Lesson 47

TVXQ has the largest official fan club in the world.

They also have the best music video I've ever seen.

The band is known in Korea as DBSK (Dong Bang Shin Ki). Cassiopeia, the band's official fan club, has more than 800,000 fans in Korea alone and won DBSK a spot in the Guinness Book of World records in 2008. (Who'd have known?)

TVXQ, DBSK, Tohoskini, Dong Bang Shin Ki (four of the names the band goes by)

Cassiopeia at the Dream Concert

I first heard of this band in early September when I was still jet-lagging and waking up at 5:00AM. Since I didn't have internet at that point, I would turn on the TV and flip through the channels. My favorite was the channel with all of the music videos that (far as I know) is only on in the morning. The music video that made DBSK known to me is the video for "Balloons" (please watch it!). They dress up in animal costumes and the song itself is incredibly catchy. It has something to do with being a child I think? (Tiffany, help us out!)

Also popular on the music video channel:

"Abracadabra" by Brown Eyed Girls - (The dance they do in this video is known as the "saucy dance" and is considered to be very provocative. This group got a lot of criticism for this "racy" video; members of the boy bands 2AM and 2PM got together and made a parody video "Dirty Eyed Girls." Regardless, it's my favorite Korean song right now.)

"Heartbreaker" by G-Dragon - (G-Dragon is a member of Big Bang, a very popular Korean hip-hop group. The first time I saw this video it was halfway through the song and I swear I thought he was a girl. He was accused of plagiarism for this song because it's almost identical to Flo-Rida's "Right Round," though I must give G-Dragon credit - his version is better.)

"내 귀에 캔디 (My Ear's Candy)" by Baek Ji Young - (Baek Ji Young was a very popular Korean pop singer whose career nose-dived after a sex tape came out in 2000. BIG DEAL IN KOREA. This is still a fun song though. I want to learn the lyrics and sing it at noraebong.)

"Indian Boy" by MC Mong - (Quite frankly, this video is ridiculous to me because there are just so many things wrong with it, but they play it constantly on TV. My kids love it and sing it from time to time and I just want to sit them down and explain the facts to them.)

I spent the entire day downloading K-pop songs. Would anyone like to share a good K-pop band with the class? Which music video or song is your favorite? Tell us in the comments!