PSY’s “Gangnam Style” And “Gangnam Oppa” In “Architecture 101″ (1)

(top) Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-Gu in the ’70s; (bottom) the night view of present-day Apgujeong-dong.

(top) Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu, in the 80s; (bottom) present-day Jamwon-dong.

(top) The surrounding landscape of Gyeongbu Expressway Station in Seochodong in the 80s; (bottom) present-day Gyeongbu Expressway Station.

(top) The Hannam Bridge under construction in 1969;

(bottom) the surrounding landscape of the present-day Hannam Bridge.

(left) The construction site of Youngdong new town photographed in 1970; (right) present-day Gangnam (formerly known as Youngdong).

The development process of Gangnam kicked into high gear in the 80’s and caused such problems as land-value bubbles and real-estate speculation.  And as many of the most prestigious high schools once located in Gangbuk moved to Gangnam, the area known as Gangnam School District 8 was eventually catapulted to top-performing school district countrywide, which in turn caused yet another real-estate bubble.  And as its population (including floating population) kept growing, it became widely known for its lively nightlife.  Gangnam now has rows of high-end, upscale department stores, restaurants, big name entertainment agencies (such as SM and JYP), to name a few.  In short, it’s like the US’s Upper East Side plus Beverly Hills minus tradition; or I’d rather say it’s more like Dubai built on Korean cabbage and Korean pear fields.

The uneven development between Gangnam and Gangbuk has made the former more affluent and its residents richer but made the latter lag behind and its residents feel deprived emotionally as well as economically.  Over the past four decades, Gangnam has become an iconic place to Korean people, representing wealth, status, and luxurious life.  PSY’s “Gangnam Style” is a satire about the Gangnam life itself which is nothing but materialistic and about people who are chasing rainbows, dreaming of becoming a Gangnam resident someday.  If you had googled the phrase 강남스타일 (“Gangnam Style”) before the release of his song, you would have seen so many questions asking “What the heck is Gangnam style.” (Now you’ll get results almost all about the song.)

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