On December 3, South Korea witnessed six hours of an attempted self-coup, which spurred a wave of impeachment protests calling for the removal of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Among the diverse crowds that took to the streets, a new wave emerged, driven by "K-pop fans" who represented the intersection of modern culture and activism. This paper examines how K-pop culture, as a symbol of the new era, played a pivotal role in uniting diverse identities and perspectives under a single agenda: impeachment. Specifically, it focuses on the blending of music and cultural symbols that bridged generational, ideological, and identity-based divides, creating a unique and inclusive protest culture.
Key intersections explored include:
1. Vertical Blending Among Generations: The remix of Yoon Soo-ils Apartment (1987) with Ros and Bruno Mars APT. (2024) bridged the generational gap between Gen X and Gen Z in South Korea, fostering solidarity through shared musical narratives.
2. Horizontal Blending Among Agendas: Girls Generations "Into the New World" (?? ?? ??), previously adopted as an anthem for Ewha Womans University protests and queer parades, unified disparate movements into a single, larger voice for change, symbolizing the emergence of a new protest song.
3. Tangible Diversity: The coexistence of K-pop lightsticks (???) and traditional protest flags, emblematic of the new and old waves, highlighted the inclusive blending of cultural and generational diversity and made diverse identities visible.
4.YouTube Playlists as a Platform for Unity: Streaming playlists that combined K-pop tracks and traditional protest songs demonstrated the vertical and horizontal intersections of these movements, amplifying their reach and showcasing the blending of traditional and modern cultural elements.
This study argues that K-pop culture did more than provide a soundtrack for the impeachment protests; it facilitated meaningful dialogue among South Koreas diverse, intersectional identities. This blending of music, technology, and identity exemplifies the transformative potential of cultural convergence in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in contemporary movements.
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