Cultural amnesia or continuity? Expressions of han in K-pop

Abstract

K-pop content is generally associated with romantic love, immaturity, synchronized dance choreographies, attractive performers and globally fashionable pop music. However, over the last years more variability in regard to lyrics and music, partly linked to increased artistic agency among some entertainment companies, has been manifested. In this article, I have analysed how the cultural concept of han (associated with grief or resentment among Korean people) is expressed among groups and artists like BTS, (G)I-dle and Luna/Jambinai. The findings indicate that han in such discourses, while sometimes implicit rather than explicit, expresses lost love, the transgenerational understanding of Korean grief, or an appeal to the collective feeling of vulnerability among global audiences.