seo Taiji & Boys that brought a new audience to K-pop and they are the Korean teenagers, which that ked to have a young boy and girl bands (Kim, Y.). In 2012 the whole world recognized the Korean songs that from South Korea because the power of the Internet and media, which changed many thing in the Korean and the world type of music and songs. The viral success of Psy song that called “Gangnam Style” introduced South Korea to the world, as well as, it made people all around the world to reshape of how they think about Korean music (Dunbar, J.). 

A 1938 trot song by Kim Song Kyu and Park Yeong Ho. Sung by Park Hyang Rim.

A Song that released in 2012 by Psy and this song that introduced the world to the South Korea songs.

© 2016 By Amena Khaled AlHammadi - (H00227042)

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