K-Pop group "Super Junior"
K-pop group Girls' Generation 
K-pop group T-ara
Yes- they truly perform with those animal ears and mittens onWatch this video:
Now watch this video:
That should give you an idea of the popularity of K-Pop (Korean Pop) here...it is literally the genre of choice for everyone from 5 year old boys and girls, to teenagers, to my 30-something Korean supervisors at school, to the middle-aged women grooving to it at the gym while working out beside me. K-Pop is Korea's contemporary culture at its best! (and that's sort of a joke). It's pretty comparable to bubblegum pop in the US, such as all the boy bands of the 90s, but it's much more clean-cut and just...cutesy. You won't see any Britney Spears imitators here...these singers are totally wholesome in their lyrics, their dance routines, and their stage outfits (think: Mickey Mouse ears, big hair bows, ruffled skirts, and even furry animal gloves). And that's what really struck me about it, after seeing my own kindergarten girls imitate K-Pop singers for so long...that kind of thing is okay here, because it's not Britney Spears. It's not risque, or suggestive, or a blatant display of poor role models for entire populations (if you're not convinced, check out this clip... pretty sure we would NEVER see a girl group in America dressed like this for a Christmas performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aF797hHtiE)
So even though I am somewhat ashamed to admit to my obsession with K-Pop, just know that I also blame it completely on the effects of living abroad. When in Rome...right??
Here are some of my other favorite K-pop songs...
Girl's Generation, with the creatively-titled song, "Gee"
Super Junior, one of the premier boy bands in Korea. There are posters, keychains, mugs, etc. of them at every tourist shop here. Their song is called "Sorry." Watch the video, and then you will understand why every time someone says "I'm sorry" in my classroom, at least 5 students start to chant, "sorry sorry sorry sorry, nicka-nicka-nicka-nicka!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAWqnA8PdcY&feature=fvst
2NE1 (pronounced like 21), with "I Don't Care." This song was EVERYWHERE when I first arrived in Korea...every cell phone ringtone, every soundtrack in every store... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xduaDvFWKd0
ENJOY!!!!!!
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