Response

Idol Groups in South Korea

Korean pop music (k-pop) is seeing more fans than ever thanks to the popular song, “Gangnam Style,” that went viral in the summer of 2012. With songs that sound like a mix of Euro-pop and the mainstream music that plays on our radios in America, there is definitely a catchy element to the music that overcomes the language barrier. With this rise in popularity, it seems that new k-pop groups are debuting every month, giving new fans a chance to follow a band and see if they have what it takes to be a new generation idol group. 

                Idol groups are popular now, and for good reason. With physically attractive members, each with their own individual skill and charm, it is easy to become intrigued by them. Companies do this intentionally, creating groups that are pleasing in every aspect. For example, male group EXO, is made of 12 members, six promoting their title track in Korea, and the other six performing the same song with Mandarin lyrics in China. Members’ personal talents include not only the standard dancing and singing, but martial arts, acting, and athletic talents as well. All of these attributes appeal to a wide variety of fans, making the group even more marketable. Each song that is released by an idol has its own concept from outfits, to stages, to choreography, and make-up. Daily music shows give fans multiple chances to see their favorite artists perform live on tv, with aesthetically appealing set designs and fellow idols hosting the whole thing. Each member of an idol group has their own role. There is usually a leader, a rapper, a main vocalist, and a main dancer. It is becoming increasingly rare to come across a group without at least one English speaker, who serves as the international representative for the group. Fans around the world take each new concept and make it their own with dance covers, makeup tutorials, and hair tutorials. There is also a dating ban for idols, some even written in their contract. Finding out that an idol is dating in Korea, is huge catastrophic news for some fans. When popular idol groups members, Goo Hara, and Jun Hyung were found to be dating, schools complained to their respective companies saying that their students were too distraught by the news to pay attention to class. With these kinds of bans in place, it makes the idol seem like a more attainable goal, when in reality, it’s impossible to know them. These are some of the things that make kpop stars seem so accessible and easy to like.

                With the flashy display that is k-pop groups, it is often easy to forget the work it took for them to get there. Idols usually begin their training in early teens, learning and fine-tuning skills in dance, singing, languages (English, Japanese, and Chinese primarily,) as well as acting, interview skills, and other skills. These trainees begin practicing in the early morning, go to school, return to practice again, and then repeat this cycle. Most trainees live in small, cramped dorms and scrap by on little money while they wait to make it big. The sad reality is that a majority of them won’t, and they will have sacrificed years in the hopes that they will be on stage one day. Some of the more popular companies have reported that they have doctors come in and regularly check their trainees for depression. With a schedule this packed, it is hard to remember that they are children. The companies want the groups to appear perfect. It is almost as if the singers are puppets, being trained to do whatever it is demanded of them. 

                Finally, the day comes when the company calls the trainees together and announces the ones who have been chosen to begin training as a potential group. These trainees are now considered to be of higher status, and jealously often runs rampant as some people are chosen who have only been training for a year or two, while others have been for five or more. Although these select people have been chosen, there is still no guarantee that they will be the final formation of the group. These people will now train for hours together, perfecting choreography and practicing lyrics until they can sing them in their sleep. They are trained hard, it is common to hear of singers being taken to the E.R. for an IV drip due to exhaustion. Once their debut date arrives, and their promotional schedules are in place, the competition is on. New groups are facing seasoned professionals and second-generation idol groups, and are fighting for attention. With the attraction this generation has to reality television, it is no surprise that groups are treated like show contestants. Each music show has an award ceremony at the end of the show, winning points based on album sales, their position on the charts, and viewer votes. It is this obsession with seeing other people make it or break it that drives the Korean music industry. Each move that an idol makes is captured. Entertainment industries view the idols as money makers, booking them for musicals, dramas, variety shows, commercials, promotional appearances, army performances, and more. Idol groups often juggle school on the side, adding more stress to their everyday lives. 

                How do these groups become popular? Usually groups are launched to popularity through key points in their choreography, or of their songs. Girl group the “Wonder Girls,” found instant success in their choreography from song “Tell Me.” In response to the popularity, the girls recorded the song in English, Chinese, and Japanese. They later made their way onto Disney’s radio station with their song “Nobody,” which also featured a catchy dance that fit the lyrics of the song. Another song that was made popular through the choreography was Super Junior’s “Sorry, Sorry,” which has been referenced by Conan O’Brien on television. Groups have been desperately trying to break into the American music market, which makes “Gangnam Style’s,” success all the more ironic, as it was a song intended to satirize the lives of people in Gangnam, South Korea. Here is Psy, a man who is humorous, average looking, and entirely the opposite of everything an idol group stands for, and he is easily recognized in America.

Analysis

The South Korean film Silenced, is based on the true, tragic events that took place at a small school for the deaf in Gwangju, South Korea. The film is based on the mistreatment and molestation of students by faculty at the school for the deaf, and how the legal system failed them. The film tells the story of a teacher from the bustling capital of South Korea, Seoul, and his journey to the mountain town of Minju, to start his new job as an art teacher in a school for the deaf. The film depicts the despicable crimes and underlying sadness through the use of symbolism with props, lighting, and the use of camera angles.

The film begins with fog covering the screen, fading to reveal snow-covered scenery. A pair of headlights draws your eye to a hazy car speeding down a winding road. The scene then switches to a close up of the driver, the new art teacher, In-ho as he talks with his mother he is leaving behind in Seoul. Out of the windows you can see nothing but the fog. The opening shot shows the remoteness of the town, no other cars or a house in sight, just trees and a road. The sky is gray and ominous, setting the mood for the film. I believe the fog represents how the town turned a blind eye to the crimes and how the students were missing the sense of hearing and impaired like fog impairs vision.  It can also foreshadow how the town police officers and detectives covered the crimes. Now a little boy is seen, no more than five years old, deliberately standing in the middle of the train tracks as a train barrels. The scene switches between the teacher driving and the boy on the tracks. Brakes squealing and a train whistle join together as the white lights of the headlights fill the screen. The train flies past, a shoe left behind implying that the young boy had perished, the camera panning over to reveal the figure lying beside the tracks, face not shown. The scene then switches back to the teacher as he sadly looks down at the animal he had run over, fog clouding both scenes. The camera switches between the boy on the train tracks and In-ho driving are foreshadowing that In-ho is about to become involved in something bigger than he could ever imagine and will experience an unbearable pain. The white light engulfing the screen can again represent the town being blinded or even In-ho’s upcoming enlightenment.

In the beginning of the movie, the principal’s office is first seen in a ceiling mirror, we see the reflection of the figures below, as if the viewer is looking down on them. This could symbolize that these characters should be looked down upon. This will be a key foreshadowing element to one of the sexual crimes as it takes place in this same office. The ceiling contains a security camera that caught it all on tape, and the mirror’s point of view, overlooking it all represents that the cameras are watching everything. The mirror can also represent the double image of the faculty, although they have fooled some into thinking they are good, they are truly disgusting people and are eventually revealed us such, the mirror exposing their true character. In this scene, the principal is meeting the new art teacher for the first time. The camera pans down from the ceiling to show a point of view angle. An over the shoulder shot is used as the camera focuses on In-ho speaking to the principal. When the principal is speaking though there is never an over the shoulder shot. This may be because the principal appearing in over the shoulder shots could represent that he is always there, watching over, establishing his authority. Another hint that this may be true is the painting of the principal by In-ho’s art mentor, which is proudly hanging on the wall, its dark colors drawing a viewer into its abyss. Just as the two begin talking, another character is revealed to be the identical twin of the principal, Chief Lee. This is another way this scene can symbolize and establish that the principal and now chief are everywhere and are primary suspects for the soon to be discovered crimes. The frame switches to a long shot of the three, In-ho in the middle, possibly symbolizing that there is no escape from the twins. After some dialogue, the scene ends. 

Lastly, the ending scene of the film was beautifully done. As Kang In-Ho stands alone in a crowd of moving people in the subway, the camera zooms out as he stares at a wall size promotional poster boasting “Come to Mujin, a City of Fog”. The Irony is that as the people rush past him, consumed with their own worries, In-Ho is burdened still by the tragic event that took place at the school. As others nonchalantly glance at the poster, they see a tourist ploy, not the emotions and drama that In-Ho feels as he looks at it. Strings play in the background to create a dramatic effect and the coloring appears drained, a pathetic representation of prime colors. The lighting appeared natural and felt almost as if the viewer were in the station with In-ho. The film ends with the screen fading black and an update of the current events at the school.

           I was pleasantly surprised by the overall exceptional acting shown by all of the main actors. The most moving performances were given by the students who each signed throughout their testimonies. The facial expression and the pace and force of their signs were simply beautiful. Especially note-worthy was the actress who portrayed Yeon-du (Kim Hyun-soo), she gave one of the most dramatic testimonies. Gong Yoo (In-ho) definitely did not disappoint despite it being different from the past roles he has taken on. The dark lighting throughout the movie set the perfect mood for the movie and the lighting and camera angles aided in the story-telling. The only part that is often brought up as almost a criticism is the reenactments of the crimes. Each reenactment goes a little far to be shown with such young actors. A common defense is that it does stop before clothes are removed and you cannot sugarcoat the actual crimes that took place. Although these scenes were extremely hard to watch, it definitely impactful and I couldn’t imagine the movie being as amazing as it was without the scenes, maybe just a little toned down.

Work Cited:

Silenced. Dir. Dong-hyuk Hwang. Perf. Yoo Gong, Yu Mi Jeong, and Hyeon-soo Kim. CJ  

           Entertainment, 2011. Film.