Can K-pop answer criticism that it is a corporate product?
When British band Massive Attack covered Seo Taiji and Boys’ “Regret of the Times” during their set at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, it was clearly meant to provoke. Their social media posts and onstage performance made the message evidently clear: K-pop, which once stood as a form of resistance against state censorship, has now become subjugated to capitalism and mass commodification. The…
When British band Massive Attack performed Seo Taiji and Boys' "Regret of the Times" at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, their intention was to challenge the status quo. The band made it evident through their social media posts and onstage demeanor that K-pop, once a symbol of resistance against state censorship, had been subsumed by capitalism and mass commodification.
Their performance in Japan and Sweden further solidified their stance, as they delivered the same message, questioning whether K-pop was merely a fan service for their Korean audience. The band's choice to include footage of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising in their performance of "Regret of the Times" sparked controversy, with some viewers perceiving it as a political message.
This situation echoes the censorship battles Seo Taiji and Boys encountered when Korea's Public Performance Ethics Committee objected to the song's lyrics 30 years ago.
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- Can K-pop answer criticism that it is a corporate product? koreatimes.co.kr
