Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7061-2085
Abstract
K-pop is not merely a specific musical genre or style produced and promoted by the South Korean entertainment industry, but can also be understood as a cultural, social, and political phenomenon both inside and outside Korea. As a major part of participatory culture, K-pop fans have taken part in various social movements. Specifically, fans have been involved in political activities, creating new forms of activism through their participation in K-pop fandom. This paper explores how K-pop fandoms can become involved in politics at both local and global levels. To do this, it reviews case studies of Thai, American, Filipino, and Korean K-pop fans’ political actions. Through these case studies, the paper demonstrates how popular music culture can be politically situated and transnationally contextualized. Drawing on the concept of “K-popping” which defines K-pop as an act performed by people, the paper suggests that K-pop can serve as a new form of fandom activism, highlighting K-pop fans’ political performativity as part of their K-popping.
Recommended Citation
Kim, Jungwon
(2026)
"“Into the New World”: Sonic and Scenic Politics By/For/Of K-Pop Fandom,"
Kritika Kultura:
No.
49, Article 17.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13185/1656-152X.2256
Available at:
https://archium.ateneo.edu/kk/vol1/iss49/17
