Trot and rock – the development of Korean music genres as an expression of socio-political change

The author of this paper traces the history and development of popular music in Korea, and, afterwards, the Republic of Korea, against the backdrop of socio-political change between 1920–1980. The analysis focusses on two musical genres – trot (Korean – t’ŭrot’ŭ) and rock music, whose evolution has been inseparably connected with the history of the Korean society. The paper also unearths a mutual interdependence between local tradition and foreign influences, linking cultural production to Korea’s geo-political situation