Idolizing Kpop: What are we glazing over?

Whether you’ve been in the loop on the international music front or not, it is a fact that Kpop – or Korean popular culture, has become a global phenomenon. Not just its music but Korean TV dramas, movies, fashion and food have spread widely across the world, especially amongst our youth.

But what’s often greatly overlooked are the problematic aspects of Korean culture that do exist. Recent controversies in the nation rose due to two girl group members expressing their support for feminism. Fans bit back with negative comments, some even going as far as burning their fan merchandise.

Clearly a taboo still exists within Korean society raising the question of whether this widespread celebration of Korean culture is indeed a good thing.

Joining Sam Baran on The Daily to tackle this question was Joanna Elfving-Hwang Professor of Korean Studies at the University of Western Australia.