Did a K-Pop song foresee South Korea’s martial law?
“The song Seokyeol Yoon is listening to at home right now.” This is how one commentator on YouTube describes the song “Coup d’Etat” by K-Pop star G-Dragon. Yet the song was released 11 years ago.
Even as the shockwaves surrounding the brief announcement of martial law in South Korea were echoing around the world, celebrity-mad Koreans were reviving an old track by local star G Dragon.
“This is my coup d’état”, he sang in a striking video that remains surprisingly relevant today. Kwon Ji-yong has been performing since 1996, alternating as a rapper, songwriter and producer of K Pop. He has been called the king of K-Pop, which was underlined when he recently received the Music Visionary of the Year award at the MAMA 2024 Awards.
Presidents and influencers
The reference to a coup d’état was due to the president Yoon Suk Yeol’s claim he was protecting the country from “pro-North Korea” elements in the country, a claim completely without evidence. The president’s inability to pass legislation at parliament is probably the real reason. And in an emergency session, the National Assembly added insult to injury by unanimously voting against his martial law as well.
In another bizarre reaction to the events, influencer Hong Young Gi provoked the irritation of Koreans by posting about her own dramatic “emergency” – whether she would have to cancel a meeting with fans because of martial law the next day. The poor wording led to calls for a boycott of her channel.
(Michael Leahy Source: Koreaboo/NME. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/MAXPPP | Agence Franck Castel)