The Influence of K-Pop on Taiwanese Youth Culture
K-pop is very popular among the younger generations in Taiwan. Everyone's talking about K-pop. K-pop not only influences the music industry, but also influences fashion, culture, and spending behaviors. In 2012, K-pop started to go global. At that time, “Gangnam Style” became a global viral hit. K-pop has caught the eye of the public and now it is not just a regional music genre, it is a rising industry that influences all aspects of the entertainment business in the 21st century.
First of all, in terms of fashion, K-pop idols are trend-setters. They wear the trendiest outfits to perform on stage, or attend fashion shows and other events. Fans often want to dress like them or adopt a similar fashion taste. K-pop idols are always the center of attention wherever they go. For instance, whether they show up at Paris fashion week wearing gorgeous couture or are simply catching a flight in a tracksuit, there are always paparazzi capturing their looks. Fans pay attention to what their idols are wearing and often take inspiration from K-pop artists for their own style, developing a so-called Korean style fashion.
Second of all, K-pop is an important factor of the Korean Wave (Hallyu) phenomenon. Because K-pop gained global popularity, people became interested in Korean culture, such as the cuisines, tourist spots, or the lifestyle. K-pop’s impact goes way more beyond the music aspect. People would be interested in Korean culture in general. Specifically, Korean cuisine has become popular as the Korean Wave strikes. As a result, more and more Korean restaurants opened up in Taiwan. Cuisines like Tteokbokki, Kimchi, Bibimbap etc. have become peoples’ favorite too. Korea has also become a popular place to visit. Tourists would want to go to Korea to visit places they’ve seen online, or to take a closer look at the homeland of their favorite idol. Consequently, making Korea a popular travel spot. K-pop is the main driving force behind this huge success in cultural promotion.
Third, K-pop also reshapes fans' spending behaviors. Fans would spend thousands of dollars to show their support. They would purchase albums, merchandise, concert tickets and many other related things. Taiwan has a lot of K-pop fans that are willing to spend a fortune on idols. Even for some fans that only have a limited amount of money, they still would want to buy albums or other merchandise, just because they simply like them so much that they will spend their savings to support their idols. K-pop just has the “it” factor that makes them desirable for the younger generations.
Overall, K-pop changed Taiwan’s fashion, culture, and spending behaviors. K-pop is truly unstoppable, it is a shining star in the entertainment and music business. Nowadays, more and more idols debut, and more and more talented stars have the opportunity to shine. Through its catchy music and dazzling performances, K-pop connects people around the world. K-pop is an inseparable part of the younger generation in Taiwan, and has already become an important part of our lives.
