The Goth Image Expressed in Korean Wave K-pop Fashion

한류 K-pop 패션에 나타난 고스(Goth) 이미지 연구

As a typical subculture, Goth exercises influence on our culture in broad areas. Features of Gothic style, such as dark aesthetics, images of death and fear, and erotic horrification, emerged as attractive themes to contemporary fashion designs. Based on the dark attraction of black color, Goth fashion creates mysterious and fantastic atmosphere as well as grotesque and horrifying mood. 'Hallyu' or Korean wave is a term to describe the phenomenon of fervently loving Korean popular culture. As the fast spreading Hallyu is strongly engraved through the visually conspicuous fashion, we can say that fashion plays important role in diffusing Hallyu. In addition, a number of analyses and researches on the Hallyu, including K-pop, have been conducted, while concentrating keen interest in fashion of Hallyu K-pop stars. Accordingly, this study is designed to examine relations between fashion of K-pop stars and Goth fashion after analyzing features of Hallyu and K-pop and contemplating Goth fashion. Namely, this study will analyze various Goth images shown in K-pop fashion, which is the core of Hallyu, and identify aesthetic features of Goth shown in the fashion of K-pop stars. An investigation and analysis of the Goth images shown in the fashion of K-pop stars identifies the following features : a black aesthetic, eroticism, defiance, reversal of gender identity, and mystery.