K-Pop. What can be said which already hasn’t been said? K-Pop, or Korean Pop, has become a music sensation spanning the entire globe, destroying the cultural barriers separating the West and Eastern hemispheres. With upbeat rhythms, insane choreography,
and overall presentation, it’s no wonder that K-Pop has become the global phenomenon it is currently today. However, it’s all ingrained in a fog of limbo between music and politics. Tiffany Hwang[1], a budding K-Pop artist and member of the popular group “Girls’ Generation”, made a critical mistake due to her lack of knowledge in cross country tensions and almost led to the end of her career.
Before getting into any form of politics, some important historical background of Korea is needed. During the early 1900’s, specifically from 1910-1945, Japan placed Korea under colonial rule and tensions were high between the two countries. Japanese occupation was ruthless as any of amount of freedom was severely limited. Koreans were forced to ban their own native language in schools, and were even demanded to change their names to Japanese, with a whole 80% of the populace complying with their demands.[2] However, the biggest atrocity to come out of Japanese occupation was the use of “comfort women”; essentially Korean women who were used as sexual slaves for Japanese soldiers.
This caused an immense rift between the two countries, one which still lasts to this day. In this article,[3] Jazeera writes “But they [Japanese] misjudged how deeply ingrained the issue is in South Korean society.” This single quote demonstrates the decades long strained relationship between both Korean and Japan.
Now, why include historical background when discussing K-Pop? It’s due to the fact that something as worldwide and influential as K-Pop cannot escape the grasp of past misdoings and politics. First, let me point out that K-Pop as a medium is extremely successful in East Asian countries, especially in Japan. KARA, a five member girl group, was able to generate a whopping $60 million dollars of revenue in Japanese CD and DVD sales alone on their 2011 tour.
On the surface, this seems like a simple transaction of cultural exchange and in way, it is. There was no ill intent both by the members of KARA and the Japanese audience. However, while the same could be said of Tiffany Hwang, the reception was drastically different and demonstrated the lingering political tensions between Korea and Japan. During Girls’ Generation’s tour in Japan during August 2016, Hwang posted several pictures on Snapchat with the Japanese Imperial Flag, serving as a way for her fans to know her current location.
This act in itself poses no political outcry and was just an innocent way of communicating between performer and audience. The problem comes from the fact that she posted these pictures on Korea’s Liberation Day.[4] As the name implies, this was the day when Korea broke free from Japanese occupation, liberated by both United States and Soviet Union forces. Due to the dense history between the two East Asian countries, this act by Hwang was deemed incredibly offensive to the Korean populace, especially on their day of liberation. Hwang was able to delete the pictures in a quick three minutes, but it was far too late: “Her career literally came to a halt,”[5] with sponsorships and television roles being taken from her instantly. In a way, this story correlates with Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand during “The Star-Spangled Banner”, albeit with differing connotations. In an article from The New Yorker, Kaepernick says, ““I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”[6] 
This type of mindset is reminiscent of the people of Korea in how the Japanese Imperial Flag represents the same type of oppression Kaepernick himself feels. The Imperial flag is a symbol of inhumane oppression and is shrouded in decades of dark history and in Kaepernick’s mind, the United States shares this trait. It is also important to note that Kaepernick’s own devotion to protest the anthem is different than Hwang’s unknowing mistake; one was purposeful and the other was accidental. However, the theme of oppression is apparent in both and demonstrates the correlation between both stories.
In my mind, both Kaepernick and the people of Korea are justified in their reactions. I believe Blake put it well when he used the phrase “us and them” in his blogpost. In Kaepernick’s position, he was protesting against the history of the United States and the recent events which painted the country’s flag as a symbol of oppression; a fight between minority vs. majority. In Hwang’s position, it was almost as if the people of Korea were asking her the question, “Japan or us”. Hwang’s mistake essentially cements the idea that K-Pop stars are not immune to such scrutiny, especially with their celebrity status in Korea. Politics, those especially concerning Japan, are still touchy subjects and possesses the power to bring down the cultural powerhouse of K-Pop should the opportunity arise.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiffany_Hwang
[2] http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/main_pop/kpct/kp_koreaimperialism.htm
[3] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/south-korea-world-longest-protest-comfort-women-170908024721239.html
[4] https://www.army.mil/article/192286/korean_national_liberation_day
[5] http://thepolitic.org/when-pop-music-goes-nuclear-the-explosive-politics-of-k-pop-in-asia/
[6] https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/colin-kaepernick-and-the-radical-uses-of-the-star-spangled-banner