Recently, Korean culture has become increasingly popular in the U.S. The LILA Gazette shows this increase of popularity in a culture “showcase”.

By Malachi Newman – 6th grade.

Korean culture is everywhere. Whether it’s a Korean barbeque on the street, or the new popular series “Squid Game” on TV. Korean Popular Music, or “K-pop” for short, is one of the biggest contributors to this surge of popularity. The first K-pop performance was done by the boy group “Seo Taiji” in 1992. Some examples of famous current K-pop stars include BLACKPINK, BTS, and PSY.

But what defines K-pop? K-pop is usually sung in either English, Korean, or a mix. According to Yale News, K-pop has become popular because of “catchy hooks, polished choreography, grandiose live performances, and impeccably produced music videos”. Although, overall, K-pop is exceptionally difficult to describe, you just have to hear it. 

One essential part of culture is food, which is–certainly–one of Korea’s strong-suits. Many dishes include meat, vegetables, fruits, soups, and a selection of sauces and dips; rice is often served on the side. Some examples of classic Korean dishes are Kimchi, Bibimbap, Bulgogi, and Kimbap.

Another one of Korean culture’s specialties is skincare. “The growth of Korean beauty companies in the U.S. has revolutionized the U.S. beauty market, introducing many Asian beauty practices and philosophies, such as the 10-step cleansing and moisturizing routine and the preventive ‘skin first’ wellness mindset to a new audience”, says Shondaland.com. Apparently, though, sometimes the products can get a bit weird. For example, one skincare product, made by COSRX, is made from snail mucin. Yes, the slimy liquid that snails leave behind, as they move around. The substance is then transformed into a cream that can be put on the skin. The way they get the mucin is by allowing many snails to roam around a dark room. Then, they scrape off the substance from the ground to filter it into a cream. Although this isn’t very special, (snail mucin is used in cosmetics all over the world now) the practice originated in South Korea.

Korean films and television series have, too, been booming. For example, the Korean Thriller film “Parasite”, directed by Bong Joon-ho won four academy awards, including ‘Best Picture’ at the 2010 Oscars, and “Squid Game”, a Netflix Series adored by many is also extremely popular, and has now become a popular brand.

The Korean language, (Hangug-eo in Korean) is–due to increasing popularity in the culture–also booming in the modern world. For example, by the end of 2023, the Korean language option on Duolingo was #6 in popularity, beating Italian. In just the briefest of time, it rose up to, impressively, #4 at 16.5 million learners. The Korean writing system, “Hangeul” is also very well known for its simplicity. 

I interviewed a few Korean LILA students from around campus about K-pop, but also their culture in general. Here were their responses:

Ella Choi – 6th Grade

Why do you like K-pop? I like K-pop because there’s so many different  genres and themes to songs.

What is your favorite K-pop song? My favorite song is “Super Lady” by (g)-Idle

What is your favorite K-pop artist? Stray Kids

How often do you listen to K-pop? Every day for about 3 and a half hours.

What is your favorite part of your culture? I like the skin-care, music, and food.

Alice Andersen – 6th Grade

Why do you like K-pop? I like pop music, and I feel like it sounds better to be in multiple languages. I also just think Korean sounds great.

What is your favorite K-pop song? My favorite K-pop song is “PLAYING WITH FIRE” by BLACKPINK.

What is your favorite K-pop artist? MAMAMOO and BLACKPINK

How often do you listen to K-pop? At least once a day. 

What is your favorite part of your culture? I like the music and the food.

Even for such a geographically small country, it is quite easy to recall that our world would not be the same without such a rich, and powerful culture. Artists, companies, and brands such as Samsung, BTS and Squid Game have surely aided in the process of molding the modern world.

Special thanks to Ella Choi and Alice Andersen who thoroughly helped this article take shape and helped me assure myself that I understood everything that I was researching, and who chastised me for not understanding certain matters.