ABSTRACT
It is no simple task to define and understand what “Korean black music” is. Popular music in Korea is deeply influenced by traditional Anglo-American pop-rock, making it problematic because of the tradition’s roots in traditionally African-American genres such as gospel, soul, jazz, and hip-hop. “Black” music could be too broad a subject to discuss simply in the context of Korean popular music history alone. Moreover, the term “Korean black music” is contradictory as it implies socio-geographic and racial incongruity. Exploring Korean black music may be nuanced culturally as well as musically.
