Call for South Korea to go 'Gangnam style'
Finance minister makes plea to the nation to emulate singer Psy and to take on the world
It isn't every day that the finance minister of a major country mentions a rap star when talking up his economy. But then South Korea isn't your average economy, and Psy isn't your usual entertainer.
Bahk Jae-wan did that in an interview last week. South Korea's top economic official cited the singer of the global smash hit Gangnam Style as an example of the kind of creativity and international competitiveness the country needs.
It wasn't a laugh line. It was a plea for South Koreans to let their hair down and dream a bit.
It is something I had been wondering as Gangnam Style racks up hundreds of millions of hits on YouTube; earns Psy gigs on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and NBC's Today Show; works its way into North Korea's propaganda; and single-handedly strengthens South Korea's global brand.
It isn't a particularly brilliant song, nor is Psy (real name Park Jae-sang) a world-class singer, dancer or stage presence.
So how did a man who is ancient by South Korea's pubescent pop standards do what no one had done before - go global? The reason has more to do with economics than meets the eye.