K-Pop and K-Drama: Not Just Entertainment

Gaon Chart Music Awards 2018 & Press Conference Drama "Goblin". Source: Newsen & Asia Today

Who doesn’t know K-Pop and K-Drama? Yes, those are which called The Hallyu phenomenon, or the Korean Wave. Korean pop music or known as K-Pop is a music genre that come from South Korea. It can be say that South Korea music industry is one of the biggest music industry in this world. Idol groups like BTS, Blackpink, Red Velvet, EXO, Twice, and many more are already well known Internationally. Their songs which are enjoyed by so many people become the hit songs that are really famous around the world. It proven by their music videos in YouTube which are watched by more than 1 billion people and they also hold concert tour to many countries which sold hundreds thousands tickets.

The another one is Korean drama or known as K-Drama is a Korean television series which are become really popular nowadays. Giving a variety of different and unique storylines is the main attraction of K-Drama, from fantasies that can be said to be "not rational" to light dramas that tell about everyday life. The beautiful romance stories also one of the aspect that catch the viewer eyes and hearts. Because K-Drama can be enjoyed by people from many different age, so it can reach more people than K-Pop which is usually more enjoyed by teenager. Even some K-Dramas on Netflix reach biggest popularity which are become more popular than western series in there.

From the research written by John Lie titled What Is the K in K-pop? South Korean Popular Music, the Culture Industry, and National Identity, there is theory from Sakai (2012) said that the domain of government support ranges from favorable financial arrangements to cultural promotion. Because of how big the impact of both K-Pop and K-Drama to the people’s interest of Korean culture, language, fashion, and also make South Korea as one of their dream destination to holiday, Korean government use them as tools for many aspects that profitable to the country.

As I said before, because of how popular are K-Pop and K-Drama, many people make South Korea as one of their dream destination to holiday. Thus South Korea government utilize it as tools to increase the country economy. One of the way to make more people want to visit South Korea is show how beautiful South Korea is in the dramas or music video. The example is Jumunjin Beach in Gangneung, this is one of the shooting location for drama “Goblin”.

Drama "Goblin" scene at Jumunjing Beach, Gangneung, South Korea. Source: tvN

This place is become a very famous tourist destination, the visitors are come from South Korean and many foreign countries. They are even willing to queue for a long time to take picture in there.

The other things that become famous are Korean foods, fashion, and make up. Because usually in K-Dramas there are scene when the characters are eating delicious Korean foods, use cool Korean fashion, and use nice daily make up. Korean foods like tteokbokki, ramyeon, kimchi, jajangmyeon, etc are really become famous foods which are loved by many people outside Korea. The example is in Indonesia there are many Korean restaurants which always crowded with visitors. The restaurant made unique Korean design, so it made interest to the visitors.

Unique Korean Cafe in Yogyakarta. Source: Instagram (chingucafe)

Korean beauty products like Nature Republic and Innisfree also become famous beauty products in teenager circle. Also Samsung become one of the biggest mobile phone brand in the world. As what Arba’iyah Satriani and Rini Rinawati said in their research titled The Influence of Knowledge about Korean Culture on Decision of Purchasing Korean Mobile Phones, marketing strategy that is undertaken by the Korean government, based on this research, shows that there is “Collaboration of Marketing Strategy” between entrepreneurs and the government which gives a full support. This is become a strength that currently done by utilizing the behavior of the consumers who are fond of Korean dramas, K-Pop and variety show “Running Man”. The aggressiveness of the Korean Government in market expanding has caused the selling Korean products faster (theory from Ariffin, 2018).

Because K-Pop and K-Drama are the things that represent South Korea, sometimes the government also use the idols and actors for the politics business. Once in 2018, South Korean girl group from the oldest entertainment agency in Korea, SM Entertainment, Red Velvet perform in Pyongyang, North Korea as one of the series of South and North Korea politics event. Kim Jong Un as the president of North Korea also attended the concert.

Red Velvet meet Kim Jong Un after the concert. Source: KCNA.

After they perform in North Korea, they are also being invited to have lunch together with South Korean president Moon Jae In in the Blue House.

Red Velvet took picture with South Korean president Moon Jae In. Source: Soompi.

Moon Jae In invited them to thanks them for become one of the performer for the events in North Korea.

Another than as politic tools, here are some K-Drama and K-Pop music videos that have politics elements in there. “Vagabond” is one of the hit drama in 2019, this drama has politics element which is the story about two airplane companies that are competing, company A slanders company B downing their own plane. This led to the CEO of company B being jailed as a suspect. The government is also involved in this problem. The series of this problem even led to a member of the National Intelligence Agency trying to be poisoned. Also 2018’s hit drama “Mr. Sunshine” is have the background story when Joseon (Korea before independent) is still under the Japanese regime. There is a noble woman that want to become battler against Japanese colonialism, she is met a Joseon man that become soldiers in America and he hate his own country. But then they are become battler together.

In Red Velvet’s music video titled “One of These Night” is have implied meaning about the Sewol ship tragedy in 2014 which are caused dead to hundreds high school students.

Look like in the deck of a sunken ship. Source: SM Entertainment

This ship is sunk because of it turned suddenly and overload. But there are a lot of gaffes behind this accident, it says that this ship is deliberately drowned because of politics issue.

Zaida Larasati Mardhiyah Yosiadhi

Student of International Program Communication Department in Islamic University of Indonesia.