How did Korea with a relatively small-scale music industry come to create a vibrant pop culture scene that would enthrall not only young Asian fans but also global audiences from diverse racial and generational backgrounds? From idol training to fan engagement, from studio recording to mastering choreographic sequences, what are the steps that go into the actual production and promotion of K-pop? And how can we account for K-pop's global presence within the rapidly changing media environment and consumerist culture in the new millennium? As an informed guide for finding answers to these questions, The Cambridge Companion to K-Pop probes the complexities of K-pop as both a music industry and a transnational cultural scene. It investigates the meteoric ascent of K-pop against the backdrop of increasing global connectivity wherein a distinctive model of production and consumption is closely associated with creativity and futurity.

Probes the complexities of this vibrant global phenomenon, its infrastructure, idols, dance practices, and transnational community building.

About the Author
Suk-Young Kim is Professor of Theater and Performance Studies at University of California. She is the author of Illusive Utopia (2010), DMZ Crossing (2014), and K-Pop Live (2018) and frequently comments on Korean cultural politics for BBC, CNN, and National Public Radio.


Book Information
ISBN 9781108940030
Author Suk-Young Kim
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 560g
Dimensions(mm) 242mm * 169mm * 18mm