The Korean rock scene arose out of a sigh of relief at the end of the Korean war when The so-called "God father of Korean rock" Shin Jung-Hyun and his band ADD 4 propelled the GaYo Scene. Bands like THE DONKEYS, QUESTION, THE PEARL SISTERS and GOLDEN GRAPES drew on British mod, American psychedelic, hippie folk and surf rock to create a vibrant atmosphere similar to the Group Sounds happening in Japan.
The late 70's saw a rise in acid folk with Han Dae Soo's Bob Dylan stylings and Kim Jung-Mi's sultry Grace Slick inspired albums, while the 80's embarked on a continuation of psyche-rock with bands like LITTLE GIANT and MAGMA. However, the dictatorial government at the time wouldn't allow for anything more abrasive, so punk never had the chance to developed like it did in many other counrties in the late 70's, and sugary K-pop came to dominate the airwaves.
Korea charged into the information age and file sharing allowed kids to discover all the underground scenes of the past several decades at once. 70's punk, 80's hardcore, grunge and indie rock all broke at the same time for Koreans in the 90's. In 1998, some punks formed the Skunk Label to release local punk, oi! and ska bands including RUX, GUM, F.S.H., DIRTY SMALL TOWN, COCKRASHER and SHORTY CAT. Some of these band have even joined the Japan/Korea Oi! "punk" Festival and recently SHORTY CAT played alongside LOLITA NO.18 at Benten's Wacky Wild Party. The current scene in Korea consist mostly of metal, punk and some indie bands that are being well received around Asia, but have yet to gain attention in the US.
For more info about Korean music please visit this site:http://progressive.homestead.com/KOREA.html
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