Gangnam Style - South China Morning Post

‘Gangnam Style’ star Psy faces police probe over drug allegations in South Korea

SCMP’s Asia desk — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 06:43:02 +0000

Psy, the South Korean pop phenomenon whose song “Gangnam Style” became a global hit in 2012, is under police investigation for allegedly obtaining prescription psychotropic drugs through intermediaries, bypassing required in-person hospital consultations. Seoul Seodaemun Police Station confirmed on Thursday that Psy – real name Park Jae-sang – and a university hospital doctor were being investigated on suspicion of violating South Korea’s medical law, according to the Yonhap news agency. The...

8 celebrities born in the Year of the Snake, from Taylor Swift to J.K. Rowling to Psy

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 05:15:07 +0000

US pop star Taylor Swift celebrates her birthday today, December 13. The newly 35-year-old singer was born in 1989 which, according to Chinese astrology, was a Year of the Snake. Snakes, the sixth of 12 animal zodiac signs, are considered intelligent, charming and graceful, but can also come across as cold or distant. People born in a Snake year – the most recent of which began in 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 and 2013 according to the Gregorian calendar – are considered strategists...

10 years after Psy’s Gangnam Style, has a K-pop song ever hit in the same way?

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 20:15:19 +0000

On July 15, 2012, South Korean pop star Psy released Gangnam Style, a satirical tune that would go on to become what was once the biggest South Korean hit of all time. It captured the attention of the world, and became the first music video to pass 1 billion views on YouTube. Ten years later, Gangnam Style’s legacy as a history-making hit is undeniable. But since then, many other South Korean acts, such as BTS and Blackpink, have set their own records, whether it’s by selling millions of albums,...

Best K-pop albums and singles of 2022 so far, from That That by Psy and BTS’ Suga to Stray Kids’ Oddinary and Dreamcatcher’s Apocalypse

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 09:15:22 +0000

Halfway through the year, the K-pop industry and many acts are still finding their direction for 2022. But on the music front, the first six months have been stellar, with many of the biggest names serving up releases that demand to be heard. Here are the must-listen singles and albums of the year thus far, listed alphabetically. Albums Dreamcatcher [Apocalypse: Save Us] LP Dreamcatcher have made a name for themselves and won love from fans around the world for their dark rock and metal take on...

BTS’ Suga produces and features on Psy’s new song That That – lead single of Gangnam Style singer’s ninth K-pop album

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 03:45:09 +0000

A new song by South Korean rapper Psy, also known as Park Jae-sang, was produced by and features BTS member Suga. That That, which will drop on April 29 at 6pm Korean Standard Time, will front Psy’s ninth album, Ssada 9 (Psy 9th in English). In a video before the song was released, the pair revealed that Suga (Min Yoon-gi) had been brought onto the project only as a producer. The Gangnam Style singer, though, won him over and added him as a featured artist. View this post on...

Running Man’s Yoo Jae-suk: Korea’s ‘National MC’ striking out with Lee Hyori and Rain in K-pop supergroup SSAK3

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 01:00:08 +0000

Beyond K-pop and K-drama, the next big global trend looks likely to be the distinct pleasures of Korea’s television variety show culture. One of the scene’s biggest stars there is surely Yoo Jae-suk. Get to know more about this true jack of all trades who’s celebrating his 47th birthday this August 14. He’s one of Hallyu’s most popular celebrities Keep Running season 8 – who will compete in China’s hit reality TV show? Recently, he won the Baeksang best male entertainer award and he’s almost...

How HyunA went from Wonder Girls and 4Minute girl groups to one of K-pop’s biggest and sexiest solo stars

Sat, 30 May 2020 14:00:20 +0000

HyunA is one of the few K-pop stars with true staying power, having worked in the industry for more than 13 years – almost a lifetime in this business. The provocative K-pop veteran has been in multiple K-pop girl groups, including Wonder Girls and 4Minute, and is now one of South Korea’s biggest solo stars. Her role as the female protagonist in Psy’s Gangnam Style video has also made her one of the most recognisable K-pop stars still active. Here’s a look at her life so far. Her early...

K-pop star couple Hyuna and Dawn go head-to-head, releasing solo albums on the same day

Sun, 27 Oct 2019 02:00:07 +0000

In a true test of fan loyalties, K-pop diva Hyuna and her boyfriend Dawn will go head-to-head for the top of the music charts. Both halves of the celebrity couple will release individual solo albums on the same day, November 5, their agency P Nation has announced. “Hyuna and Dawn will have a competition in good faith,” a company official said. “They have been gearing up for a new leap forward as artists. Please look forward to their return.” K-pop band BTS pose with Lauv on Instagram But the...

Gangnam Style’s Psy questioned over K-pop sex and drugs scandal

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 07:00:12 +0000

By Park Si-soo K-pop star Psy was last week questioned in connection with a snowballing sex and drug scandal involving the founder of entertainment firm YG Entertainment, South Korean police have confirmed. The questioning took place on June 16, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. It was part of an investigation into allegations that YG offered prostitution services to two investors from Southeast Asia in Seoul’s Gangnam district in July 2014. The interrogation focused on Psy’s...

South Korean singer Psy, whose Gangnam Style YouTube video tops 1 billion views, invites fans to name his ninth album

Thu, 23 May 2019 18:00:09 +0000

South Korean singer Psy, who rose to global stardom with his 2012 hit Gangnam Style single and music video, is set to release his ninth album. K-pop band BTS wows 52,000 fans at the Rose Bowl, California His agency, P NATION, said he will officially issue his new album in July. It didn't give any further details of the forthcoming release. View this post on Instagram #PSY #newalbum #201907 #컴백무대는어디다?? #ruready⁉️ #pnation A post shared by PSY (@42psy42) on...

K-pop star Seungri’s nightclub drug scandal ‘is just the tip of the iceberg’

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 18:45:12 +0000

By Jung Hae-myoung South Korean celebrities are no strangers to drug problems, with various scandals stretching back to 1975 when a group of stars were charged over marijuana use. Before the current K-pop scandal over systematic drug abuse at the Burning Sun nightclub in Seoul, Gangnam Style star Psy was accused of smoking marijuana in 2001. Several other Korean stars, including singers, actors and comedians, have been prosecuted over drug use since then. And despite various crackdowns, the show...

K-pop stars HyunA and E’Dawn join PSY’s agency P NATION

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 06:20:06 +0000

K-pop diva HyunA and her boyfriend singer E’Dawn have joined P NATION, the label run by Gangnam Style artist PSY. The pair clinched an exclusive contract with the agency on Friday, according to a spokesperson for P NATION. However, it is uncertain whether they would form a duet, he said. K-pop band Wanna One’s Ong Seong-wu to debut as TV actor PSY, founder of the company, also confirmed the deal on his Instagram. On Sunday, he unveiled a photo of the pair and himself, along with a brief welcome...

Baby Shark makers to build on video’s success with K-pop influenced entertainment

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 18:31:33 +0000

“Baby Shark (Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo)” is the YouTube sensation that’s been viewed more than two billion times and made the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week as its top new entrant. The jingle has also become such an earworm that US late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel proposed throwing those responsible in jail for life. Love it or hate it, the South Korean company behind the one-and-a-half minute song about a family of sharks is now seeking to capitalise on its success by expanding its...

AV gives headphones some Gangnam Style

Sun, 26 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

The Hong Kong-listed AV Concept has appointed the South Korean pop star Psy as the exclusive global brand ambassador for its headphone brand "Soul". Psy, real name Park Jae-sang, has seen his "Gangnam Style" video garner more than 1.5 billion hits on YouTube globally. AV, which sells, markets and distributes electronic products, said: "The company believes the world-sweeping popularity of Psy, his extraordinary talent and wisdom in music performance, as well as his forerunning sense of music...

Psy imposter fools celebrities at Cannes Film Festival

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

A man from rural France impersonated South Korean "Gangnam Style" entertainer Psy at the Cannes Film Festival, eating, drinking and partying with the stars in Cannes for two days, press reports said yesterday. Psy "was spotted all over town, attending festival parties and events and posing for photos with fest goers and other celebrities," The Hollywood Reporter said. "But it turns out that the man was not Psy at all, but rather an imposter using his name and fame to get access to the...

Psy agency eyes China presence

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

YG Entertainment, the record label and agency that represents South Korean pop sensation Psy, plans to expand into the China market by setting up a firm on the mainland this year. "We now have more confidence after Psy's global phenomenon and Big Bang's world tour [last year]. So probably we can put more resources and invest more into the Greater China market, which we believe will be the next big market next to Japan," said YG chief operating officer Simon Choi Sung-jun. Last year, the music...

President praises Psy, but video is banned

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Gangnam Style star Psy was praised by South Korea's president and slammed by its state broadcaster all on the same day yesterday as his new song Gentleman made more than just musical waves. While President Park Geun-Hye cited Psy's "exemplary" respect for copyright principles, KBS television banned the Gentleman video saying it could encourage anti-social behaviour. KBS suggested the offending sequences in the video, which has clocked up 140 million views on YouTube, showed Psy jaywalking down...

Psy unveils hip-swinging dance music video to new song 'Gentleman'

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 03:23:20 +0000

South Korean pop star Psy unveiled Saturday the hip-swinging dance and music video for his new song Gentleman, aimed at replicating the global success of Gangnam Style and its famed horse-riding dance. The video, released a day after the song hit online stores worldwide, registered 10.7 million hits on YouTube in the 15 hours after its debut at a packed concert in the South Korean capital. The singer showed off the much-anticipated dance moves – a simple swaying, grinding hip movement – held at...

Forget Kim Jong-un, Psy's new single is all the rage

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Even North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's threats of nuclear war can't divert world attention from the big event on the Korean peninsula this week - the launch of Psy's follow-up to his global hit Gangnam Style. The details of his latest single, Gentleman, were kept under wraps until the song was released at midnight in New Zealand last night. The song, with a techno beat, was full of puns in Korean and contained the lines "I am a party mafia!" and the refrain, "I am a mother father...

Kim Jong-who? Psy to launch new song Gentleman

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:12:45 +0000

Even Kim Jong-un’s threats of nuclear war can’t divert world attention from the main event on the Korean peninsula this week – the launch of Psy’s hugely anticipated follow-up to his global hit Gangnam Style. The new single Gentleman will hit online music stores worldwide on Friday and finally answer the question of whether Gangnam Style and its horse-riding dance was more than just a one-hit wonder. The 35-year-old rapper will follow up the release with a promotional concert in Seoul for 50,000...

New South Korean president Park vows to make people happy

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Following a jaunty ceremony featuring a 21-gun salute, folk dancers and Gangnam Style star Psy, Park Geun-hye, who was sworn in yesterday as president of South Korea, made a revolutionary promise - to make her workaholic, ultra-competitive, ultra-stressed people happy. Unfortunately – and uniquely for an incoming South Korean president – she has no administration in place to deliver that promise. Park is not only the first female leader to win South Korea's presidency, but she is also the first...

Embezzler had plastic surgery, but lure of Gangnam bars leads to his arrest

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

A South Korean man who embezzled US$4.3 million and had plastic surgery to evade capture has been arrested after a hostess-bar spending spree in Seoul's upmarket Gangnam district. The 33-year-old was tracked down after two of his accomplices were arrested, police said. The head of accounting at a semi-conductor manufacturer, the suspect transferred company funds to a series of secret bank accounts, police said. Feigning a family emergency, he left the company in early January, withdrew much of...

Gangnam Style earns US$8m for YouTube

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:18:53 +0000

Google said on Tuesday that the YouTube page showcasing the Gangnam Style video by South Korean rapper Psy has reaped more than US$8 million in ad revenue. Google chief business officer Nikesh Arora revealed the figure while discussing the money-making potential of YouTube during a quarterly earnings call with financial analysts. Ad revenue from popular YouTube videos is shared with creators of the content. In December, Gangnam Style became the first video to break a billion views on YouTube,...

Gangnam Style becomes first YouTube video to pass 1 billion views

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000

South Korean rapper Psy's viral hit Gangnam Style became the first video to break a billion views on YouTube, marking a historic internet milestone. The view counter for Gangnam Style, which was posted on the video-sharing site on July 15, clicked over into 10 figures late on Friday night. "Finally becoming #BillionStyle!!!" Psy wrote on Twitter. Among the first to congratulate him was American rapper MC Hammer, who posted: "Congratulations !!! You made history !!! 1 Billion Views !!!!" Psy...

Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ reaches one billion views

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 01:14:39 +0000

Psy’s “Gangnam Style” became the first video to hit a billion views on YouTube on Friday, marking a fresh milestone in the global craze for the South Korean rapper and his horse-riding dance. The view counter attached to “Gangnam Style,” which was only posted on the video-sharing site on July 15, clicked over into 10 figures at around 15:50 GMT (23:50 HK time), confirming its status as the most viewed video in the site’s history. “One billion views is an incredible number,” said Kevin Allocca,...

Psy’s riches from ‘Gangnam Style’ not made at home

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 05:04:42 +0000

As Gangnam Style gallops toward one billion views on YouTube, the first Asian pop artist to capture a massive global audience has become richer click by click. So too has his agent and his grandmother. But the money from music sales isn’t flowing in from the rapper’s homeland South Korea or elsewhere in Asia. With one song, 34-year-old Park Jae-sang – better known as Psy – is set to become a millionaire from YouTube ads and iTunes downloads, underlining a shift in how money is being made in the...

Psy gallops off with four awards at Asian music show

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Global sensation Psy stormed Hong Kong yesterday, sweeping four awards to become the biggest winner at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, or Mama. The 34-year-old South Korean rapper's Gangnam Style song, the most watched video in YouTube's history, was named song of the year at the star-studded show at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Psy - who is competing with US President Barack Obama to become Time magazine's Person of the Year - was also crowned global favourite artist. His song...

How Korean culture stormed the world

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000

With his slicked back hair, powder blue suit and goofy horse dance, South Korean rapper Psy, who is in Hong Kong today, turned Gangnam Style into one of the musical hits of the year. With over 800 million views on YouTube Gangnam Style has become a cultural sensation, but K-Pop has been around longer than Psy and its influence has lent a hand in elevating South Korea in the consciousness of Asia and the world, with effects that go well beyond the entertainment industry. Culture is helping to...

Aircraft Carrier Style takes off in China

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000

An image from televised footage of China's first successful landings of a jet fighter aboard its only aircraft carrier has become a wildly popular internet meme since the video aired on Saturday. In the picture, two crew members aboard the vessel Liaoning - wearing bright yellow vests and helmets with their backs to the camera - are seen crouching and using their outstretched right arms to point and direct a J-15 jet, while their left arms remain behind their backs. The image has gone viral,...

Liaoning landing tests spawn new Gangnam Style parody

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 09:57:51 +0000

Nearly four months have passed since rap sensation Psy's Gangnam Style hit the airwaves, but China netizens still can't seem to get enough of it. Completion of landing tests on the country's brand new (refurbished) aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was supposed to be the biggest piece of news in the nation this week. But it too was dragged into Gangnam frenzy. A video posted on Youku.com, China’s top video sharing site, on Monday took a light-hearted snub at what was supposed to be a milestone...

Gangnam Style beats Bieber's Baby as YouTube’s most watched video

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 06:13:01 +0000

South Korean pop sensation Psy’s Gangnam Style on Saturday became YouTube’s most-watched video of all time, registering more than 805 million views to overtake Baby by Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieber. The 34-year-old rapper has rocketed to fame since Gangnam Style – in which he performs his now famous horse-riding dance – became a worldwide hit following its release in July. As of Sunday afternoon, the music video had racked up well over 810 million views against more than 804 million for...

Pop idols lead a resurgent Korean wave across the region

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000

For a while, it looked as though hallyu, the craze for all things Korean that swept across the region about a decade ago, was finally on the wane. Few - if any - box office hits from South Korea in the past couple of years had replicated the earlier local success of Shiri (1999) or My Sassy Girl (2001). Stalls on Ladies' Street in Mong Kok had stopped selling DVD box sets of Korean TV dramas. Idols such as Bae Yong-joon, Lee Byung-hun, Jang Hyuk and Jun Ji-hyun no longer triggered the mass...

The staying power of 'Gangnam Style'

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 04:53:59 +0000

President Obama, the mayor of London, China’s top dissident artist and Madonna -- every time someone signals the death of ”Gangnam Style,” another high-profile figure pops up to keep the phenomenon alive. In the four months since the music video by South Korean rapper Psy went viral on YouTube, it has been name-checked and imitated by an impressive roster of global notables from world leaders to sports stars and business tycoons. And the public has joined in with tens of thousands turning out...

Rapper Psy and China's Han Geng pick up gongs at MTV Europe Awards

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 02:06:16 +0000

It was a big night for K-Pop at the 2012 MTV European Music Awards (EMA) as Psy and Han Geng both walked away with awards. The awards, held in Frankfurt, traditionally see North American artists winning the major gongs. However, Psy collected the Best Video award for his global smash Gangnam Style, while Chinese-born Han Geng won Best Worldwide Act. Psy, whose single has more than 700 million views on YouTube and spawned countless videos copying his signature horse-riding dance, paid tribute to...

Letters to the Editor, November 7, 2012

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:49:30 +0000

Why ESF cannot adopt local system I refer to the report (“ESF warned over local curriculum”, November 1). I feel that by suggesting the English Schools Foundation follow the local curriculum in order to benefit from the government subvention, the secretary for education is missing the point of the purpose of the ESF in Hong Kong. Many expatriate families are only here for a limited time. It is not in their interests to integrate fully into the local system by studying Chinese, nor is it in their...

'Gangnam Style' star Psy receives prestigious South Korean honour

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000

South Korea has awarded one of its highest cultural honours to rapper Psy for taking the world by storm with his Gangnam Style hit. The culture ministry announced yesterday that the 34-year-old singer, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, would receive the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit, awarded for "outstanding meritorious services" to the arts. "Psy was chosen for not only being a long-term artist, but also for advertising Gangnam widely and increasing the world's interest in Korea," a culture...

Who said it?

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Psy was chosen for advertising Gangnam widely and increasing the world's interest in Korea A South Korean culture official after rapper Psy was honoured for outstanding services to the arts We are considering a big gay hug Lesbian campaigner Connie Chan Man-wai, on an option for dealing with religious groups planning to gatecrash Saturday's Pride Parade I knew nothing would go with me … it's my life's dream Hong Kong-based jockey Brett Prebble says he had the field to himself in winning the...

Psy bumps JLo to No 3 on YouTube hit list

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000

He's a pudgy, slightly awkward 8K-pop star. She's a Latino sex symbol with a Hollywood career. But South Korean singer Psy has just ousted Jennifer Lopez's On The Floor from second place on YouTube's most-watched list with his video Gangnam Style. After winning celebrity fans from Britney Spears to UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon, the video has garnered nearly 620 million hits. While it still trails US teenage heartthrob Justin Bieber's Baby, which has 790 million hits, analysts expect Psy to...

‘Gangnam Style’ second most-viewed video on YouTube

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 08:54:57 +0000

South Korean pop sensation Psy’s “Gangnam Style” has become the second most-watched YouTube video of all time with nearly 620 million hits as the quirky rapper continues to take the world by storm. The 34-year-old singer, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, rocketed to international fame after “Gangnam Style” – a techno ode to a trendy Seoul neighbourhood – become a worldwide hit following its debut in July. The video went viral online with its goofy signature horse-riding dance and on Friday...

China Digest, October 30, 2012

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000

BEIJING Gangnam Style collapse An outdoor stage collapsed at Peking University on Sunday when a group of students were performing the popular Gangnan Style song and dance, The Beijing News reports. The performance was part of the ninth-annual Peking University International Cultural Festival, and the stage collapsed under the weight of onlookers who climbed onto the stage to sing and dance along. It was not clear whether anyone was hurt or how many students were on the stage. The song, by South...

Gangnam Style: loved by America for all wrong reasons

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000

The Chinese author Mo Yan may have won the Nobel Literature Prize, but the most popular, talked-about and imitated Asian artist of the moment in the United States is a pudgy South Korean guy with a goofy dance by the name of Psy. Gangnam Style, the music video in which Psy shows off his hilarious, or embarrassing - depending on how you look at it - horse-riding dance skills, has been viewed more than 420 million times so far on YouTube. It has been shared on the internet by such celebrities as...

Chart of the Week: 'Gangnam Style' father-son link spurs DI Corp surge

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000

A father-son connection to the Gangnam Style music video has triggered an almost 500 per cent rally in shares of DI Corporation since mid-July in Seoul. Gangnam Style, which contains satirical lyrics about the habits of wealthy South Koreans and features choreography mimicking horse riding, vaulted 34-year-old musician Park Jae-sang into fame under the pseudonym Psy. The musician's father, Park Won-ho, is chairman of DI, which makes semiconductor-testing equipment for clients including Samsung...

Ai Weiwei bemoans block on his 'Gangnam' parody

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:02:21 +0000