학위논문(석사) -- 서울대학교대학원 : 사회과학대학 사회학과, 2021.8. 추지현.K-Pop, a music genre originally developed in Korea, was a culture long considered inauthentic by many cultural critics and scholars. Recently, the K-Pop community faced the need to grow a sense of authenticity of the culture as a response to the potential threats of assimilation from an outside culture which was characterized by the join of Foreigner K-Pop. Against the backdrop of the neoliberal environment in the industry that was marked by globalization, commercialization of idols’ everyday life, and the increasing importance of fandom in the making of K-Pop idols, this research argued that the (in)authentication process of Foreigner K-Pop was a collaborative work between fans, idols, industrial sectors, and K-Pop professionals. Focusing on the English-speaking K-Pop fans, this thesis adopted online ethnographic research and text analysis, studied seven K-Pop groups with non-Asian performers, and demonstrated how elements of Korea and elements that were cited as Korean were maneuvered in the construction of (in)authenticity of Foreigner K-Pop. This thesis concluded that the recurrent theme of perseverance, genuineness, dedication, and hardworking in the discourse about authenticity, often cited through the necessitated process of trainee system, served to satisfy the cultural need of international fans, whose taste and identity remained peripheral in most Western countries, for a discourse akin to neoliberalism that advocates equal opportunity and indiscriminate competition, while allowing K-Pop culture to maintain a tight community and esoteric taste.케이팝은 원래 한국에서 발전한 음악 장르로, 오랫동안 많은 문화 평론가들과 학자들에 의해 비현실적인 문화로 여겨졌다. 최근 케이팝 커뮤니티는 외국인 케이팝의 참여가 특징인 외부 문화로부터의 동화의 잠재적 위협에 대한 대응으로 문화에 대한 진정성을 키울 필요가 있다는 문제에 직면했다. 세계화, 아이돌의 일상화, 케이팝 아이돌 제작에 팬덤의 중요성이 높아진 산업계의 신자유주의적 환경을 배경으로, 이 연구는 외국인 케이팝의 진정성 구축 과정이 팬, 아이돌, 산업계 간의 협업 작업이라고 주장했다. 이 논문은 영어권 케이팝 팬들을 중심으로 온라인 민족학 연구와 텍스트 분석을 채택하고, 비아시아 공연자들 7개의 K-Pop 그룹을 중심으로 연구하였으며, 외국인 K-Pop의 진정성 구축에 있어 한국 요소와 한국으로 인용된 요소들이 어떻게 운용되고 있는지를 보여주었다. 본 논문은 진정성 담론에서 인내, 진실, 봉헌, 성실과 노력이라는 반복적인 담론이 대부분의 서구 국가에서 지엽적인 취향과 정체성을 유지한 국제 팬들의 문화적 욕망를 충족시키는 역할을 했다고 결론지었다. 이 담론은 케이팝 문화가 촘촘한 공동체적이고 소수의 취향을 유지할 수 있도록 허용하면서 동등한 기회와 무차별 경쟁을 주장하는 신자유주의와 연결된다.Chapter 1. Introduction 1
1. Research Background and Research Question 1
2. Literature Review: Previous Research on K-Pop (What is K-Pop?) 8
1) K-Pop as Re-invented Korea 9
2) K-Pop as Culture of Hybridity 12
3) K-Pop as K-Pop Fandom Culture 14
3. Theoretical Framework 17
1) Authenticity as Authentication in Postmodern Culture 17
2) K-Pop Idol, K-Pop fandom, and Neoliberalism in K-Pop 20
4. Subject of Research and Methods 25
1) Who is Foreigner K-Pop? (Subject of Study) 25
2) Materials and Collection Process 27
3) Cases of Selected Foreigner K-Pop 33
4) Method of Analysis 41
Chapter 2: Authenticity Claims and The Importance of Identifying Real K-Pop 46
1. Authenticity Claims 46
2. Identifying Real K-Pop 49
3. Koreaboo Stigma 50
4. Summary and Remarks 53
Chapter 3: Displaying K-Pop Fan Identity: From Real K-Pop Fan to Real K-Pop Idol 54
1. Rejecting Koreaboo Stigma 54
2. Genuineness, Fan Identity, and Comradeship 55
3. Comprehensive, Thoughtful, and Cultured: From Real Fans to Real K-Pop Idols 57
4. Summary and Remarks 60
Chapter 4: Disrupting Boundaries of K 62
1. (Re)Defining K-Pop 62
2. Proponents: Pride, Diversity, and Representation 64
3. Opponents: Equality, Opportunities, and Respect 66
4. Summary and Remarks 68
Chapter 5: Fans’ Critic as Neoliberal Governmentality 70
1. Korean Proficiency 71
2. The Right K-Pop Style 72
3. Trained for Better Quality 74
4. Summary and Remarks 77
Chapter 6. Conclusion 79
Bibliography 84
Appendix 89
Acknowledgment 92
국문초록 93석