K-Pop Is a Culture Vulture, But Then Again So Are We
Commenting on the unresolved issue of cultural appropriation in K-pop is a tricky affair. Any criticism of its heavy-handed use of aesthetics from other cultures often results in severe backlash, particularly affecting marginalised fans of colour. The interplay of South Korea’s homogeneity, globalisation and ethnic nationalism in Korea reveals a cycle in which K-pop severely…