As K-Pop expands in the Western market, many people, both outsiders and existing fans, are curious about topics like what defines K-Pop, what makes K-Pop different from other genres and why K-Pop fans are so adamant about their idols and their music. These questions and many more will be answered in a book by upcoming author Wooseok Ki. Releasing in December, his book is called K-Pop: The Odyssey and it covers topics that will appeal to long-time fans and absolute beginners alike. K-Pop The Odyssey has something for everyone, serving as a unique and refreshing addition to the limited literature currently available about K-Pop.
Besides just describing what K-Pop is, Wooseok’s book dives into more deep and intriguing discussions, for example fandoms’ positive collective action, the word “K-Pop” as a restricting label, contract disputes (from a legal perspective), beauty standards, mental health awareness, anonymous commenting culture, and more. As a K-Pop fan himself, Wooseok understands the fan’s perspective. In fact, Wooseok made it known that he wants the K-Pop TV readers to know that he’s truly a fan at heart and wants nothing more than to be able to continue to see the growth and success of K-Pop groups and the Korean culture as a whole.
Wooseok is currently a law student who never had plans to write, but when given the opportunity, he decided to write about something he truly enjoyed and had a tremendous amount of knowledge on. He was thrilled to learn that just the idea of his book had already piqued people’s interest and reached the K-Pop world where it continued to garner attention. In this interview, Wooseok reveals his personal view on what K-Pop means to him, exclusive nuggets on what his book entails, his own thoughts on K-Pop’s emergence into global markets like the U.S.A., and the future of K-Pop.
Q. Many people say to themselves, “I want to write a book,” and never follow through with their wishes. Was there a distinct moment where you knew you needed to write this book?
Wooseok: It was never my life goal to write a book, but I was fortunately approached with such an opportunity back in December. I thought to myself, “if I were to write a book on something, what do I know a lot about and want to share with the world?” I couldn’t think of a better topic than K-Pop – I’d been invested into it for far too long.
Upon market research I realized that compared to all these great Korean books I’ve read that explain K-Pop very well, there weren’t as many options in the US market. I realized that if a friend asked me what “K-Pop” really was, I didn’t have a comprehensive source I could really guide them to – all online materials are very scattered! So, I decided, why don’t I make an updated, educational book that’s not only comprehensive but also fun?
To maintain reader interest, and ensure the book flows in a logical and organized order, Wooseok decided to break the information into eight parts. From the music to the technological and business side of K-Pop, K-Pop: The Odyssey serves as an informative source on several aspects of K-Pop
Q. Your book is broken down into individual parts, can you give us a quick overview of those?
Wooseok: Parts 1-3 deal with the bigger picture themes and questions that lead us to think “how did we get here?” Part 1 is “What is K-Pop?” Part 2 is “Globalization” and Part 3 discusses “Online Technology & Social Media.” Parts 4-6 take a deeper dive into the themes and explore the audio-visual content we engage with and how it’s created. Part 4 is “The Idol System,” Part 5 is “The Music,” and Part 6 is “The Business Side.” Part 7 is exclusively on “Fandom Culture.” This part honestly deserves books/theses of its own (and there are great ones out there), as it can be analyzed academically too. Part 8 is “Future Outlook” where I’ll be opening on some social discussions as well as where K-Pop may be headed for the years to come.
Q. Of those, parts, which was the most enjoyable to research and write about?
Wooseok: Parts 4-6 for sure, because these required the expert interviews a lot more. It’s a nice transition from the more fact-based Parts 1-3.
Q. You managed to bring a lot of expert and industry insider testimonies into your book. Can you tell us more about their contributions?
Wooseok: When I first started brainstorming the interviewees, I knew I wanted to listen to their unique stories and try to weave them into a coherent book. I’m not a journalist and this isn’t for the press, so I made it a priority to get to know the person a lot more before their achievements. I’m inspired by 2 people in particular– Hyuk Shin and Peter Chun. Shin is a legendary producer not just in the K-Pop scene but was the first Korean songwriter to have a song rank in the Billboard Hot 100 (for Justin Bieber!). Chun was the US Business Director at YG Entertainment overseeing international projects for BIGBANG, 2NE1, and Epik High. Both their stories will be woven into larger chapters discussing K-Pop’s music and business affairs, respectively.
Q. You mentioned in a previous interview that there are very few K-Pop books out there, why do you think this is the case, especially after all these years of K-Pop growth?
Wooseok: First, K-Pop is an audio-visual medium thus it’s inherently not the easiest to describe in a book format. On the other hand, a single YouTube video or journal article may not be able to capture all topics at once. Second, people just don’t read nowadays, and I’m slightly guilty of this as well! The world is moving towards the online space and you can’t dismiss technology’s importance.
But if the public reaction to my book showed me anything, I’ve noticed that there are two demographic groups that are interested in reading a K-Pop book. One is the K-Pop fan who’s already been invested, likely with a particular fandom and artist. They may know everything about the artist but not so much of K-Pop as a whole. The other is the general reader who’s always been curious about K-Pop and wanted to know more. There’s really great books on K-Pop in Korea by analysts and professors, but not as much in the U.S. I was inspired and wanted to contribute more.
Q. Former Girls’ Generation member Jessica Jung has written a K-Pop novel centered around her own experience in the industry, showing the less glamorous side of K-Pop. Several Western media outlets have also made reports that focus on dark aspects of the industry. Do you also discuss these perspectives in your book?
Wooseok: Absolutely, and this is something all K-Pop scholars and journalists point out over and over. First of all, as a Korean, I’m annoyed when misinformed media paints a picture of K-Pop and South Korea on their own without doing proper research into the industry and Korean society. K-Pop is music entertainment with a unique production system, but Western media often seems to rush to labels and paint a picture in the readers’ heads before proper analyses can be made.
The ‘dark side’ is such a common trope in media headlines that attempt to report on K-Pop. If a general reader wants to learn about K-Pop’s fandoms collective social action, I don’t see why the articles feel a need to automatically group all the social topics such as celebrity suicides or plastic surgery together. We’re aware there’s issues, but it is very stigmatizing to group unrelated issues together in this manner.
Q. You mentioned that the book includes discussions of societal hot topics as they relate to K-Pop. Can you elaborate on the topics you cover?
Wooseok: Continuing on from the Western portrayals discussion, we do have to accept that the K-Pop industry has its flaws and needs reform. But honestly, it’s entertainment; it’s bound to have problems in any country. I discuss fandoms’ positive collective action, the word “K-Pop” as a restricting label, contract disputes (being a law guy), beauty standards, mental health awareness/anonymous commenting culture, to name a few. When discussing K-Pop’s downsides, I’m trying to clarify that a lot of these issues are actually Korea-wide issues for societal/governmental reform rather than a K-Pop-centric one. That distinction is crucial – even K-Pop is different from K-drama, but a lot of people can’t tell.
The Western media has done a much better job of being more understanding by focusing on the actual groups and asking them questions about their music rather than always bringing up the negative stereotypes that surround K-Pop. With so much K-Pop coverage on hit American TV shows, K-Pop groups making English songs, and artists signing record deals with major music labels, the future for K-Pop seems promising and optimistic.
Q. As K-Pop artists enter more foreign markets and sign record deals with international labels, do you have any predictions about how K-Pop will change, if at all?
Wooseok: For K-Pop in the U.S. market, it’s crazy how far it’s evolved from the earlier days with BoA, Wonder Girls, Psy, and to BTS setting historic records today. I think BTS is unstoppable right now and BigHit will probably find a way to fill a void during members’ military enlistment. BLACKPINK is also entering the American mainstream with collaborations, and we’ll probably see more promotions. As for the new generation though, there are so many contenders that I can’t pinpoint who exactly will have a major international breakthrough moment and in what form. That just shows us that there is just so much talent and content today.
One thing we’re seeing now is the rise of strategic partnerships between Korean and U.S. labels. Acts like Monsta X (who’s had the English album), Chungha, and TWICE will be furthering promotions here. Yet given the pandemic situation, I’m not sure when at the earliest we’ll be seeing new ventures blossom. Probably not until things clear up in the industry.
Q. With pioneers like The Wonder Girls and 2NE1 promoting in America with English songs as early as 2010, Gangnam Style becoming a worldwide hit, and many K-Pop groups breaking worldwide records, why do you think it has taken America so long to reach its current point of familiarity? And where do you think America’s relationship with K-Pop is headed from here?
Wooseok: We knew K-Pop fans existed in the U.S., albeit a subculture. Plenty of K-Pop acts in the 2010s did U.S. tours and although they didn’t make massive U.S. headlines, they propelled the culture even further. Yet minus Gangnam Style, K-Pop tended to be grouped as a monolith despite a variety of great artists and fandoms.
Now today we can say objectively BTS elevated the phenomenon to another level, as this was the first time a group from the K-Pop industry achieved this level of mainstream and commercial success. Yet we still see American media look at BTS with a lens or label of “K-Pop” or “Koreans” and BTS’s songs pre-Dynamite were rarely played on the radio. There’s a gatekeeping issue in that sense (and arguably even xenophobic), so I do wonder if the industry will be open to more Korean acts in the future even if the songs are mostly in Korean. I am optimistic.
Q. If someone who knew nothing about K-Pop stumbled upon your book, what song would you recommend to them to get them started? Or, what K-Pop song do you think perfectly embodies the unique K-Pop sound and what K-Pop is all about?
Wooseok: Very tough question – there’s so many. Personally, I’d pick BIGBANG’s “Bae Bae” or BTS’s “DNA.” Two top groups from different generations that have constantly evolved musically with diverse skill sets. I feel that these two songs in particular, especially with the full audio-visual experience, capture the musical sounds, choreography, fashion, and personalities very well.
The massive growth of K-Pop worldwide has been such a great sight and has turned into more than just a phenomenon thanks to groups like BTS, EXO, Monsta X, BlackPink, and Twice, to name a few, and of course the groups and artist that came before them like BoA, The Wonder Girls and Big Bang. With these ‘trailblazers’’ hard work, K-Pop has grown to become a respected genre and a household term. With K-Pop being so popular now, it’s important that someone sets the facts straight about the industry and informs others on why the stereotypes towards K-Pop are not a true representation of what it’s all about. K-Pop: The Odyssey tackles this and many other important features like globalization, the idol system, the business side and even the future of K-Pop. The book has already sold out of pre-orders and but will be available for purchase in December. You can learn more about Wooseok’s book and how to get a copy by visiting these links below:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/k-pop-the-odyssey-by-wooseok-ki#/
https://instagram.com/kpop.odyssey?igshid=ztkpd4tm94lw
This article was written by KPOP-TV Blog Team member Taryn Burress
