ABSTRACT
As with other Asian pop music, it is not difficult to grasp the impact of Westernization on the musical structure of Korean pop music. However, when we extend the category of Korean pop music to include music created or re-arranged for purposes beyond capitalist logic, we can easily observe movements within the Korean popular music scene that oppose Westernization. Namely, musicians generate new works for the public by using traditional Korean musical elements. Consequently, Korean pop music uses a mix of Western (or non-Korean) elements and traditional Korean elements. This fact naturally turns our attention to the artists’ motivation, thereby raising a central research question. How is Korean pop music specifically associated with Korean identities? This chapter aims to understand the relationship between Korean pop music and Korean identity by studying the political-cultural history of Korean pop music that uses elements of traditional music.
