Student Spotlight: Ms. Jungwon Kim and her K-pop Class by Luna Castro

From the early 20th Century to the new 2000s K-pop era, Ms. Jungwon Kim was one of the best teachers I have had so far who was fully invested in the class and our education. We then discovered different types of musical genres that opened ones eyes, ears, and mind. ‘Arirang’ a popular folk song was made to unite the world, although we have absolutely no idea who created this beautiful song.

We then dove deep into new musical flavors all around the world that have been fuzed with K-pop. Western, Latin, African American, and so much more other cultures that have inspired K-pop artists to create new rhythms and lyrics. A genre that stood out to me was ballads which is a type of storytelling consisting of short verses using poems or music.

During the 1990s we heard about the sensational Taiji Boys who consists of 3 members who debuted in 1922 with the song “Nan Arayo” or “I Know”. One of the members Hyun-suk Yang is actually the CEO of YG Entertainment. The most exciting part is that we were able to go to YG and take a dance class! The Taiji Boys revolutionized the K-pop world as they added the hip-hop flavor to the Korean musical culture.

Besides the musical aspects of the class, Ms. Kim brought up some important controversial topics. This includes cultural appropriation, racism, critical issues in K-pop, LGBTQ+ K-pop scene, and political views. It has brought a new light to the music industry. When talking about these topics it felt as though we can finally have an open conversation without feeling insecure or getting shut down. As a diverse class that come from different backgrounds, a lot of us felt heard and seen. These controversial topics were hard to talk about but were needed to be brought up. It is the first time I have heard it being mentioned in a classroom atmosphere. Ms. Kim showed both the pros and the cons of the music industry in Korea and I appreciate how much we learned in such a short amount of time.