NYCB Zoom

2020.03.20 04:04

33 Keys to Understanding the Korean Wave #15 SING

sukie

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33 Keys to Understanding the Korean Wave #15 SING

#15 People who enjoy eating, drinking, singing and dancing

<3> SING (노래하고/가/歌)

*Note to Readers

The columns published in the Zoom section of NYCultureBeat contain selected excerpts—typically the opening paragraphs—from each chapter of the book 33 Keys to Understanding the Korean Wave: Beyond BTS, Parasite, and Squid Game (2025). These previews are meant to introduce the book’s themes and tone.

The complete book—featuring 33 updated chapters and new cultural insights—is available in both paperback and hardcover editions:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7HYLVCL

Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7HZ34Y3

Soprano Hei-kyung Hong (“The Marriage of Figaro,” from left), tenor Yonghoon Lee (“Aida”), soprano Kathleen Kim (“The Abduction from the Seraglio”), bass Kwangchul Youn (“Manon”) Photo: The Metropolitan Opera

President Yoon Seok-ryeol, who visited the United States in April 2023, became a hot topic by spontaneously singing Don McLean's 'American Pie' during a state dinner at the White House. The New York Times reported that President Joe Biden gifted President Yoon a guitar signed by McLean. From farmers and fishermen to housewives and presidents, Koreans enjoy singing passionately.

<3> SING

“Koreans are generally extroverted and emotionally intense, sometimes hot and sometimes cold. We are highly emotional individuals known as the ‘Italians of the East.’ We are a nation born with faces and physiques suitable for singing, and with voice boxes (larynx) that house our souls. Both singing and acting come from within our blood.”

—Soprano Hei-kyung Hong, in an interview with Sukie Park of The Korea Daily of New York, 2007.

In November 2016, during the candlelight protest at Gwanghwamun Square calling for the resignation of President Park Geun-hye, Yang Hee-eun sang “Morning Dew,” “To the Land of Happiness,” and “Evergreen Tree.”