Exploring the Origins of K-POP... Documentary on the “Kim Sisters” and Memorial Exhibition for the Late Kim Myung-gon

As K-POP gains increasing global prominence, interest in its origins has also risen sharply. Recently, exhibitions and screenings highlighting the historical roots of K-POP have taken place simultaneously in the United States and South Korea. At Chapman University in California, the documentary “Try to Remember” (2015), which focuses on the “Kim Sisters,” regarded as the founders of K-POP during the Korean War, was shown. Director Kim Dae-hyun personally introduced this 70-minute documentary at the event. The film centers on Min-ja Kim, one of the Kim Sisters, and covers her family history, musical journey, and activities on the international stage. The Kim Sisters were formed by Na-nun (Lee Nan-young) during the Korean War, bringing together her daughters Sook-ja and Ai-ja Kim, along with her niece Min-ja, to create a vocal group. They performed in English at U.S. military bases stationed in Korea and at local clubs. Despite their limited language skills, they gained popularity through their musical talent, capable of playing 13 different instruments such as bagpipes, bass, guitar, drums, and saxophones. In 1958, they caught the attention of agent Tom Ball and moved on to perform regularly at the Thunderbird Hotel in Las Vegas. Later, they achieved international fame by appearing 22 times over six years on “Ed Sullivan Show.” Although their first album released in 1959 was not commercially successful, their efforts laid the foundation for the popularization of K-POP. Meanwhile, in Seoul, the first memorial exhibition for the late Kim Myung-gon (1952–2001), a musician who revolutionized Korean pop music in the 1980s and 1990s, was held. The exhibition titled “K-Pop Supernova: From Kim Myung-gon” took place at “Seongsu Namu” in Seongsu-dong from the 30th until November 6th. It explores the career of this genius producer, who started as a member of the keyboard group Love and Peace and created a song that topped “Gayo Top Ten” for 89 weeks. Planner Song Eui-seong PD explained, “The point at which our music became as sophisticated as Anglo-American pop was when Kim Myung-gon began working as a studio producer. His musical revolution was a pivotal moment in the history of Korean popular music.” The core section of the exhibition, “Forest of Melodies,” displays the original sheet music for famous songs such as “Standing Under the Tree Shades,” “Red Sunset,” “You Reflected in My Smile,” and “Invisible Love,” allowing visitors to glimpse the artist’s spirit and the intense life of a music worker. Unreleased photos, videos, and Kim Myung-gon’s voice recordings, restored using AI technology for the first time, are also on display. A “pop-up documentary” reconstructing the JTV special documentary “Supernova: Kim Myung-gon’s Sound Revolution,” as well as a series of talks by fellow musicians like Kim Hyung-seok, Yoon Il-sang, and Ku Chang-mo, and unreleased music listening sessions, are also part of the event. This exhibition was selected for the 2025 Broadcasting Culture Support Project, and a touring version is also being planned for the Jeonbuk region.