Kim Do-hyang: "Saying 'It's just killer' isn't a song"

Middle-aged singer Kim Do-hyang (64) has offered harsh criticism regarding the current trends in Korean popular music.
In a recent meeting with reporters, Kim expressed his stance, stating, “Current Korean popular music lacks the philosophy or context of the era. It is drifting toward being sensory and provocative. Only 'provocation' that slightly leads the times is gaining popularity. However, I am concerned because that provocative element is becoming the whole.” He continued, “Saying something like 'It's just killer' is not a song.”
Kim voiced his concerns, saying, “While modern popular music has created the Hallyu wave and established a certain system, the combination of provocative musical metaphors and dance is being miscommunicated as if that is all Korean popular music is.”
Kim lamented, “In the past, during the cannabis era, the music of singer-songwriters had moments of being philosophical, emotional, and pure in its expression. Kim Min-ki's 'Morning Dew' is included in that. However, the genius element has disappeared from modern Korean popular songs. With the development of IT, the record market is dying. Except for a tiny minority who communicate well with fans, the performance market is almost dead.”
Kim also spoke about the utility value of music. He said, “If you listen to a lot of good music when you are young, it stays in your heart. That music fills today's lyricism and enriches life. Now, only stimulation and brutality remain. Even Choi Baek-ho, who wrote 'About Romance,' says lyrics no longer come to him.”
Kim added, “I recently appeared on 'Open Concert' with Cho Young-nam. At that time, he said that the only active singers in their 60s left are just you and me. In the US, a hit song lasts for 10 years, but here, it is consumed in 1 or 2 weeks. The structure is somehow wrong.”
Kim concluded with advice, saying, “Current Hallyu artists have many illusory aspects. A stimulant that mixes Japanese, American, and Korean elements will eventually cause resistance if taken repeatedly. They need to express more Korean sensibility more deeply.”