One of the most talked about things about Friday’s opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Games is undoubtedly Gangnam Style -- South Korean singer Psy’s song that became a mega-hit worldwide when it was released back in 2012.
The catchy K-pop track, which features and is inspired by a lifestyle associated with the wealthy Seoul district in the title, was played as some of the Olympic teams, including the US delegation, marched into the stadium during the ceremony.
The use of the song has received mixed reactions from South Korea and elsewhere, with some even referring to the song as the “unofficial national anthem” of South Korea.
South Korean singer Psy performs his mega-hit song "Gangnam Style" (Yonhap)
Emma Kalka, the music editor of Groove Magazine in Seoul, was at the stadium when the US athletes entered.
“It was hilarious,” she told The Korea Herald.
“They started (the song) right as Team USA was about to come out and my friend and I, both Americans, just looked at each other and said, ‘Well, that’s fitting.’ Team USA really got into marching out to it
"Folks were doing the horse dance around the ring, and those who weren’t were still having fun and dancing around."
While many were amused by and enjoyed the music, some did not think the choice was appropriate.
“My first reaction was, ‘It’s Gangnam Style? Again?’” said Kim Ji-yoon, a 32-year-old office worker in Seoul.
“I get that it’s one of the very few Korean songs that are popular overseas. But the song came out in 2012 and now it’s 2018. And we are still stuck with Gangnam Style. Personally I’m done with the song. I don't think the song's appropriate for an Olympic ceremony either.”
And some thought the organizers of the Games were simply not doing enough.
“ I think using Gangnam Style in the opening ceremony is insufferably lazy,” said Alex Lodge, a music supervisor based in London.
“For loads of people, that’s literally the only thing they know about Korea. It’s a chance to play absolutely anything else, but no. A nauseatingly cheesy nostalgia-fest it is. They played it about a million times in the BBC highlights show too. It’s so boring.”
Psy`s Gangnam Style was played as the United States’ athletes marched in during the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympic Games on Friday (Yonhap).
Jeong Hyun-seong, a 29-year-old graduate student, said although he does not enjoy the song personally, its ongoing popularity worldwide reveals where South Korea stands in the world stage right now.
“I guess regardless of how we (South Koreans) think of ourselves, once we get out of the country, the most famous people from this peninsula are Kim Jong-un and Psy,” he said.
“And I think the opening ceremony at PyeongChang just proved that.”
By Claire Lee (
dyc@heraldcorp.com)
