The worldwide phenomenon of K-pop can be traced back to Korea's turbulent social climate of the 1990s, when young people desperately sought freedom and discovered new forms of musical self-expression, according to Japanese academic Joho Yamamoto. The Ritsumeikan University lecturer argues that K-pop's creative force emerged from two fundamental elements: a powerful message of yearning for freedom and a hybrid sensibility that absorbs influences from around the world and transforms them into something entirely new.
Yamamoto, who specializes in Korean studies, modern Korean history, and popular culture, shared his insights in a written interview on Tuesday. He has served as a visiting researcher at the Academy of Korean Studies and has authored several works in both Japan and Korea. Last month, he published the Korean edition of his book "The Modern History of K-pop," which he personally translated and updated with insights into recent trends.
The scholar's fascination with K-pop began during his first visit to Korea in 1995 as a university student. His book, originally released in Japan in 2023, chronicles the evolution of Korean popular music from the late 19th century to the present day, examining how Korea's complex modern history contributed to its global cultural dominance. The work begins with Korea's acceptance of Western music during the late Joseon period (1392-1910) and traces the cultural exchanges between Korea and Japan that influenced modern popular music.
While many Japanese audiences connect the K-pop boom to singer BoA's debut in the early 2000s, Yamamoto contends that the foundation was established much earlier. He points to the 1970s and 1980s, when Korean artists like Lee Sun-hee, Cho Yong-pil, and Kim Yeon-ja achieved success in Japan's enka scene. "The presence those artists built in Japan helped lay the emotional foundation for the later acceptance of K-pop," he explained. "Their music wasn't just enka or trot – it was a cultural act that conveyed Korean emotion and sentiment."
Yamamoto identifies Korea's 1990s struggle for freedom of expression under authoritarian rule as K-pop's true genesis. During an era marked by political censorship and social conservatism, music became a vital channel for resistance and individuality. He highlights how future industry titans used music to challenge the status quo: Lee Soo-man, who later founded SM Entertainment, traveled to the United States to study global music trends firsthand; Yang Hyun-suk, founder of YG Entertainment, battled against lyrical and stylistic censorship as part of Seo Taiji and Boys; and Park Jin-young of JYP Entertainment pushed cultural boundaries through bold self-expression and innovation.
"K-pop was not just a genre of music," Yamamoto emphasized. "It was a movement of self-expression by a generation seeking its own voice in a time of oppression." This foundational struggle for creative freedom, he argues, gave K-pop its distinctive artistic vitality that continues to resonate with global audiences today.
The scholar explained that K-pop's initial success in Japan provided crucial financial and cultural support for its eventual worldwide expansion. Japan's strong consumer purchasing power and receptiveness toward Korean artists allowed the K-pop industry to grow steadily and eventually reach international markets. K-pop successfully integrated lessons learned from American and Japanese pop music with Korea's unique historical experiences, creating a distinctive hybrid style that appealed to diverse audiences.
"In recent years, Japanese pop has also begun to learn from K-pop – adopting performance-centered production and exploring new forms of fandom culture," he noted, describing how the two countries continue to influence each other across different eras. This mutual cultural exchange demonstrates the dynamic nature of pop music evolution in East Asia.
Despite widespread concerns about declining album sales that have sparked discussions of a K-pop crisis, Yamamoto maintains an optimistic perspective about the genre's future. "It's not a decline but a stage of maturity," he stated. "After rapid growth, the industry is now restructuring. Rather than focusing on numbers, we should look at depth of expression and cultural reach. K-pop is evolving toward a more diverse era."
Regarding the emergence of globalized groups without Korean members, Yamamoto views this development as a natural progression in K-pop's evolution. "It shows that K-pop has already become a global language," he observed. "When people from different countries and languages share a sense of Korean sensibility, it means K-pop has developed beyond an industry into a global cultural ecosystem. This change doesn't erase K-pop's boundaries – it expands them, making them broader and deeper."
