Hallyu Criticism Continues

Just days after pop star Rain appeared on a CNN interview criticizing "hallyu" for being too self-centered, an article in The Korea Times interviews a music critic who also has some negative comments about what Koreans think is a cultural phenomenon.

"Hallyu" is Korea's word for the country's cultural wave, which Korean media strongly believe is slowly taking over the earth. Granted, some of their musicians and TV shows are popular in other Asian countries, but the media talks up "hallyu" like we'll all be listening to the Wonder Girls and Big Bang in the West in a few years.



But the biggest Korean pop star in recent years spoke out against the wave and now a little negative light is shining on it.

From the article:

'"The Korean music industry is extremely unbalanced," Lim [Jin-mo] said in an interview with The Korea Times. "Music producers, consumers and media are all liable for that.

"Producers try to make only money-making music and consumers are moved by songs produced in that fashion. Mass media positioning itself between the two have no choice but to be swayed by both."'

Lim makes a lot of interesting points about the computerized money-making pop music. He also says that singing English versions of Korean songs isn't really showing Korean culture. It's when those musicians are singing Korean versions of their songs in America when the "wave" will have accomplished anything, he says.

Check out the article here.