Korean-Japanese Singer's Rebel With a Cause

Mr. Pak is one of the kindest, goofiest and talented people I've inteviewed. He's awesome!

Korean-Japanese rocker Pak Poe /Courtesy of film festival organizers

A rough, coarse voice pierces through the crashing of the electric guitar. Listening closer, one recognizes Memphis blues jazzed up with reggae rhythm, janggu (Korean drum) beats and bangs of ggwaenggwari (Korean gong). The lyrics, sung with a heavy Japanese intonation, are actually Korean. The dissonant sounds ultimately form overarching melodies suffused with feeling and warmth.

Korean-Japanese rocker Pak Poe defies convention, ironically, by sticking to tradition and roots. Born in Japan to a Korean immigrant father and Japanese mother, he was the first Japanese singer to croon Korean lyrics. This was in the 1980s ― ``long before Bae Yong-joon and hallyu (Korean wave),'' the 54-year-old told The Korea Times. ``People laughed at me,'' he said.

According to the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Center, nearly half of all registered foreigners in Japan are Korean, as a result of Japan's occupation of Korea (1910-45). Despite generations of residence in Japan, many have maintained Korean citizenship and thus lack many political rights. Early efforts to assimilate with mainstream society included ``soshi-kamei'' or adopting Japanese names.

While it would have been easier for Pak to continue using his Japanese name Hirose, he insisted on adopting a Korean one ― and rebel with a cause. ``Rock 'n roll means being against something and sometimes complete abandonment. If there's no strong message, it ain't rock,'' he said. Despite his political songs, this ``Japanese Bob Dylan'' was constantly coughing up hearty laughter. ``Have you seen (the movie) `Kung Fu Panda'? The panda and I have the same name, Poe,'' he grinned.

In order to succeed in Japan with a Korean name he left. After a stint in San Francisco singing about racial discrimination against Native Americans, he returned to establish a reputation as an eclectic Bob Marley, mixing up reggae and rock. He also inspired a film, ``Across Borders, Pak Poe: A Korean Japanese Singer'' (2003) by Yukio Tanaka. The documentary brought him back to Korea as a special guest at the Corean Network Film Festival, a Korean Diaspora-themed event.

``My (song) theme is always something `arirang,''' said Pak. The term, most familiar as a quintessential Korean folk melody, evokes ``han,'' or pervasive sadness _ bidding farewell to a loved one, making the arduous journey across mountains or the road of life.

Pak lived a modern day Romeo and Juliet romance when he fell in love with a beautiful Japanese girl in high school. But his girlfriend's elite family would never approve of a son of a bulgogi (Korean barbeque) restaurateur. ``It was shocking and sad,'' he said. Yet his story is a familiar one, and is shared by many other Koreans living in Japan. It coincides with the popular Japanese movie ``Go,'' which was inspired by the autobiographical novel by award-winning Korean-Japanese novelist Kazuki Kaneshiro.

While society endorses political correctness, racism is still there, he said. ``One may be friends with a Korean but won't marry one.'' Historically, racial minorities ― Koreans, Ainus and Okinawans ― maintained close relations and married one another.

``We (Japanese) need to educate the young generation, and teach them history. A lot of things are kept secret like the truth about comfort women (World War II sex slaves). We need to be responsible,'' he said. As for the current controversy over Dokdo, he said, ``It's land, it shouldn't belong to anybody… But maybe we should rename it Dokdo-Take,'' he said, combining Dokdo with the Japanese name Takeshima. As much as he sings in Korean, he makes music about Hiroshima.

``We don't think we're going to change the world right away, but make a foundation for the next generation and start little things,'' he said. And he only knows one way: music. ``My songs are essentially love songs,'' he smiled.