South Korea has a thriving
entertainment industry where various facets of South Korean entertainment
including television dramas, films, and popular music has generated significant
financial revenues for the nation's economy.
Korean Traditional Music
The
first evidence of Korean
music is old and it has been well documented by surviving written
materials
from the 15th century. Traditional Korean music was brought to heights
of
excellence under the Lee kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Folk includes
genres like pungmul, sanjo, pansori and nongak. The three types
of Korean court musics are aak, hyangak and dangak.
Pungmul (풍물) is a Korean folk music tradition that is a form of percussion music that includes drumming, dancing, and singing. Most performances are outside, with dozens of players, all in constant motion.
Nongak (농악) refers
to "farmers' music" and represents an important musical genre which has
been developed mainly by peasants in the agricultural society of Korea.
The farmers' music is performed typically in an open area of the
village.
Mainstream Popular Music
Popular Korean music, typically referred to as K-pop in English, or gayo (가요) in Korean, is a highly commercial industry throughout Asia.
The dominant trend in popular Korean music is currently "idol" (아이돌) groups. Idol groups typically feature several entertainers of the same gender who perform a fusion of dance music, rhythm and blues, funk, hip-hop and electronic influenced songs. Some of the most famous K-pop groups include TVXQ, JYJ, BIGBANG, BTS, MONSTA_X, Super Junior, Blackpink, KNK, Red Velvet, TWICE, and Girls' Generation. There are also co-ed groups where both genders are present like KARD.
BTS
The
seven-member boy band BTS which used to stand for Bangtan Sonyeondan is one of
music’s biggest social media phenomena, claiming a global fanbase that they
call “Army”. It also won
the boys RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, if you’re keeping track
the Top Social Artist title at last year’s Billboard Music Awards, and
propelled their latest album release to debut at No. 7 on the albums charts, a
major feat for K-pop.
BLACKPINK
Black Pink (블랙핑크), stylized as BLACKPINK or BLΛƆKPIИK,
is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of members
Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa.