Humanities Department (CSCC) and East Asian Studies Center (OSU) present:
When East Meets West: K-Pop and American Music Culture
Symposium Sessions Include:
K-pop Fandom and Black Women: A Complicated History
Makayla Cherry, MA – Interdisciplinary East Asian Studies, Ohio State University
American Forces, Korean Network: Pop Music in Korea under U.S. Influence
Pil Ho Kim – Assistant Professor in Korean, Ohio State University
“This Is How We Support K-pop Stars”: From gift-giving to political activism
Wonseok Lee – PhD candidate in musicology, Ohio State University
Moderator:
Merose Hwang. Associate Professor of History, Hiram College
WEMW 2022 Flyer
Directions
Free and Open to the Public
If you require an accommodation, such as live captioning, to participate in this event, please contact EASC at easc@osu.edu. Requests made at least two weeks in advance of the event will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the university will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.
American Forces, Korean Network: Pop Music in Korea under U.S. Influence, Pil Ho Kim
In this talk, Pil Ho Kim will offer a brief historical overview of Korean popular music since the early twentieth century, focusing on the American contributions to the cultural form. Especially of note is the complicated impact of the U.S. military presence on Korean music culture and the musical inspiration that the American Civil Rights Movement gave to Korea’s democracy movement in the 1960s and 70s. He will also touch upon the relationship between contemporary K-Pop and its global fandom, including the expanding American fan base.
K-pop Fandom and Black Women: A Complicated History, Makayla Cherry
During the heat of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, K-pop fans gained the reputation of employing fan power for activism. However, prior to the campaign and beyond, Black K-pop fans, particularly Black women, have been at the forefront of many conversations dealing with K-pop's intersection with Black culture. Whether discussing issues of cultural appropriation or critiquing idols' actions, Black fans have risked aggression from other parties to state their concerns. This presentation discusses the different spaces these fans have created for each other to address such problems and to share their love for K-pop collectively.
“This Is How We Support K-pop Stars”: From gift-giving to political activism, Wonseok Lee
It’s been over twenty-five years since Korean popular music, known as K-pop, has received people’s attention from outside of South Korea. As it has become a global cultural phenomenon, the way K-pop fans support K-pop has also changed. Whereas K-pop fans used to unilaterally support in the 1990s, K-pop fandom today constructs a mutually inspired and praised partnership with their favorite stars. In this presentation, I examine the transition of K-pop fandom from the 1990s to the present by focusing on how K-pop fans today raise their voices on political issues as they construct mutually inspired relationships with their stars.
