海角大神

The figure on the sprawling stage was barely visible to most of the 80,000 people massed on the Seoul City Hall plaza but came through far larger than life on three huge screens high above.

鈥淧sy, Psy,鈥� they yelled as he appeared from the shadows of the set. The K-pop 鈥� or Korean pop music 鈥� star, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, launched into two hours of prancing, singing, and rapping backed up by a dozen dancers. 聽

鈥淚 knew one of these K-pop stars would hit the world,鈥� Psy tells his cheering audience, 鈥渂ut I didn鈥檛 know it would be me.鈥�

It was, in fact, a homecoming welcome for an overnight sensation whose 鈥�Gangnam Style,鈥� a paean to the lush life in Korea鈥檚 richest district, is topping the charts in the US and Britain and is heard and seen on screens all over Korea.聽

鈥淗e said if 鈥楪angnam Style鈥� hit the Billboard chart, he would have a concert in front of a crowd in Seoul City Hall Plaza,鈥� says Lauren Suk, an official in the new glass-walled city hall that looms above the plaza. 鈥淗e wanted to keep his word. This is an iconic place.鈥�

How is it that K-pop, so fluffy and repetitive, has caught on globally?

鈥淭he music and style is very upbeat and fun without the usual western cynicism and overt sexuality,鈥� says Mark聽 Russell, author of 鈥淧op Goes Korea,鈥� a book about the K-pop phenomenon. 鈥淭he videos and fashion and dancing are super-splashy and over the top.鈥�

Braggadocio and self-deprecation

Psy, he says,聽embodies this spirit of K-pop聽鈥� though not entirely.

He may be 鈥渦nusual for a star in terms of appearance,鈥� says Mr. Russell. But 鈥渉is music is light, catchy, and fun鈥� mixing 鈥渂raggadocio with slightly self-deprecating lyrics.鈥�

The son of a wealthy businessman who lives in Gangnam, Psy went to the US to study management at Boston University, then switched to music at the Berklee College of Music. He graduated from neither but learned to synthesize American and Korean pop music influences into the K-pop melange.

鈥淧eople like American culture,鈥� says Han Koo-hyun, director of the Korean Wave Research Institute here. 鈥淭hen they found similar and friendly culture from Korea. We made the Korean wave from American culture.鈥�

Mr. Han acknowledges 鈥渟ome people dislike American culture鈥� but says the relationship between Korean and American styles is unavoidable. 鈥淲hy not French or Japanese or Chinese?鈥� he asks. 鈥淭hey have their own culture. It鈥檚 not familiar to the people of the world. We accepted American culture.鈥�

The Korean wave

At last night鈥檚 concert, the Korean wave, or聽hallyu, lapped up on Korean shores after having washed over audiences from Japan to the US, from China to Europe. Here was the wave鈥檚 biggest sensation running through one number after another, responding to shouts in English of 鈥渆ncore, encore鈥� with still more singing and dancing.

鈥淕angnam Style,鈥� of course, had to be the number the audience wanted most. Psy saved it for rather late in the show, then still later did it again.

鈥淯sually people don鈥檛 sing the same thing twice,鈥� he said, imploring the audience to join in. 鈥淭he first part you will sing, and the second part I will sing.鈥�

The song gives an impression of rich sensuality, of the high life where high-end department stores, coffee shops, restaurants and nightclubs vie for customers, nowhere so much as in the Gangnam district south of the Han River that bisects the capital.

鈥淚 am Gangnang style,鈥� begin the lyrics in tough translation. 鈥淒uring the day, I am warm and kind as you. At night my heart bursts, I am such a man.鈥� And then comes the refrain, almost shouted, 鈥淏eautiful, lovely, hey it鈥檚 you, it鈥檚 you,鈥� 鈥� 鈥渇rom now, lets take it to the limit, Gangnam style.鈥�

It鈥檚 the video, the moves of Psy and the dancers, that complete the song 鈥� shots of Psy dancing among smart cars, in a park, by the river, among beautiful women. The most famous shot may be Psy dancing toward the camera in between rows of horses in a stable, all to the high-stepping, arm swinging motion of what鈥檚 called the horse dance.

The concert was all free, a gift from Psy and the Seoul metropolitan government, which picked up the tab for the lighting and sound equipment, the towering video screens 鈥撀燼nd security. Psy and his dancers and crew worked for nothing to show his gratitude to the people of Seoul, and the rest of Korea, watching live on TV.聽