S. Korean-Japanese joint music event showcases J-pop

Asian Economic News, May 7, 2001

FUKUOKA, May 1 Kyodo

Japanese popular music seems to be winning over young South Koreans, as a joint music competition staged Sunday showcased South Korean participants well-versed in J-pop.

According to the organizers from the South Korean side, more and more young Koreans are singing and tuning into the latest J-pop songs despite the restrictions on the sale of CDs of Japanese songs.

Although South Korea, under President Kim Dae Jung's administration, has been gradually lifting its ban on Japanese pop culture such as films and animation since 1998, sales of Japanese CDs have yet to be realized.

On the streets, however, pirated versions sell for about 1,000 yen each, while authentic copies are unofficially sold for about 5,000 yen, the South Korean participants said, with some also resorting to purchases via the Internet.

There are also coffee shops in Pusan named after Japanese artists, such as disbanded group X Japan, they said.

Sunday's competition at an open-air stage before the city hall in the southwestern Japan city was participated in by 10 teams from both countries -- some singing solo, others in groups.

The competition, held alternately in South Korea and Japan twice a year, had the participants render their songs in the other's native tongue. It is the fifth time the competition has been staged since 1999.

Kim Su Jin, 18, a high school student from Pusan and one of the participants, says she has heard almost all of the songs by popular Japanese singer songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki, and also mentioned popular band Glay.

University student Pak Kyong Ju, 19, who sang a song of hitomi, another popular female Japanese singer, noted that songs and dances are similar in Japan to those in South Korea, but said she liked the distinctive Japanese melodies.

Both of them said they obtained their information on J-pop songs through satellite broadcasts.