SEOUL - Nationwide protests calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment have brought a notable change from previous demonstrations: a connection across generations through music.
Recent protests have seen a wide range of music transcending generational boundaries. Shared through platforms like YouTube and X, the so-called “protest playlist” includes everything from K-pop hits beloved by younger Koreans, to traditional protest songs that were the anthems of the democratisation movements of the 1980s.
At demonstrations, protesters are exposed to unfamiliar songs, prompting them to learn the lyrics for next gathering.
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-joo shared a protest playlist on his official YouTube channel, featuring popular K-pop hits like Rose’s APT, Girls’ Generation’s Into The New World, and G-Dragon’s Crooked, as well as iconic protest songs such as March For Our Beloved, alongside tracks from the musical Hero, which depicts the story of independence activist Ahn Jung-geun.
One YouTube user, identifying himself as a person in his 40s, commented: “I don’t know K-pop, but I plan to memorise them so I can sing along with the proud and amazing friends of the 20s and 30s generation at the next protest.”
On a YouTube video introducing protest songs, a woman in her 20s said: “I recently heard the story of a middle-aged protester who memorised the lyrics to Into The New World to join the younger generation in protest.
“We will also learn protest songs which our older generation sang as they fought against injustice, and we will sing them at the top of our lungs.”
Music critic Lim Hee-yoon noted that the recent surge in younger participation in protests has directly influenced the incorporation of K-pop. The fast beats, addictive melodies, and emotional uplift of K-pop songs help energise the atmosphere at protests, he explained.
“In the past, protest songs focused on the lyrics and the message within them. However, even if K-pop’s lyrics are unrelated to a protest’s cause, the music serves as a powerful tool to unite participants and heighten the atmosphere,” said Mr Lim.
The clear nature of the current political crisis may also explain K-pop’s presence at the demonstrations.
Mr Lim said: “In past protests, speeches explaining the purpose and legitimacy of the protest were central. But this time, (the president’s actions) were so irrational that explanations weren’t needed. As a result, simply playing K-pop music and allowing people to have fun and sustain the protest for a longer time seems to have become the primary goal.” THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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