K-Pop Music Videos: Domestic and International Directors and Florists Creating a “Final Destination for Visual Aesthetics”

All technologies and professionals related to visual arts are converging on the K-pop music video industry. As K-pop has grown into a massive industry with global prominence, renowned visual artists from home and abroad have begun participating in music video production, and this trend is expected to intensify further by 2025. Currently, the most active production company in the K-pop music video sector is Legend Film. Headed jointly by directors Yoon Seung-rim and Jang Dong-ju, this company has established itself as the most prominent K-pop music video producer through works such as IVE’s “Haya” and ESAPA’s “Armageddon.” After collaborating with top domestic artists like TWICE’s “Alcohol-Free” and Chungha’s “Snapping,” and completing projects for ESAPA’s “Armageddon” and XG’s “TGIF,” it achieved the highest status in the industry. The metallic, cool, and intense atmosphere pursued by ESAPA and the flashy and kitschy style favored by XG were fully reflected in their respective music videos. As of now, ESAPA’s “Armageddon” music video has accumulated 110 million views, while XG’s “TGIF” has reached 24.33 million views. Jo Ki-seok, a photographer and director for the brand Cocona, is another notable visual director in the K-pop industry. Major girl groups such as RED VELVET and LE SSERAFIM have collaborated with him to shoot concept photos that capture the atmosphere of their discographies. Jo Ki-seok’s unique combination of fantastical and cool color palettes blends seamlessly with the girl groups’ youthful imagery, creating a strange yet distinctive atmosphere. When ESAPA’s first full-length album “UNFORGIVEN” concept photos were released, many people identified Jo Ki-seok as the artist behind them. The music videos he directed as a visual director include XG’s “GRL GVNG,” “WOKE UP,” and “HOWLING”; notably, the haircut scene of XG member Koko in “WOKE UP” became an unprecedented moment in K-pop music video history. Lee Su-ho, who works as a music video director, producer, and musician, has delivered numerous interesting projects in the K-pop industry during the 2020s. He showcased his original sense of style through tracks like CL’s “Spicy,” Woo Won-jae’s “Job,” and Saeboyun’s “Freedom.” The alternative K-pop crew Baming Tiger, of which he is a member, is also a team that creates interesting music along with matching music videos. Watching Baming Tiger’s music videos reveals that beyond the conventional notion of music and video operating separately, the group’s comprehensive creativity is embodied within a single piece. Baming Tiger’s “Armadillo” (2020) and “Sexy Nukim” (2023), directed by Japanese filmmaker Penaki, were each selected as the Year’s Best Music Video at the Korean Hip-Hop Awards. Florist Shin Seon-ah is also enhancing visual expression by serving as a set designer for K-pop superstars such as BTS and SEVENTEEN. She runs the flower studio Jungnokhwa and has a background in space design. Her installation art features tornadoes rendered with flowers, roofs blooming with purple flowers, and inverted floral landscapes that defy gravity while concealing complex technical elements. Shin Seon-ah stated that she prefers natural materials commonly found around us, especially simple wildflowers, over the overly extravagant flowers used in the American West. She strives for a humble and understated flower arrangement that preserves the beauty of negative space and curves. As visual artists from various generations gather in the K-pop music video industry, music videos are moving beyond being merely visual aids for music to establish themselves as independent works of art.