After Korea was liberated in 1945, trot’s musical characteristics began to change. The pentatonic scale was gradually attenuated and diverse tempos and rhythms were applied – to great success. While the lyrics of earlier songs tended to metaphorically express feelings of love, homesickness or the sorrows of a colonized people, today’s trot has evolved toward more straightforward and candid s of emotion.

Since its emergence in the 1930s, trot has settled into the mainstream of Korean pop music. The secret behind the music’s resilience is its adaptability to changing times. During the wartime years from the outbreak of the Korean War (1950) up to the armistice agreement (1953), trot songs were always there for the displaced, war-torn people, giving vent to their sufferings and consoling their hearts.

A decade later, “Camellia Lady” (Dongbaek agassi) by Lee Mi-ja, a nationwide hit released in 1964, breathed new life into the genre. Musically, it represented typical trot, but the lyrics had a strong down-home feel. Even so, the military government at the time condemned the song as Japanese-style music, and banned it from the airwaves in 1965. The ban would not be lifted until 1987. But in the meantime, trot’s popularity did not wane, instead being continually rekindled by prominent singers like Bae Ho, Nam Jin and Na Hoon-a.

Trot also transformed itself by incorporating other music genres. In the early 1970s, when younger generations embraced rock and folk, several famous singers were involved in a marijuana-related scandal. In response, the authoritarian government launched the so-called “popular music purification movement” to promote “healthy and sound music.” The pop music scene was hit hard; rock in particular earned a bad name, branded as depraved and subversive, which made it hard to find an audience. Then came “rock trot,” combining the two genres, with “Return to Busan Port” (Dorawayo Busanhang-e) by Cho Yong-pil becoming a resounding hit in 1976. Rock musicians looked for ways to survive by adopting elements of public-friendly trot in their music.

After hosting the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Korean society grew more open to new trends and the pursuit of fun and enjoyment. Trot saw a resurgence in popularity as entertainment for adults, and the songs released around that time were specifically branded “adult songs.” But the audience for trot music would not remain limited to this demographic group. “Oh my Goodness!” (Eomeona) by Jang Yoon-jeong, released in 2004, was universally loved and sung along to by people of all ages. Trot had once been maudlin music, sad and tear-jerking, but this song showed it could be a means of entertainment to cheer people up and make them laugh.

1.The first (and last) album by Yoo Jae-ha (1962-1987), which was released shortly before his sudden death in a traffic accident. This album contains nine tracks that marked an evolution in ballad music with their progressive sound. It had a substantial influence on later musicians.
2.The first full album by Byun Jin-sup (1966- ), released in 1988, sold over 1.8 million copies, earning him the Best Rookie Award that year and the Grand Prize at the Golden Disk Awards the following year. Byun enjoyed great popularity from the late 1980s to the early 1990s as the “Prince of Ballads,” succeeding Lee Moonsae.
3.Lee Moon-sae (1959- ), who is arguably the doyen of the Korean ballad genre, released his fourth album in 1987. Beginning with his third album, he collaborated with composer Lee Young-hoon (1960-2008), and this famed duo produced an impressive stream of hits.

The word “ballad” comes from the Latin ballare, which means “to dance.” In the Middle Ages, it referred to “a song to accompany dancing,” but the element of dance disappeared over time and ballads came to be known as songs that tell a story. In Korea, on the other hand, the ballad genre covers a wide range of mellow, slow-tempo love songs. Naturally, the lyrics are mostly about romance and the melodies are sweet and sentimental.

The origin of Korean ballads can be found in the “jazz songs” of the 1930s, a domestic genre rooted in Western pop, or in the American-style “standard pop” numbers that would come to be in vogue in the 1960s. However, it was much later that ballad songs took root as a separate genre. The collaborations of composer Lee Young-hoon and singer Lee Moon-sae turned the 1980s into the golden days of the ballad. Byun Jin-sup, who became a star following the release of his first album “To Be Alone” (1988), was also among the earliest ballad singers. And Yoo Jae-ha, who made just one album before his sudden death in a traffic accident in 1987, was praised for taking ballads to another level by melding elements of classical and jazz music. For almost 40 years, the songs of these artists have been in the hearts and minds of Koreans.

A ballad is largely composed of verse and chorus, beginning slowly and building to an emotional climax before coming down again. Singing styles and emotional s have changed with the times. For instance, ballad lyrics are more colloquial today than in the earlier songs of the 1980s. Roughly speaking, two vocal styles tend to be employed: clear and sweet or growling and raspy. A typical Korean ballad singer uses the former, while rock ballad singers often use the latter. Since the 1980s, crossover attempts with rock, R&B and soul have expanded the boundaries of the genre.