BIGBANG star G-Dragon is not only known for his rapping skills, but also for his fashion and style quotient. Designers across the world have recognised the singer's quirky yet glamorous taste in jackets and footwear. So, it is uncommon for scholars of pop culture to analyse GD as a quintessential example of modern Korean culture. And, this is exactly what happened at the International Hallyu conference, which took place between 3-4 November in Dubai.
Around 200 scholars from across the world gathered to analyse the paradigm shifts in Hallyu culture or Korean wave (as it is otherwise known). The term "Hallyu", which was first coined by the Chinese press in the 1990s, describes the growing popularity of Korean culture and art. In the conference in Dubai, the members of academia studied Kpop and Kdrama to comment on the international significance of Korea's pop culture.
At the symposium, Dr. Ute Fendler of University of Bayreuth began his presentation by playing one of Jiyong a.k.a G-Dragon's videos.
He remarked, "G-Dragon doesn't make his video just to look cool. You also need to look at his creativity, or the depth of his understanding in humanities. European music videos cannot compare his," reported Soompi.
The professor further stated that the "Heartbreaker" singer exhibits a curious fushion of western and Korean culture in his music videos. This, he said, is a result of GD's understanding of western mythology and history.
Nevertheless, Dr. Fendler said the importance and signficance of it is lost on the Korean audience.
GD, who has attended Paris Fashion Week in the past, recently collaborated with Italian footwear designer Giuseppe Zanotti and released a limited edition of unisex shoes.
In Korea, the singer has been notoriously linked with various models and Kpop artists. Recently, a news report claimed that G-Dragon is dating Girls' Generation member Taeyeon after breaking up with his alleged former girlfriend Kiko Mizuhara.
