Due to rising globalization and the homogenization of cultures today, we looked into the past to identify a pioneer who led the charge in fighting against marginalization to create a cultural “frontier”. Growing up Korean, family anecdotes had taught us of the 20th century authoritarian Korean government’s suppression of culture, but given Korea’s modern status of high culture and democracy, we looked to identify the cultural icon that had bridged the two periods’ gap. We ultimately identified Seo Taiji and Boys as the pioneers in defying archaic cultural norms with fresh lyrics and music style, kickstarting the Korean cultural wave known as “Hallyu.”

We utilized primary source databases like the MBC broadcast archive and Naver News Library, with which we analyzed the political and social climate before, during, and after Seo Taiji and Boys’ inception. We conducted oral history with a Bach Label Artist who witnessed the group’s rise to fame and attested to the unparalleled popularity of their music. A member also went in person to Seo Taiji’s birthplace, Sogyeok-dong, over winter break to learn about South Korea’s history of censorship and militarization at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (the former site of the Defense Security Command). Finally, to analyze the long-term impacts and historical significance of Seo Taiji and Boys, we examined secondary research articles and books.

We first outlined Seo Taiji’s rise to prominence, starting with contextualizing post-war Korea and ending with the group’s impact with their frontier of musical freedom. We used advanced editing software to create visual graphics and animations that buttressed Seo Taiji and Boys' significance, visually demonstrating their novel frontier. We split the work of the project to match each group member's specialties. A script specialist used prior screenwriting experiences to match our outline with documentary-appropriate diction, an editing specialist used previous video-production skills to visually support our historical argument, and a sources specialist utilized their advanced Korean skills and professional research experience to find the most historically important Korean-language primary sources.

We argue that Seo Taiji and Boys were the pioneers for a new cultural frontier that combated Korean censorship, stabilized the economy, established geopolitical soft power, and created a new, uniquely Korean culture. Seo Taiji and Boys synthesized Korean traditional culture and modern Western characteristics to create a hybrid musical form that called out the authoritarian government and advocated for a more free and democratic Korea. Their commercial success laid the framework for future K-Pop groups and proved to the country that media could become the main economic engine of Korea as manufacturing prospects fell with the IMF financial crisis.

Seo Taiji and Boys' cultural frontier created a revolutionary new wave of Korean culture. Their debut was immensely influential with Korea’s youth and they pioneered a new frontier in Korean culture by pushing the cultural envelope against censors, defying anti-Western sentiments, bolstering Korea’s soft power by providing a cultural export, and bringing unity to the peninsula with a shared love for their music that proliferated freedom and democracy.

Annotated Bibliography

Primary Sources

Newspapers

Maaass, Peter. "EX-PRESIDENT CHUN QUITS REMAINING POSTS IN SEOUL." The Washington Post, 14 Apr. 1988. The Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1988/04/14/ex-president-chun-quits-remaining-posts-in-seoul/f73dab21-a718-4eb7-878d-64c6fae1e127/.

This news article published in 1988 by the Washington Post publicized the authoritarian ex-Korean president Chun Doo-Hwan's resignation from all political offices. We included this article in our documentary where we provide background information on Korean history to show the steps that led to Seo Taiji and Boys' emergence to popularity, as Chun's loss of political influence also meant the alleviation of strict media controlling policies in the nation.

"Cultural Diagnosis, Why Seo-Taiji? (문화진단-왜 서태지인가?_." KBS News, 5 Sept. 2000. KBS News, news.kbs.co.kr/news/view.do?ncd=523719.

This article published in 2000 by the Korean Broadcasting System analyzes the ferocious support of Seo Taiji's comeback performance by the Korean population. In an interview, one fan described the artist and his former group as sensational and a talent that will be remembered for generations to come rather than being a one-year wonder. We thought this interview would serve as a primary source function to describe the critical acclaim of Seo Taiji and Boys even after their disbanding despite having only been active for 4 years.

"「서태지 히스테리」대화가'약'" ["Amid Seo Taiji Hysteria, Talking is the Solution"]. Kyunghyang News, 25 Jan. 1996. Naver News, newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.naver?articleId=1996012500329112001&editNo=40&printCount=1&publishDate=1996-01-25&officeId=00032&pageNo=12&printNo=15663&publishType=00010.

This newspaper article describes the national hysteria that a large portion of the Korean young generation went through as a result of Seo Taiji and Boys' disbandment announcement. We utilized the information in this article to gain a more relevant grasp of the height of their fame, as well as a chronological understanding of their career.

Oh, Jeonghwan. "서태지와아이들 노래 거꾸로 들으면 악마 소리 나온다는 소문[오정환]" ["Listening to Seo Taiji and Boys' Songs in Reverse Leading to Demonic Noises is a Rumor"]. MBC News, 3 Nov. 1994. MBC News, imnews.imbc.com/replay/1994/nwdesk/article/1941731_30690.html.

This is a 1994 Korean news publication of a rumor that was around at the time claiming that listening to Seo Taiji and Boys' songs in reverse will result in hearing demonic noises. We learned that there were many speculators who wanted to discredit and defame Seo Taiji and Boys due to their rebellious and revolutionary musical style, and hence they spread such rumors. We used this source as a reference for understanding the popularity of the group as well as the criticism and reasoning behind the criticism that they faced.

"Seo Taiji eyeing Japanese market." The Dong-a Ilbo, 24 Oct. 2000, my.noodletools.com/web2.0/bibliography.html.

This Korean newspaper article explains Seo Taiji and Boys' spread of popularity out of Korea and into Japan. The knowledge we gained from this article was crucial for our understanding of Seo Taiji and Boys' impact, as we previously thought the group's initial effects were only present domestically, and that the international spread of K-pop was only a legacy they left--instead, we realized that Seo Taiji and Boys did gain traction in neighboring countries such as Japan, marking the first modern Korean cultural product that saw success internationally. We used this information in our explanation of Seo Taiji and Boys' impacts, as well as their standing as a frontier.

Yonhap News. "<가요계소식>'서태지와 아이들' 정상 우뚝" ["<Music News> Seo Taiji and Boys Stand Atop Charts"]. Yonhap News [Seoul], 2 July 1992. Naver News, n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0003574861?sid=103. Accessed 10 Oct. 2022.

This 1992 article by Yonhap News headlines Seo Taiji and Boys' rise to the top of the charts in the Korean music market. The article also describes how rap music felt distant to the Korean audience until the appearance of Seo Taiji and Boys, who have turned such a style into a popular norm with the younger generation. We thought these remarks on Seo Taiji and Boys were accurate to the message we wanted to deliver through our documentary and used the article as a building-block reference to further our research with the different factors that allowed for Seo Taiji and Boys' rise to fame.

"노랫말에 신경많이 썼어요' 3집앨범 화제속'불티'…「서태지와 아이들」" ["'I Paid A Lot of Attention to The Lyrics' The Third Album in Popularity ... 'Seo Taiji and Boys'"]. Kyunghyang News, 28 Aug. 1994, newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.naver?articleId=1994082800329116001&editNo=15&printCount=1&publishDate=1994-08-28&officeId=00032&pageNo=16&printNo=15183&publishType=00010.

This Kyunghyang article describes the Korean population's initial reaction to Seo Taiji and Boys' third album. We learned that while most Koreans showed positive reception towards the album, some Koreans expressed confusion and anger towards the album; however, we also learned that Seo Taiji, the leader of the group, stated explicitly that while commercial success is important, he was more focused on challenging a societal norm and stylistically organizing songs to send a message for positive social reform. We included parts of this newspaper article in our documentary to show that Seo Taiji and Boys was not only a commercial success but was also a frontier in promoting expressive freedom.

Yonhap news. "MBC<특종TV연예>, 인기순위 뒤바꿔 말썽" ["MBC's Entertainment Program Has Issues with Ranking the Most Popular Stars in Seoul"]. Yonhap News [Seoul], 26 June 1992. Naver News, n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0003651209?sid=103. Accessed 10 Oct. 2022.

This Yonhap News article is a popular Korean television ranking system of musicians based on popularity. We learned that just 2 months after their debut, Seo Taiji and Boys overtook 1st place as the most popular new singers, beating out two traditional Korean ballad singers at the time. We referenced this article in our research and creation of the documentary to emphasize the popularity and success of Seo Taiji and Boys with their unique music and performance style.

"서태지,그 자유와 도전의 세계" ["Seo Taiji, HIs World of Freedom and Defiance"]. Kyunghyang Newspaper, 21 Oct. 1995. Naver News, newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.naver?articleId=1995102100329125001&editNo=40&printCount=1&publishDate=1995-10-21&officeId=00032&pageNo=25&printNo=15573&publishType=00010.

This Kyunghyang article from 1995 describes the comeback album of Seo Taiji and Boys, as well as their responses to some interview questions. The group specifically stated that they aim to lead cultural freedom and defiance of the norm, and the article further describes the musical, performance, and stylistic qualities that set them apart from all the other Korean musicians of the time and led to a massive hit of their albums. We included the headline and subtitle of this article to exhibit in our documentary the fame and uniqueness of Seo Taiji and Boys held in Korea's cultural landscape.

"서태지,끝나지 않는 아우성" ["Seo Taiji, the Unending Fame"]. Hani, 11 May 1999. Naver News, newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.naver?articleId=1999051100289120001&editNo=6&printCount=1&publishDate=1999-05-11&officeId=00028&pageNo=20&printNo=3499&publishType=00010.

This 1999 Hani article discusses Seo Taiji's unwavering fame even 3 years after his group's retirement. The article also analyzes the success of Seo Taiji and Boys and remarks on their widespread popularity despite just 4 years of activity. We used this source to deepen our understanding of Seo Taiji and Boys' legacy in Korean music as well as their fame.

"'서태지와 아이들'인터넷에 떴다" ["Seo Taiji and Boys Appear on Internet"]. Kyunghyang News, 10 Oct. 1995. Naver News, newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.naver?articleId=1995101000329129001&editNo=40&printCount=1&publishDate=1995-10-10&officeId=00032&pageNo=29&printNo=15563&publishType=00010.

This Kyunghyang newspaper article publicizes the first instance of Seo Taiji and Boys' music being uploaded on a popular Korean music website and describes how their content immediately went viral. We included the front page of this article into our documentary to exhibit the fame of the group.

"'서태지'은퇴 기가막힌'아이들' '가요계 희망 사라졌다'충격" ["Shocking Reaction to Retiring Seo Taiji and Boys: 'All Hope in the Korean Musical Industry is Lost'"]. Hani, 24 Jan. 1996. Naver News, newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.naver?articleId=1996012400289121011&editNo=5&printCount=1&publishDate=1996-01-24&officeId=00028&pageNo=21&printNo=2459&publishType=00010.

This Hani article describes the shock and unending fan support towards Seo Taiji and Boys expressed by young Korean fans after the group announced their retirement. We used this article to develop our knowledge of the success and development of new cultures that lasted past their retirement.

"잠적한'서태지와 아이들'음악세계 쉼없는 변화 의지로 대중음악계 이끌어" ["Inactive Seo Taiji and Boys Transformed the Korean Popular Music Industry Through Nonstop Changes in Style"]. Hani. Naver News, newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.naver?articleId=1996012600289113001&editNo=5&printCount=1&publishDate=1996-01-26&officeId=00028&pageNo=13&printNo=2461&publishType=00010. Accessed 26 Jan. 1996.

This 1996 Hani newspaper article reflects on Seo Taiji and Boys' achievements as the group announced their retirement. The article describes how Seo Taiji and Boys reshape Korean music through beats alluding to multiple genres of music including techno and hip-hop, and also through their honest and powerful lyrics that resonated strongly with the young generation of the nation. We used this article to assess the factors that contributed to the group's lasting impact on the musical industry, as well as the differences they held from the existing frontier of music in Korea.

최 (Choi), 휘영 (Hui-young). "방송프로중 개정된 심의규정 위반사례 많아" ["Television Programs Reportedly Violated Newly Enacted Broadcast Standards"]. Yonhap News [Seoul], 8 July 1992. Naver News, n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0003575272?sid=103. Accessed 10 Oct. 2022.

Yonhap News' 1992 article expresses concerns regarding Korean citizens breaking broadcast etiquette laws after Seo Taiji and Boys' performances went live. We learned that the many fans cheering loudly for Seo Taiji and Boys during their performance were a new culture as well as a violation of law at the time. We referenced this article to have a deeper understanding of Seo Taiji and Boys' immediate impacts on Korea as well as the lasting culture they shaped.

"한국 IMF 약속 잘 이행 최악 금융위기 벗어날것" ["Korea Promises to Manage IMF Funds Wisely and Navigate Out of Financial Crisis"]. Dong-A Ilbo, 1997. Naver News, newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.naver?articleId=1997121400209101001&editNo=45&printCount=1&publishDate=1997-12-14&officeId=00020&pageNo=1&printNo=23737&publishType=00010.

This 1997 news article reflects on Korea's impending financial crisis and the support they gained from the International Monetary Fund to resolve it. We used a page of this article in our documentary in the section where we discuss the Korean financial crisis as well as its impacts on the subsequent Korean cultural boom.

Jameson, Sam. "S. Korea Opens Door Outward for Its Tourists : With Business Booming at Home, Curbs on Foreign Trips by Own Citizens Ease." Los Angeles Times, 12 Sept. 1988, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-09-12-fi-1381-story.html.

This archived LA Times Article on Korea opening its borders to its citizens for international travel. We were able to learn that Koreans around the time the borders were opened (September 1988, shortly after the Olympics) had begun becoming aware of international culture, especially in music--which is where Seo Taiji and Boys took their inspiration for their unique musical style. We utilized this source in our project by incorporating information about Seo Taiji and Boys' musical origins to the introductory parts of the documentary.

Video Clips

"Combat footage, Korean war - newsreel (1950)." YouTube, 2 Mar. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF_Ts_6oSi8.

This video clip is a recorded footage of the conflict between U.N. troops and the North Korean belligerents during the Korean War. We included this clip in the early portions of our video to help contextualize the Korean socioeconomic landscape prior to its modern-day form.

"Dramatic pictures of demonstrations in Seoul." YouTube, uploaded by AP News, 28 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK5MDKoueI4.

This is a 2001 video clip of protests for fairer labor and democratic policies across multiple days. We incorporated moments from this video into our documentary to further portray the defiance of Koreans against an inequitable status quo.

"Export-led Industrialization of South Korea(50min)." YouTube, uploaded by Korea History Museum, 6 Jan. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozZIOQ1Qerc.

This documentary goes over the process of Korea's industrialization led by exports. We used this video as a reference tool for deepening our understanding of the South Korean economic development for our documentary.

"Seo Taiji & Boys - Hayeoga (live)." YouTube, Google, 15 Dec. 2007, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXX_y-ZP-G4.

In this short YouTube clip, Seo Taiji and Boys are preforming their album "Seo Taiji and Boys 2" live. We utilized this source to better understand what Seo Taiji and Boys' unique music style was, specifically looking for their western influences and their defiant and conscious lyrics.

"G10048912." YouTube, uploaded by AP News, 4 Oct. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZW5WdYCzNQ.

This is a 1989 video clip of a student protest calling for democratization in the Korean government. We included this clip among other clips of protests in South Korea to portray the younger generation's fight for democracy and liberty in the 1980s-1990s time period.

"Taijiboys - I know, 서태지와 아이들 - 난 알아요, Saturday Night Music Show 19920815." YouTube, uploaded by MBC Festival, Google, 12 Dec. 2012, youtu.be/JKK0UEu4Q5g.

In this live performance of Seo Taiji and Boys' hit single "I Know", MBCFestival provides a video recording of their performance at the MBCFestival. The video depicts Seo Taiji and Boys' heartfelt performance as well as the boisterous fan reaction. We used this source to understand the scope of Seo Taiji and Boys' influence on the general public of Korea.

"TOPTV 4탄 - 테크니션들 (하); Direct English Translation: TOPTV Episode 4 - Technicians (Bottom)." YouTube, uploaded by Seo Taiji, Google, 5 Mar. 2015, youtu.be/5nMHatKhegk.

In this short video clip from Seo Taiji and Boys' YouTube, we see a special edition of the behind of the scenes of their music production. We get to see the workings of the musical technicians, and all of the work that was put into Seo Taiji and Boys' unique cultural frontier. We used this source to understand the amount of work that it takes to create the type of music that Seo Taiji created.

"G11078809." YouTube, uploaded by AP News, 4 Oct. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Dt7RBa1s4.

This is a video clip of former president Roh Tae-Woo's meeting with democratic activists after his election victory. We included this clip in our documentary as we explain the shift of power from a dictatorship to a directly democratic process starting from Roh Tae-Woo's presidency.

MBC Newsdesk. MBC. MBC, archive.org/details/mbc_newsdesk?&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221992%22.

MBC, short for Munhwa (Cultural) Broadcasting Channel, released many of its previous newscasts including ones during the prime of Seo Taiji and Boys' fame. We got to experience the closest feeling to the firsthand fame and immediate impact of the group on Korea. We used clips and information from these broadcasts to better emphasize the sensation of Seo Taiji and Boys in Korea and how they immediately revolutionized the music culture of the nation.

대한뉴스 제 343호-재건의 노래 ( Daehan News No. 343-Song of Reconstruction). YouTube, Google, www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DG-ll1MCl4i8%26t%3D22s&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1679530907611279&usg=AOvVaw2uFKxR3omVUZR0V9FNsU_7.

This YouTube video portrays one of the "healthy popular songs" that the Korean government would often play for their citizens during the day and at events. We used this source as a standard of comparison so that we could qualitatively measure how much Korean music evolved with the addition of Seo Taiji and Boys' cultural frontier.

"서태지(SEOTAIJI) - 로보트(Robot) M/V." YouTube, uploaded by Seo Taiji, Google, 10 Oct. 2013, youtu.be/ToeTsQWSSqI.

In this music video by Seo Taiji and Boys', they perform a song called "Robot". The purpose of this song was to call out the people of Korean society, calling them "robots' ' for their unprecedented loyalty to the government's censorship. We used this source to analyze Seo Taiji and Boys' socially conscious lyrics.

"President of South Korea News Conference." C-SPAN, 6 June 1990, www.c-span.org/video/?14029-1/president-south-korea-news-conference.

This C-SPAN video clip shows former Korean president Roh Tae-Woo's press conference after meeting with U.S. president George H.W. Bush. We used moments from this clip to provide further visual evidence on the reinforcement of U.S.-South Korea ties as a result of the nation's economic development and loosening on foreign policy.

"President Reagan's Photo Opportunities on October 20, 1988." YouTube, uploaded by Reagan Library, 16 May 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5bi6S70kEo.

This is a video clip of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan's meeting with other leaders, including a meeting with the then-Korean president Roh Tae-Woo. We included the moments of Reagan and Roh's meeting in our documentary to provide visual evidence for our section describing the strengthening of U.S.-Korea ties between the 1980s and the 1990s.

"SEO TAIJI DOCUMENTARY (20th July, 1992)." YouTube, 12 June 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV7m9bz1DAE.

This is a 1992 Korean documentary on Seo Taiji and Boys' musical activities uploaded on YouTube. We included multiple clips of the group working to produce music in our own documentary to visualize their emergence to fame.

"서태지와 아이들(Seo Taiji and Boys) - 난 알아요(I Know) M/V." YouTube, uploaded by Seo Taiji, Google, 27 Nov. 2012, youtu.be/OEDHEzs5kyk.

In this music video uploaded by the official Seo Taiji and Boys' YouTube channel, Seo Taiji and Boys perform their song "I Know". "I Know" was their debut single, and their music video performance exemplified socially conscious lyrics. We used this music video to understand the scope of their defiant lyrics and also to understand what part of their dance and singing style was influenced by Western sources.

"Seoul 1988 - Opening Ceremony | Seoul 1988 Replays." YouTube, uploaded by Olympics, 8 June 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeWSC7iCnpM.

This is a full recording of the opening ceremony of the 1988 Seoul Olympic games. In the ceremony, multiple popular Korean songs at the time were played, which all held noticeable differences in style from today's Korean music. We included this clip in the opening segments of our documentary to emphasize the status of Korean music prior to Seo Taiji and Boys' debut.

"S.Korea - Protesting Students Riot Over Doo-Hwan." YouTube, uploaded by AP News, 21 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KgX-hb1amo.

This is a 1995 video clip of student activists demanding the arrest of ex-president Chun Doo Hwan for his repressive policies and violence towards citizens. We included moments from this video in our documentary to provide insight on notions of resistance against the government that were present in Korea.

"South Korea back in 1970 vicinity Seoul." YouTube, 3 Sept. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL-bwtvK0-4.

This is a video clip of Seoul and nearby urban areas in the 1970s. We used this clip as a reference for the change in social development across time periods in Korea.

"South Korea Eases Restrictions On Overseas Travel." AP News, 12 Mar. 1988, apnews.com/article/18d6fa047789ccd69a8edee689ce31aa.

This AP News article describes the occasion of the South Korean government partially lifting travel bans. As a result of the government easing its restrictive policy, more Koreans were able to consume foreign products and culture, which we could connect to how Seo Taiji and Boys were inspired by many different types of American hip-hop and pop genres to mix with their Korean lyrics and coordinated dances. We included this information in explaining what made Seo Taiji and Boys a frontier for the Korean cultural sector.

"SOUTH KOREA: KWANGJU: POLICE CLASH WITH ACTIVISTS." YouTube, uploaded by AP News, 21 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQdyzmLfqbg.

This video is a clip of South Korean protests during the Gwangju uprising. To provide visual context on South Korea and its fight for democracy prior to the emergence of Seo Taiji and Boys, we included parts of this video in our documentary.

"South Korean President Address." C-SPAN, 18 Oct. 1989, South Korean President Address.

This is a clip of Roh Tae-Woo's address at a Congress meeting. We used this clip along with other clips of Roh's appearances in the United States to further our visualization of Korea's increasing ties with the U.S.

"South Korean President Arrival." C-SPAN, 2 July 1991, www.c-span.org/video/?18781-1/south-korean-president-arrival.

This 1991 video of former Korean president Roh Tae-Woo's arrival at the White House and meeting with U.S. president Bush was posted by C-SPAN. We used parts of this video in our documentary to show the political changes made in Korea during our time of study between the 1980s and 1990s.

"SOUTH KOREA: PRESIDENTS CHUN DOO HWAN AND ROH TAE WOO PROFILE." YouTube, uploaded by AP News, 21 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrOwxTtLSeI.

This is a 1996 video clip of ex-presidents Chun Doo-Hwan and Roh Tae-Woo being arrested each for their own crimes committed while in office. We used this clip in our documentary in the sections where we contextualize Korean history and social changes made over decades.

"SOUTH KOREA: ROH TAE WOO ARRESTED ON CORRUPTION CHARGES." YouTube, uploaded by AP News, 21 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=amhn9Kv33iw.

This is a 1995 video clip of former president Roh Tae-Woo being arrested on corruption charges. We included parts of this clip in our documentary to provide necessary visualization in our segment of explaining the political developments in 1980s-1990s South Korea.

"South Korea - Roh Tae Woo's Trial Starts." YouTube, uploaded by AP News, 21 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu7arSlDxOw.

This is a 1995 video clip of former Korean president Roh Tae-Woo being moved to the Korean Supreme Court to be judged for his criminal actions committed during his presidency. We incorporated this clip into our documentary to visually portray the segment of Korean democratization.

"SOUTH KOREA: SEOUL: STUDENT RIOTS." YouTube, uploaded by AP News, 21 June 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gizXPGLuG8k.

This AP News clip shows riots pushing for democracy in Seoul, South Korea, in 1995. Seoul, along with Gwangju, was one of the major cities to call for democratization in the Korean government through multiple movements. We included this clip in our documentary along with clips of protests in other cities to portray how widespread the call for social reformation was in the nation.

"SOUTH KOREA: US SUPPORTS SOUTH KOREA'S BID TO JOIN OECD." YouTube, uploaded by AP News, 21 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACapgrbYtdk.

This 1996 AP video clip describes the U.S.'s support for the Korean bid to join the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) as a rapidly developing economy. To provide visual support for our segment of South Korea's economic growth and increased allegiance to the United States, we incorporated this clip into our documentary.

"State Dinner for South Korean President." C-SPAN, 2 July 1991, www.c-span.org/video/?18782-1/state-dinner-south-korean-president.

This is a C-SPAN clip of Korean president Roh Tae-Woo exchanging toasts with U.S. president George H.W. Bush in their dinner at the White House. We used this clip as a reference to further our research on how South Korea's foreign relations policies changed as the nation shifted away from dictatorship.

"[신곡 무대] 누구나 기억하는 충격과 공포의 데뷔 무대! 서태지와 아이들 - 난 알아요 : 1992년 특종TV연예." YouTube, uploaded by 옛송TV, 22 Dec. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr-9NlWLr5g.

This video clip published on YouTube portrays Seo Taiji and Boys' first ever public performance. We could see how the crowd, as well as the judges were clearly shocked by their unprecedented music style. We incorporated this clip as well as the sentiments following the performance in different parts of our documentary to show the pioneering efforts of Seo Taiji and Boys.

"APRIL STUDENT REVOLT, KOREA 1960." YouTube, 9 Jan. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAIasNrcCho.

This video clip shows different moments from the 1960 April Student Revolt in South Korea, where students rose up against the First Republic under president Syngman Rhee. We included a moment from this clip in our documentary to contextualize Korean history and visually show the state of democracy during Rhee’s administration.

"First interview in 7 years with Seo TaeJi (Entertainment Weekly / 2015.08.14)." YouTube, uploaded by KBS WORLD TV, 25 Aug. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=So6iq2ODsaE.

This interview with Seo Taiji conducted by KBS, a prominent Korean broadcaster, discusses his experience with Korea's censorship laws among other topics. We were able to learn that Seo Taiji did not only face censorship but also fought to release songs that contained more socially aware lyrics that came across as criticizing the government. We included segments of this interview throughout our documentary to better visualize the impact of Seo Taiji and Boys.

"[HIT] 해피투게더-서태지의 음악과 인생 이야기.20141009." YouTube, uploaded by KBS Entertain, 9 Oct. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzbJVYFUZlw.

This video clip from Happy Together, a popular Korean TV show featuring Seo Taiji, discusses his career and his successes. We were able to learn more about Seo Taiji and Boys' popularity through the perspective of Seo Taiji himself. We used information from this source as a reference for our later research on the group's successes.

"그알의 서태지 (컴백 당시) 단독 인터뷰! 서태지 신드롬 전격 해부 | 그알로 보는 '2000.'" YouTube, uploaded by 그것이 알고싶다, 19 Mar. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh_8KgwWeWI.

그것이 알고싶다 is a major investigative program in Korea, and they conducted this in-depth study of Seo Taiji and Boys' popularity, including an interview with Seo Taiji. Throughout the interview, he discussed his distinct musical style as well as the domestic successes he faced. We referenced information from this interview as we developed our knowledge of Seo Taiji and Boys' fame and success to include in our documentary.

"[뉴본史] 'X세대 우상' 서태지가 잠적한 이유는? 돌연 은퇴에 소녀팬 '눈물' (1996.01.23)." YouTube, uploaded by KBS 다큐, 22 Jan. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBtqzWKNMg.

This video clip shows a teenage fan crying over the sudden retirement of Seo Taiji and Boys. As the newscast also highlights Seo Taiji and Boys' widespread domestic success prior to their retirement, we were able to have a better understanding of how popular they were due to their revolutionary music. While we didn't include this clip directly in the documentary, we used it as a reference to later incorporate similar footage.

"서태지와 아이들 - '난 알아요'| Seo Taiji and Boys -'I Know' 【KBS 토요대행진, 1992】." YouTube, uploaded by KBS KPOP Classic, 29 Apr. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J3m-ao43Bs.

This video clip is one of Seo Taiji and Boys' performances of their debut song, Nan Arayo. To understand the importance of Seo Taiji and Boys' musical and performance styles, we closely studied this performance focusing on their choreography, musical style, and fashion to compare the factors to Korean popular music prior to their debut. While we didn't include this source directly in our documentary, we used it to learn more about the different aspects that made Seo Taiji and Boys unique.

"[이주노를 만나다] 매일 회사 출근 중인 서태지와 아이들 멤버 근황...사무실로 가봤습니다." YouTube, uploaded by 근황올림픽, 22 Aug. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhn1OBAn2nw.

This video clip is an interview conducted with Lee Juno, one of Seo Taiji and Boys' members. He discusses the fame the group once achieved, as well as his role as a dancer for the group. We incorporated new knowledge of the group's choreographic styles into our research to further develop our documentary.

"[인터뷰] 서태지 '소격동, 예쁜 동네의 무서웠던 시절 표현.'" YouTube, uploaded by JTBC News, 22 Oct. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdMCgwgS27g.

This interview with Seo Taiji was conducted by JTBC Newsroom, a popular Korean broadcaster on his new solo album. In the interview, he discusses how in one of his songs he describes the area he grew up in, Sogyeok-dong, which was also a heavily militarized zone in Korea where oppressive policing occurred. We referenced this source as we continued to research Seo Taiji's background, including information about Sogyeok-dong in our documentary.

Oral History

Yoon, Ian, et al. “Oral History with Kim Minhyuk; Discussing Seo Taiji and Boys' Impact on Korean Mass Culture; Conducted by Ian Yoon, Brian Kim, Tyler Kim.” 20 February. 2023.

Our group conducted this oral history session with Bach musician Minhyuk Kim, who lived through the fame of Seo Taiji and Boys and personally viewed their performances. While we had a firm understanding by this point regarding the history of Seo Taiji and Boys' rise to popularity as well as their lasting impact, through our session with Mr. Kim, we were able to have a more realistic grasp of how much influence the group immediately had on Korean culture, as on one occasion he mentioned how for a while, he could hear the Seo Taiji and Boys' debut song everywhere he went outside. We included multiple parts from this oral history in our documentary, notably in the segments where we describe the emergence of Seo Taiji and Boys as well as their impacts.

Yoon, Ian, et al. “Oral History with Shinsadong Tiger (Lee, Ho-yang); Discussing Seo Taiji and Boys' Impact on Korean Popular Music industry, Korean Culture, and Mass Culture; Conducted by Ian Yoon, Brian Kim, Tyler Kim.” 4 March. 2023.

In this oral history, our team was able to discover the shift that the Kpop industry and Korean culture went through from Seo Taiji's rise to fame. Lee Ho-yang (alias Sinsadong Tiger) is a very famous music producer and songwriter in South Korea, and he has experienced the popular culture environment from before Seo Taiji's debut and how it shifted to a more modern and exportable industry in the post-So Taiji industry. Due to his expertise and experience in the field, we were able to understand more succinctly what impact Seo Taiji and Boys' left on Kpop culture from a professional standpoint, and we were also able to see what lasting impact that Seo Taiji and Boys' have on the currently prominent producers of today.

Secondary Sources

Academic Journal Entries

Howard, Keith. "Different Spheres: Perceptions of Traditional Music and Western Music in Korea." The World of Music, vol. 39, no. 2, 1997, pp. 61-65. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41699147. Accessed 16 Aug. 2022.

This journal article written by Howard Keith discusses the varying impacts of traditional and western music on Korean culture. We learned how "soyang" music, or Western music, resonated almost solely with the younger generation of Koreans during the late 1990s, while most Koreans of older age groups largely preferred traditional "kugak" music that featured distinct Korean sounds and lyrics. We used this source as a reference in our section explaining the unique style of Seo Taiji and Boys, where they overlapped the style of Western music to relevant Korean lyrics.

Oh, Ingyu. The Globalization of K-pop: Korea's Place in the Global Music Industry. Sept. 2013. ResearchGate,www.researchgate.net/publication/296774877_The_Globalization_of_K-pop_Korea's_Place_in_the_Global_Music_Industry.

In this research article, researcher Oh from Kansai Gaidai University analyzes the role of Kpop in the growing global market of music. We used Oh's analysis to gain better context surrounding the role of Kpop development in the global scale. With this context, we are now better able to visualize the magnitude of importance to which Seo Taiji and Boys’ brought to the Korean music market as well as the international music industry.

Bok-Rae, Kim. "Past, present and future of Hallyu (Korean Wave)." American International Journal of Contemporary Research 5.5 (2015): 154-160.

This journal article describes the history of the Korean Wave as well as the prospects for its future development. We were able to better contextualize the history of the Korean Wave started by Seo Taiji and Boys. We used this source to further our research on the Korean Wave on both cultural and socioeconomic terms.

International Socioeconomics Laboratory. socioeconlabs.org/articles/why%20kpop%20is%20profitable,%20but%20white-washed/kpop%20whitewash.

This journal entry describes the globalization of K-Pop music that stemmed from Seo Taiji and Boys. We were able to gain a new perspective on modern Korean music on how it's being geared more toward an international audience. We used this source as reference for deepening our understanding of the various perspectives on K-Pop across generations.

Parc, Jimmyn. "MEASURING THE IMPACT OF HALLYU ON KOREA'S ECONOMY: SETTING OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT." Korea's Economy 2021, 2021, keia.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/KEI_Koreas-Economy_2021_211019_Parc_2.pdf.

This journal article discusses the impact of K-Pop on the Korean economy. As Seo Taiji and Boys and the subsequent Korean Wave's impact on the economy is a focal point of our documentary, we learned more about the developments from this source. We referenced this source throughout our research to continue developing our analysis of the impacts of K-Pop.

Bartholomew, Susan, and Joey Nadasdi. "Managing Global Expansion in the K-Pop Industry: Strategic Lessons from YG Entertainment." Advances in Theory and Practice of Emerging Markets, 2022, pp. 239-57, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87621-0_9.

This journal article specifically describes the strategies taken by YG entertainment, a prominent music label in Korea, to expand K-Pop globally. We learned more about how present-day K-Pop is successful on an international level. We referenced our knowledge of this success in describing the impacts of Seo Taiji and Boys as the first modern K-Pop group.

Jin, Dal Yong, and Woongjae Ryoo. "Critical Interpretation of Hybrid K-Pop: The Global-Local Paradigm of English Mixing in Lyrics." Popular Music and Society, vol. 37, no. 2, 13 Dec. 2012, pp. 113-31, https://doi.org/10.1080/03007766.2012.731721.

This journal article written by Dal Yongjin and Woongjae Ryoo highlights the uniqueness of K-pop that allowed it to heavily impact the global music market. One of the focuses of the article is the hybridity of Korean pop music, which we thought could add to Seo Taiji and the Boys' contributions to the Korean cultural identity as the frontiersmen of such musical variability. On defining a frontier and Seo Taiji and the Boys' role, we added details from this source to better explain the group's categorization as a cultural-economic frontier.

Sutton, Anderson. "'Fusion' and Questions of Korean Cultural Identity in Music." Korean Studies, vol. 35, 2011, pp. 4+. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23719448. Accessed 16 Aug. 2022.

This 2011 journal article questions the Korean identity in popular music that fuses multiple genres. While the article itself questions the connection between the Korean identity of singers and their music that widely displays Western style, we were able to decipher that Seo Taiji and Boys, among the following artists who emerged after their debut, successfully produced songs that were Western in its musical nature but written in Korean lyrics. We used this article to further our understanding of Seo Taiji and Boys' musical style as well as the lasting legacy they created for later Korean artists to follow.

Yang, Jonghoe. "Globalization, Nationalism, and Regionalization: The Case of Korean Popular Culture." Development and Society, vol. 36, no. 2, Dec. 2007, pp. 177-82. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/deveandsoci.36.2.177?searchText=Globalization%2C%20Nationalism%2C%20and%20Regionalization%20The%20Case%20of%20Korean%20Popular%20Culture&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DGlobalization%252C%2BNationalism%252C%2Band%2BRegionalization%253A%2BThe%2BCase%2Bof%2BKorean%2BPopular%2BCulture&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Aa943794905d8144e93a7c41de41e66a7. Accessed 16 Aug. 2022.

This journal article written by Jonghoe Yang discusses Korea's course of globalizing its culture. The article states how Korea first started as a 'hermit kingdom' with extreme censorship laws, and we learned how the easing of such media control mandates towards the 21st century allowed the nation to produce and export cultural products that eventually saw international success. We used this article as a basis to further research the spread of Korean culture as well as Seo Taiji and Boys' role in it.

Fithratullah, Muhammad. "Globalization and Culture Hybridity; The Commodification on Korean Music and Its Successful World Expansion." Digital Press Social Sciences and Humanities, vol. 2, 30 May 2019, p. 00013, https://doi.org/10.29037/digitalpress.42264.

This journal article discusses how Korean music became a commodity in a previously agrarian and industrial nation. We learned of the processes that the nation took to promote Korean music, which would later be specified as K-Pop by Seo Taiji and Boys, as a means to promote the nation's image and become a profitable industry. We used this source as a reference for creating the impacts and Korean history section of the documentary.

Jang, Wonho, and Jung Eun Song. "The Influences of K-pop Fandom on Increasing Cultural Contact." Korean Regional Sociology, Aug. 2019, barnettcenter.osu.edu/sites/default/files/2019-08/the_influences_of_k-pop_fandom.pdf.

This journal article is on the impact of Korea's fandom culture in spreading the Korean wave internationally. The rising concept of an identifiable fandom for Korean popular culture is important to our documentary as it is a lasting impact caused by Seo Taiji and Boys' activity. We referenced this source in furthering our research and development of the perspective of Seo Taiji and Boys' legacy on the Korean cultural landscape.

Kwon, Seung-ho, and Joseph Kim. "The Cultural Industry Policies of the Korean Government and the Korean Wave." International Journal of Cultural Policy, vol. 20, no. 4, 29 Aug. 2013, pp. 422-39, https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2013.829052.

This journal article discusses the Korean government's radical shift towards a cultural-export-focused nation starting in the 1990s. We were able to deepen our topic background knowledge of what allowed Seo Taiji and Boys to emerge as a popular group, as well as the cultural frontier they established by showing the Korean government the prospect of making internationally feasible cultural products as an important source of national income. We used this source throughout our research to develop our script and plan the documentary.

Rojo, J. J., G. Flores, K. F. Bunagan, P. J. Dela Cruz, and J. R. Dionisio. "Influence of Digital Media Advertisements of KPOP Industry on Selected Young Adults in Manila, Philippines." International Journal of Social Science Research and Review, Vol. 5, no. 10, Oct. 2022, pp. 29-45, doi:10.47814/ijssrr.v5i10.567.

This journal article discusses the impacts of K-Pop on young adults in the Philippines. We were able to better understand the international influence K-Pop has in the modern day, as we learned about the impacts of K-Pop-related advertisements in the region. Although the source wasn't included in the documentary, we built our knowledge of K-Pop's global significance using this source.

Kim, Tae Young, and Dal Young Jin. Cultural Policy in the Korean Wave: An Analysis of Cultural Diplomacy Embedded in Presidential Speeches. International Journal of Communication, 29 Nov. 2016. USC Annenberg, ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc.

This journal article describes the policies enacted by the Korean government during the emerging period of the new Korean Wave. We were able to understand that one reason for the growth of the K-pop industry was the government's decision to boost their economy and diplomatic standing through "soft power," mainly in the form of cultural products. To increase the depth of understanding presented in our documentary, we included information from this journal in a section where we analyze the historical development of the Korean pop music industry following Seo Taiji and Boys' debut.

Oh, Ingyu, and Hyo-jung Lee. "K-pop in Korea: How the Pop Music Industry Is Changing a Post-Developmental Society." Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review, vol. 3, no. 3, 2014, pp. 72-93, https://doi.org/10.1353/ach.2014.0007.

This research paper depicts the changes made in Korea's pop industry throughout the decades. We learned how quick the development of the K-pop industry was, as well as how even the current generation K-pop artists take inspiration from the kickstarters like Seo Taiji and Boys, such as in the coordinated dance moves. We utilized this information in the modern impacts section of our documentary.

Yoon, Yeo-Il. "1990년대 문화계간지들은 어떠한 문화관을 제시했는가" ["How did Quarterly Culture Reviews Suggest Cultural Values in the 1990s?"]. 한국학연구, vol. 64, Feb. 2022, pp. 407-41, korea.inha.ac.kr/sites/inhakorea/upfiles/tb_kor_study/64/11.pdf.

This research conducted by the Korean cultural studies discusses the impact of the nation's finances on their cultural stance. We learned that after the 1997 IMF crisis, the Korean government began lifting its cultural restrictions and allowed for more variety in the arts. We utilized this information in our documentary by incorporating a section where we explain how Seo Taiji was able to begin producing their eccentric style of music as a result of the Korean government lifting its cultural restrictions.

Dissertations and Theses

Kong, Hiu Yan. THE GLOBALIZATION OF K-POP: THE INTERPLAY OF EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL FORCES. 2016. Furtwangen University, MA thesis. core.ac.uk/download/pdf/141891865.pdf.

This master's thesis examines the various factors that contributed to the globalization of K-Pop. We reinforced our knowledge of K-Pop's global success by learning more about the correlated internal and external forces that allowed Korean popular music to be introduced on the world stage. We referenced this document in our research to further develop our own historical analysis of the topic.

Read, Kaitlyn Diane. Imitators to Creators: The Emergence of a Confident National Identity in Contemporary Korea as Observed Through K-Pop and Masculinity. 5 May 2020. eGrove, egrove.olemiss.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3760&context=hon_thesis.

In this thesis, the history of Kpop as a medium for Korean national identification was analyzed, with author Read often describing how Korea's modern day national identity was shaped by the rise of a new form of cultural music in Kpop. We used this source as a way to understand the modern viewpoint and analysis concerning Kpop's genesis.

Books

Heo, Uk, and Terence Roehrig. South Korea since 1980. 2010.

This book goes over the socioeconomic structure of South Korea. We pulled information from the book, specifically in sections where it discusses the Korean government's oppressive policies on media and public expression. We included a quote from this book in our documentary about how president Park Chung Hee enforced policies that strictly controlled the media.

Mitchell, Tony, editor. Global Noise: Rap and Hip Hop Outside the USA. 2001. Google Books, books.google.com/books?id=itcAedBA5CIC&pg=PA251#v=onepage&q&f=false.

This book, edited by Tony Mitchell, examines the rise to popularity of global hip hop and rap culture outside of the United States. Among the various groups and countries analyzed, Tony Mitchell and others also analyzed Seo Taiji and Boys' rise to popularity. Using their analysis and findings, we were able to better understand the popularity of Seo Taiji and Boys' in the grander global context of hip hop culture because of the books comparison between various different countries rise in hip hop popularity during this time.

Billboard. "Seoul Music: Hot Rockin' In Korea." Billboard, 20 Apr. 1996. Google Books, books.google.com/books?id=iw0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18#v=onepage&q&f=false.

In this Billboard journal, there is a collection of music news updates from all across the world in 1996. One of the featured updates is South Korea's kpop rise, in which they have a special segment where they document Rock N' Roll impacts on South Korean culture with a map. We used this source to gain a better understanding of Kpop on the physical culture of South Korean streets and lifestyle.

Kim, Kyung Hyun, and Youngmin Choe. The Korean Popular Culture Reader. 2014, books.google.com/books?id=SWdhAwAAQBAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s.

This book discusses the works of Seo Taiji and Boys' in relation to the Korean social norms in place when they were active. In a specific segment on page 301, we learned of how the lyrics in some of the songs of the group's third album criticizes the government's indoctrinating nature in education. We used this information in our documentary to prove our stance that Seo Taiji and Boys became a cultural frontier for Korea by advocating for popular culture against a repressive government through their music.

Kim, Youna. South Korean Popular Culture and North Korea. 2019.

From this book, we used a chapter titled Soft Power and the Korean Wave. We learned from the chapter how Korea's hard power developed across decades, and also how the nation realized that a firm development of soft power was also crucial to its standing on the international scope. We used this source in our research to further our understanding of Korean soft power and how Seo Taiji and Boys influenced it.

Shin, Hyunjoon, and Seung-Ah Lee, editors. Made in Korea: Studies in Popular Music. New York City, Routledge, 2017.

Made in Korea: Studies in Popular Music is a book that discusses the driving factors behind the initial success of the Korean music industry, which led up to the modern era of Hallyu cultural products. As our focus was specifically on the progenitor group of K-pop, Seo Taiji And Boys, we made note of the statement made in this book that their success and positive reception by young Koreans was due to their success in syncretizing American rhythmic styles and relatable Korean lyrics. In our documentary, we included the insight regarding Seo Taiji and Boys' initial success where we describe the cultural frontier they established.

Chua, Beng Huat, and Kōichi Iwabuchi. East Asian Pop Culture: Analysing the Korean Wave. Hong Kong University Press, 2008, books.google.co.uk/books?id=edH5Aeb-epgC&dq=korean+wave&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s.

This eBook provides information on the rise of eastern popular culture which is characterized by the Korean Wave. While the source takes Korean drama shows as its primary example of the Korean Wave rather than the music industry, we were still able to gain a better understanding of the historical background as well as media globalization that generally allowed Korean cultural products to thrive internationally, music included. We referenced this source throughout our research of the topic.

Suraj Tripathi, Rishav Kumar Roy. "The Influence of Korean Pop Culture in East and Southeast Asian Nations." International Journal of Advance Research, Ideas and Innovations in Technology 3.1 (2018). www.IJARnD.com.

This journal article provides insight on the influence of hallyu, or modern Korean pop culture, on an international scale. We deemed this source necessary in furthering our understanding of K-Pop's modern day influence to articulate the impacts section of our documentary. We used information from this source to develop our script and research on K-Pop.

Interviews

Nakahira, Sam. "The History Of K-Pop Has A Lot To Do With Politics." Interview by Scott Simon. NPR, 10 July 2021, www.npr.org/2021/07/10/1014914854/the-history-of-k-pop-has-a-lot-to-do-with-politics.

This episode of an NPR-hosted podcast discusses the correlations between K-Pop's widespread success and Korean politics. The episode contained an interesting segment of information where the Korean government, after realizing how powerful cultural products can be in an economic and diplomatic perspective, began to loosen its restrictions on media, which Seo Taiji and Boys took as an opportunity to rise into stardom. This information was used to support the rise of Seo Taiji and Boys and the historical setting that they established a frontier upon.

If you want to make a hit song, never analyze the charts - Sinsadong Tiger [Crazy Sensibility] MIDI vocal composition. Sinsadong Tiger's Studio, 2022. Gamsung Sound, www.gamsungsound.com/shop/item.php?it_id=1667902690.

This YouTube video from Gamsung Studio is an interview conducted with Shinsadong Tiger, in which Sinsadong Tiger takes you behind the scenes to describe his methodology and mindset when approaching success in the Kpop industry. We watched this source as a precursor to our Oral History with Tiger because we wanted to be able to truly understand his background so that we could ask appropriate questions that would allow Tiger to display the most historically accurate recount of Seo Taiji's rise to fame.

"A new class of Sinsa-dong tiger that can realize the fundamental reason why new composers' songs continue to be popular [Emotional Sound] MIDI, Composition." Gamsung Sound, uploaded by Gamsung Sound, 1 Nov. 2022, www.gamsungsound.com/shop/item.php?it_id=1667902690.

This source examines Shinsadong Tiger's unique style, and it also analyzes the "why" and "how" as to Tiger's immense success in the modern kpop industry. This source was another example of background research that our group conducted to better prepare ourselves for the oral history that we would conduct live with Tiger. We thought that by studying and watching sources such as these, we would gain invaluable insight into Tiger's background that would allow us to ask appropriate questions surrounding his experiences and relationships with Seo Taiji.

Figures

A Graph That Displays South Korea's Rate of Electoral Democracy, 1789-2021. Our World In Data, 2013, ourworldindata.org/democracy#research-writing.

This interactive graph shows South Korea's rate of practicing electoral democracy, which is kept at a consistently low level until right before 2000, where the value spikes dramatically. To portray Korea's shifting political climate after years of oppressive rule, we included this graph in the segment of our documentary where we contextualize Korean history.

V-Dem Institute. "Dimensions of Democracy- South Korea, 1900 - 2014." V-Dem Institute, June 2016, www.v-dem.net/media/publications/country_brief_south_korea.pdf. Chart.

This chart released by the V-Dem Institute in their Country Report on South Korea shows how South Korea's democratic capacity increased drastically between the late 1980s and 1990s across multiple indexes. We included this chart in our documentary to emphasize the changing social landscape in Korea in relation to Seo Taiji and Boys' advocacy for expressive and personal freedom through their music.

Korea Creative Content Agency. "Selling K-Pop, Dramas Overseas." Bloomberg, 6 Oct. 2021, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-07/k-pop-to-squid-game-lift-korean-soft-power-and-the-economy. Chart.

This chart shows the most profitable exporting business sectors in Korea as of 2020, in which the content industry ranked 7th nationally with a market worth $10 billion. We referenced the visual to deepen our understanding of the impacts of Korean cultural products on the modern-day nation's economy.

Vox Team, Daily. "How A Financial Crisis Created K-pop." Daily Vox, 12 Mar. 2019, www.thedailyvox.co.za/how-a-financial-crisis-created-k-pop/.

This Daily Vox article discusses the impact of the IMF crisis of 1997 across Asian countries. Specifically, it speaks of how Korea utilized its cultural sector as a means to recover from the depressed economy, and promptly funded the music industry. We included information from this source on our documentary in the IMF crisis section, as well as cultural proliferation.

Newspaper Article

"All About K-Pop: Inside K-Pop's History and Signature Sound." MasterClass, 7 June 2021, www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-kpop.

This masterclass article provides a detailed historical overview of the K-pop music genre. We looked into the first section of the article, where Seo Taiji and Boys are described to be "ushering in" a new generation of Korean music that would turn global within decades. Taking the emphasis of Seo Taiji and Boys Rooting of K-pop music into consideration, we included information from this article to bolster our claim that they were a significant frontier.

Beattie, Anita Chang. "MARKETING'S NEXT WAVE: THE KOREAN POP STAR." AdAge. AdAge, adage.com/article/global-news/marketing-s-wave-korean-pop-star/235287.

In this article, author Beattie describes the economic and global potential of Kpop as an export. We drew parallels to this article by examining how exportable Kpop was during the IMF crisis and the rise of H.O.T from Seo Taiji and Boys' legacy. This parallel enhanced our understanding of Seo Taiji and Boys' legacy as we were able to visualize in analogous fashion the magnitude of Seo Taiji and Boys’ popularity.

"Child actress thanks Seo Taiji for 'Quiet Night.'" The Kpop Herald [Seoul], 3 Mar. 2015. The Korea Herald, kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201503031612266225734_2. Accessed 3 Mar. 2015.

In this short newspaper entry, the Korean Herald describes the effects of Seo Taiji's second solo debut after a long hiatus. While researching where members of Seo Taiji and Boys' ended up after their breakup, we used this article to learn more about Seo Taiji's return to music.

Schapitl, Lexie. "Korean pop music is breaking US records and winning fans across the globe." Vox, 30 May 2018. Vox, www.vox.com/2018/5/30/17404956/kpop-bts-music-netflix-explained.

This Vox article cites the economic and social impact of Kpop across the globe. The source gives an in-depth analysis of monetary buttressing that Kpop has contributed not only to Korea, but to fan-centered around the globe; the source also describes the rise of "fandom" culture that has arose particularly severely with Kpop. We used this source to better understand the scope of Kpop's influence on the international scale.

Caramanica, Jon. "Getting Rowdy: Keith Ape and Real Rap in Korea." New York Times [New York City]. New York Times, www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/arts/music/getting-rowdy-keith-ape-and-real-rap-in-korea.html.

In this article, author Caramanica explains the similarities between American origins of rap and how it has shifted and been adapted into Korean spheres of hip hop. We used this source to analyze the pioneering work of Seo Taiji and Boys' in taking in these American hip hop origins and influencing the modern Korean pop generation.

Herald, Korea. "Seo Taiji and Boys chosen as K-pop icons." The Korea Herald [Seoul], 3 July 2013. The Korean Herald, www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130703000769.

In this article, The Korea Herald highlights the achievement of Seo Taiji and Boys in being nominated in the "Legend100" list of Kpop artists. We utilized this source to examine the popularity and importance of Seo Taiji and Boys' in the context of Asian and international hip hop music.

"Seo Taiji induces '90s nostalgia with lavish 'Christmalowin' return." The Korea Herald, 19 Oct. 2014. The Korea Herald, www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20141019000232.

In this Korea Herald entertainment edition, Seo Taiji's performance is highlighted in his "Chrismalowin" return. This source was used in our project to better understand the impact that Seo Taiji and Boys' music had on the public of South Korea. We examined the lyrics of Seo Taiji and Boys' as well as the public reception to their songs to get a first hand understanding of how their music was viewed by the people of South Korea.

Hoffman, Ashley. "Jay Park: Kpop Star Signs With Jay-Z's Roc Nation, 'This Is A Win For Asian Americans.'" Inquisitr, 26 July 2017. Inquisitr, www.inquisitr.com/4389723/jay-park-kpop-star-signs-with-jay-zs-roc-nation-this-is-a-win-for-asian-americans.

In this source, modern kpop artist. "Jay Park" is compared to the rising Hallyu wave. Jay Park's rise to popularity as Kpop's foremost hip hop star was compared and contrasted to Seo Taiji and Boys' initial rise to popularity. We used this source to analyze the frontier that Seo Taiji and Boys' left behind and how it has impacted the progression of careers of modern day Kpop stars such as Jay Park.

Kookje. "이주노와 양현석...이들 활동했던 '서태지와 아이들'에 관심 집중" ["Lee Ju-no and Yang Hyun-suk... Focusing on 'Seo Taiji and Boys'"]. Kookje Newspaper. Kookje Newspaper, www.kookje.co.kr/news2011/asp/newsbody.asp?code=0500&key=20180131.99099014398.

In this newspaper article from a South Korean national newspaper, the author examines the rise to popularity of two figures in the Seo Taiji and Boys' band and how they came to work together. We used this insight to understand the political and social climate in which Seo Taiji and Boys' was able to band together and what circumstances they had to overcome.

Benjamin, Jeff. "What Does It Take for a K-Pop Band to Blow Up in South America?" New York Times, 4 May 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/05/04/magazine/what-does-it-take-for-a-k-pop-band-to-blow-up-in-south-america.html.

This New York Times article describes a recent boom of K-pop in Chile through a BTs concert. We learned that in Chile, the typically broadcasted music were of the reggae genre, with virtually no K-pop present until the nation was exposed to BTS and were enthralled with their new style of music. We used this information to further reinforce how Seo Taiji and Boys created a lasting legacy by starting the first generation of K-pop groups which eventually led to modern-day influences like BTS.

"A BRIEF HISTORY OF K-POP." The Los Angeles Film School, www.lafilm.edu/blog/a-brief-history-of-kpop/.

This article published by the LA Film School goes over the domestic and global success of the K-pop industry over generations. We specifically paid attention to its description of the first generation, which discussed the impact of Seo Taiji and Boys and how they revolutionized the largely secluded Korean cultural sector. With this information, we're able to solidify our thesis in the document that Seo Taiji and Boys served as a frontier for future K-pop artists to develop and expand the fandom of the genre.

Glasby, Taylor. "The A-Z of K-pop: know your sasaengs from your monster rookies." The Guardian, 5 June 2018. The Guardian, www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/05/the-a-z-of-k-pop-know-your-sasaengs-from-your-monster-rookies.

This Guardian edition gives a brief overview of Kpop's modern history, starting from Seo Taiji and Boys' inception to BTS' rise to stardom. This source gives a unique overview of all of the challenges and victories that Kpop has experienced as an industry, from legal battles to cultural expansion. We utilized this source to gain a succinct overview and brief background knowledge of Kpop's history so that we could most accurately represent Kpop's history.

The Guardian. 4 Sept. 2022, www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/04/korea-culture-k-pop-music-film-tv-hallyu-v-and-a.

This Guardian article discusses the expanding reach of K-Pop onto the global stage, and how it achieved widespread domestic success prior to its current day popularity on international charts. The international influence of modern day K-Pop is an important factor that we connected with Seo Taiji and Boys throughout the development of our documentary, and we learned more about the global success of not just a named few but rather a wide variety of K-Pop groups today. We referenced this research in the process of creating our introductory segments as well as the impacts section of the documentary.

Kim, Sohee. "The $4.7 Billion K-Pop Industry Chases Its 'Michael Jackson Moment.'" Businessweek Economics, 22 Aug. 2017. Bloomberg, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-22/the-4-7-billion-k-pop-industry-chases-its-michael-jackson-moment#xj4y7vzkg.

In this Bloomberg article, author Kim analyzes Kpop's economic merits and the potential to climb even further. Economics being one of the most memorable aspects of modern Kpop, we decided to analyze and study this source to get a better understanding of how powerful Kpop was as an economic tool for IMF recovery.

Han, Seungjin. "Paving the Path to Soft Power: Crucial Moments in South Korea's Cultural Policies." Wilson Center, 27 Sept. 2022, www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/paving-path-soft-power-crucial-moments-south-koreas-cultural-policies.

The Wilson Center establishes in this article how the popularity of Korean culture in the modern world ties back to the late 20th century. We learned more specifically about the process that the long-military ruled Korean government transitioned into the promotion of "soft power" through cultural products, largely spearheaded at the time by Seo Taiji and Boys. We used the information from this source to expand on our explanation of Seo Taiji and Boys' current day impacts.

Herman, Tamar. "K-Pop Legend Seo Taiji Holds 25th Anniversary Concert, Passes Torch to BTS." Billboard, 4 Sept. 2017. Billboard, www.billboard.com/music/music-news/k-pop-legend-south-korea-seo-taiji-25th-anniversary-concert-bts-7950056/. Accessed 4 Sept. 2017.

This billboard article describes Seo Taiji's 25th anniversary concert, in which they metaphorically "passed the torch" of their famed status to BTS. This source was uniquely insightful as it allowed us to visualize the magnitude of Seo Taiji and Boys' influence and reach in relativity to the modern Kpop groups that we know today. We used this source to gain a better grasp of how to accurately display Seo Taiji and Boys' influence on Korean culture and Kpop in our documentary.

Herman, Tamar. "Modern K-pop was born in April 1992 with I Know by Seo Taiji & Boys, a song that changed music's trajectory in South Korea." South China Morning Post, 19 Apr. 2022, www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3174628/k-pop-was-born-april-1992-i-know-seo-taiji-boys.

This article from the South China Morning Post provides an overview of the growth of the K-pop industry. We reinforced our research with this article as it clarified through its historical rundown that Seo Taiji and Boys' debut marked the start of the modern K-pop era. We decided to quote the title of this article to further provide reasonability in our thesis that Seo Taiji And Boys' success was the true frontier of Korea's cultural boom.

"How did K-Pop conquer the world?" BBC, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190529-how-did-k-pop-conquer-the-world.

The BBC article "How did K-Pop conquer the world?" illuminates its readers' understandings on the development of the Korean music industry to be globally received. We took note of the opening remarks of the article, where the author describes the debut song of Seo Taiji and Boys as an unprecedented mix of synchronized dancing, Korean lyrics, and musical styles across multiple continents. We utilized this information to explain Seo Taiji and Boys' standing as a frontier for not only the previously faltering Korean economy but also the once secluded cultural sector, which they revolutionized and opened a way for an abundance of artists to emerge.

"서태지, 어릴적 놀던 '소격동' 왜 노래에 담았나?" 한겨례, 10 Oct. 2014, www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/society_general/659246.html.

This article written by Hani, a prominent Korean newspaper, discusses Seo Taiji's early life and experiences, and is crucial to our research. We were able to learn that one of Seo Taiji's recent songs reflected on the pressure of Korea's controlling authoritarian government in the 1980s, which also drove him to create a band to revolutionize such a suppressed cultural environment. We're including this information in our historical context where we describe the origins of Seo Taiji and Boys as a band that quickly overtook the Korean music industry.

Hwang, Seo-yeon. "'25주년 콘서트' 서태지X방탄소년단, 시대의 아이콘이 만났다." TV Daily, 2 Sept. 2017, tvdaily.co.kr/read.php3?aid=15043526921273785010.

In 2017, TVDaily, a Korean newspaper that covers the nation's entertainment sector, published an article regarding a collaboration between BTS and Seo Taiji. We thought it was interesting that the article described how both BTS and Seo Taiji were influential in their own ways, and credited the former with being the igniting factor to generations worth of K-pop musical talents being spotlighted with his group's revolutionary musical style. We decided to utilize this article to prove Seo Taiji and Boys' modern day impacts, as well as its connections to being the driving factor of Korea's young and globally successful musical industry.

Méndez, Bianca. "Seo Taiji And Boys Pioneered Socially Conscious K-Pop for Groups Like BTS." Vice, 1 Aug. 2017, www.vice.com/en/article/7x95gz/seo-taiji-and-boys-pioneered-socially-conscious-k-pop-for-groups-like-bts. Accessed 21 Dec. 2022.

This is a Vice article that discusses how Seo Taiji and Boys was a pioneer in K-Pop music with a socially conscious style and lyrics. We learned how even today's most popular K-Pop groups such as BTS took inspiration from Seo Taiji and Boys' way of incorporating messages for social reform in their lyrics. We used this article to further build upon or knowledge of Seo Taiji and Boy's impact on modern Korean culture.

Romano, Aja. "How K-pop became a global phenomenon." Vox, 26 Feb. 2018, www.vox.com/culture/2018/2/16/16915672/what-is-kpop-history-explained.

This article published by Vox describes K-pop's rise to global stardom as a music genre. We were specifically able to reaffirm our other findings with this article as it stated that the unique music style of K-pop has originated from Seo Taiji and Boys. Through this source, we're able to emphasize in our documentary the significance of Seo Taiji and Boys' career and impacts as a cultural frontier.

Roll, Martin. "Korean Wave (Hallyu) – The Rise of Korea's Cultural Economy & Pop Culture." Martin Roll, Oct. 2021, martinroll.com/resources/articles/asia/korean-wave-hallyu-the-rise-of-koreas-cultural-economy-pop-culture/.

This article discusses the importance of the Korean Wave and Hallyu in Korea's economy, as well as its global reach. This article was important to our understanding of Seo Taiji and Boys' impacts because it provided numerical insight into how significant the Korean Wave they started had eventually become for the nation. Although we didn't directly include this source, we were able to build our knowledge from this source as we researched the topic and our analyses.

Video Clips

"[4 Angles] 20 Years After IMF Crisis." YouTube, uploaded by Arirang, 30 Nov. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiUdZYMpcCk.

This is a short video that reflects on the Korean IMF Crisis of 1997. As the IMF Crisis is covered in our documentary, we used this source to deepen our understanding of the event and better organize our informational structure on the documentary.

"광주민주화운동 20주년을 맞아 5.18 민주화운동의 전개과정과 의미를 통사적으로 기록한 정통 다큐멘터리." YouTube, uploaded by 광주MBC, 22 June 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rjrKzX9-pE.

This is a documentary on the Gwangju Uprising produced and released by MBC, a major television broadcasting channel in Korea. It provides a general history as well as multiple recorded scenes of the Uprising itself. We incorporated moments from this video into our own documentary in our process of contextualizing Korean history and the information also deepened our understanding of the uprising itself.

"Secrets behind Korea's Economic Success (English)." YouTube, uploaded by 한국국제교류재단_KF, 12 Dec. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ0hMr5TSkI.

This is a documentary on how South Korea developed its economy rapidly after the Korean War and includes multiple clips on its path to economic recovery. We incorporated some moments from this documentary into our own solely for the purpose of visualizing our argument using relevant clips.

"Seo Taiji 15th Anniversary DVD - Disbandment Pt. 1." YouTube, 12 Dec. 2007, Seo Taiji 15th Anniversary DVD - Disbandment Pt. 1.

This is a clip of Seo Taiji and Boys' official announcement of disbandment. We used parts of this clip in our documentary to provide video evidence promptly following our narration of Seo Taiji and Boys' career.

Tertiary Sources

Databases

"MBC Archive, Korean television archive." Princeton University Library, library.princeton.edu/news/eastasian/2018-10-08/mbc-archive-korean-television-archive.

This database provides video clips from Korean television programs since 1961. The database gave us access to various interviews and informational content on Korean culture over the decades. We referenced clips and other sources from this database throughout our production of the documentary to better contextualize the historical setting.