K-pop’s uniqueness lies in its skill in combining traditional elements specific to Korean culture with Western-oriented pop music. The growing support of the local Westerners brought them a Las Vegas contract, more than 20 performances on the famous Ed Sullivan Show and a number 7 hit on the Billboard singles chart, thereby effectively paving the way for modern Korean pop music as well as Asian artists’ commercial success on the Western entertainment landscape. They performed in bars and clubs for US troops to earn extra money for their families. One of the first success stories was a group called The Kim Sisters, which consisted of two sisters and a cousin. The servicemen’s demand for familiar-sounding music gave rise to a prototype based on Western pop music performed by Korean artists and rooted in local content-the West being at the same time the source of inspiration for the developing genre and its main market. In the post-war years, American pop music reached Korean ears through the US forces stationed in the newly freed South. During the Japanese occupation (1910–45), patriotic songs were banned to prevent the common people from undermining the colonial power. The history of Korean pop music reaches back to the 19th century, when a Western missionary called Henry Appenzeller introduced British and US folk songs with the lyrics translated into Korean to the local population. The South Korean government’s official budgetary support for the industry characterises the trend of using entertainment as a tool of economic and foreign policy. Former South Korean president Park Geun-hye stated during his inauguration speech in 2013 that “In the 21st century, culture is power”. Korean pop culture, consumed globally and known by the name Hallyu, primarily involves music, television and aesthetic preferences and is much more than a virally popular entertainment trend.
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