K-pop
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Welcome to K-pop Idol School, Where Only the Beautiful Enter
“We are recruiting beautiful freshmen.” This shamelessly explicit phrase on its website says everything about Idol School, an institution that aims to nurture K-pop girl group members. In the video, girls in lolitaesque school uniforms (the skirts barely cover their thighs) vow to follow the school’s curriculum so
Twitter User Flags 'PedoFILA' Controversy
An old advertisement is suddenly going viral online in South Korea. Keywords: “pedoFILA” and “sexualization.” Against a pink background, dotted with strawberry patterns, “Strawberry gelato” is written in playful cursive lettering. By the way, this ad is not for a new flavor of Baskin Robbins. Underneath the script, a sneaker
K-Pop And the Spy Camera Incident: Always Smile At the Customer!
In an online video clip, Yerin, member of the K-pop group GFriend, sits behind a table with a neck pillow perched playfully on her head. In front of her sits a man in a black jacket who leans forward slightly, removes his eyeglasses and hands them to her. She looks
Time to Stop Skirting the Issue: Sexualization of School Uniforms in South Korea
“3D bodyline.” “A tulip body-line to turn men’s heads.” “A skirt that really brings out those lines.” “Freely adjustable length.” Guess what kind of product this ad is promoting. It’s an ad for girls’ school uniforms. One Twitter user recently uploaded a photo
"Becoming Prettier": K-pop MV Chronicles Girl Group's Plastic Surgery
Four girls in skintight pink bodysuits march into a surgery room. One of them lies down and closes her eyes, as blinding white light gleams from the surgical headlights above her. Then, a long beep and brief silence, followed by a catchy beat with these lines: “I’m
Planting Rainforests and Donating Rice: The Fascinating World of K-pop Fandom
For approximately $35,000, you can plant 27,500 trees to help preserve the Brazilian rainforest. But this isn’t just the work of environmentalists — it’s also the work of K-pop fans. It’s a legendary story in K-pop fandom. 2012 marked the 20th debut anniversary of Seo Taiji
Sulli and K-Pop's Lolita Hypocrisy
Sulli is an interesting figure in the K-pop world. She entered the world of South Korean celebrity at the ripe age of 11, debuted as a member of girl group f(x) four years later in 2009, and rose to stardom under the strict guidance of SM Entertainment, a mega-agency
Girls Like Girls: Lesbian Couple in Sistar's New MV "One More Day" Takes Revenge
Two girls walk anxiously, pulling a suitcase down a dark road. What’s in the suitcase? K-pop girl group Sistar released a MV of their new single just yesterday. “One More Day,” composed and produced by Giorgio Moroder, shows two women in love, who end up killing the abusive
The New Meaning of K-Pop
IKR for Korea Exposé K-Pop and K-dramas are not the only South Korean exports to make people weep around the world. To read more on this topic, please go to The Economist, Human Rights Monitor South Korea, and The Hankyoreh. More of IKR’s works can be found