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This paper is an ethnographic account of the desires and struggles of some parents in South Korea who invest - financially and emotionally - in their children's dream of becoming K-pop stars in the hope of securing a better future for their young, and repositioning themselves more favorably in an extremely restrictive and competitive environment. It is based on personal interviews with 15 mothers and 8 fathers, and participation-observation of young South Koreans' activities in a private academy where they receive "professional training." This study contends that these parents are strategically benchmarking and re-benchmarking their place within a rapidly changing society by following shifting trends of pursuits that have emerged as new measures of success and status, so that they would not be "left behind" by a rapidly globalizing society.
Key Words: Family, Gender, Social Mobility, K-pop, The Korean Wave, Popular Culture
I. Introduction
Jang Mi Sun1 re-appeared on the stage to deliver the closing speech after all the 60 students from Z Academy had finished performing their songs and dances at the three-hour graduation concert. Tears welled up in her eyes as the director spoke,
Our children have shown us tonight just how talented they are. I have no doubt they will one day become global K-pop stars, like Girls' Generation, Super Junior and TVXQ. The journey ahead will not be easy, but they will always have our love and support, because we know they will make us proud, as parents, as a nation...
Many parents in the audience were already in tears by the time Jang finished her speech that Friday evening in January 2012 at a community hall in Seoul. It was no ordinary event, but an occasion of celebration and hope for the 60 middle to high school students who each aspire to become a "star" in South Korea's popular music industry (K-pop), and an extraordinary moment of joy and pride for their parents. Park Hye Jin's parents were particularly proud to see their only daughter perform like a professional singer that evening, though they were more pleased by the 15-year-old's remarkable transformation from an arrogant and insolent child into a graceful and respectful adolescent. They have become optimistic again about living a luxurious apartment in the prestigious Gangnam...