K-pop group Oneus’ commitment to weaving Korean traditional culture into their music sets them apart
- The sound of a Korean zither, song lyrics written in an ancient Korean poetic form, wearing hanbok on stage – Oneus’ embrace of Korean culture stands out
- With the group about to begin a first world tour, members including Keonhee and Hwanwoong have been learning English to better communicate with fans
By Dong Sun-hwa
To date, many K-pop acts have woven elements of Korean traditional culture into their music and performances, putting a fresh spin on their songs while promoting the country’s time-honoured cultural assets.
Most of them, however, gave it a shot only once or twice – presumably due to the difficulty of fusing the old and new – but boy group Oneus (pronounced “One Us”) is an exception.
Since generating a buzz with the 2019 release “LIT”, characterised by the unique sound of Korean traditional music, the five-piece act have consistently been putting a traditional twist into their music offerings, carving out their own niche in the cutthroat K-pop industry.
For the performance of “Luna” (2021), one of its best-known hits, featuring the sound of the gayageum – a 12-string Korean zither – Oneus members don hanbok and perform talchum, a traditional Korean mask dance. The song’s lyrics are also written in the form of sijo, a Korean poetic form that is known to have emerged in the era of the Goryeo Kingdom in Korea (918-1392).
