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WAY OT - Don't waste your time

Posted By: Jake Jacobs
Date: Sunday, 9 September 2012, at 4:50 a.m.

In Response To: WAY OT - Don't waste your time (Strato)

Gangnam literally means "river south." The older parts of Seoul are north of the Han River (Hangang). Seoul was practically leveled during the war, but rebounded quickly. The country went from farmland (the Japanese had industrialized the north because so much was inarable) to urban in a generation, and a third of the population migrated to the Seoul metro region. When I first went to Korea 25 years ago, aside from the fact that the area south of the river was growing as fast as they could build it, the primary Olympic venue was built there in preparation for 1988.

Kangnam-Gu itself, one particular district south of the river, attracted a lot of yuppified money. That is the "Gangnam style" Psy is singing about (somewhat ironically). My ex-girlfriend's next boyfriend (after A Rha and I broke up) had a high-end dress shop there, one of the first noraebang (karaoke rooms), etc. My next girlfriend wound up cashier at a Chinese restaurant in the COEX building. I lived for awhile slightly west of the glitter area, in Bangbae-Dong, but mostly lived and hung out north of the river in Itaewon.

Psy, the singer, is a bit of a bad boy in Korea. Some of his songs have been banned for "inappropriate content" (for extolling drinking!), he was busted for pot years ago, and there was controversy over his military service, or failure to properly serve same. (Many wealthy Koreans try to duck service, often by studying abroad.)

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