SEOUL – As the train rolls towards the platform, a familiar tune begins to play. An announcement, first in Korean, then in English.
It is a simple melody, yet instantly recognisable to not just Seoulites but anyone who has spent some time in the South Korean capital. It is the sound of the Seoul subway.
Recently, it seems, there has been a newfound appreciation for the subway’s platform music.
Mr Jonah Aki, an American choreographer who has lived in Seoul for a decade, owes much of his recent fame to it.
A video of himself dancing to Seoul subway jingles, uploaded on TikTok and Instagram in March, gained more than five million views in total, moving him into the media spotlight in recent weeks.
“(The jingles) are iconic and very unique to Seoul. I’m from Los Angeles, where most people don’t use the metro system. I don’t think they have subway music like Seoul does. If I remember correctly, it’s just a basic chime,” Mr Aki told The Korea Herald.
“Since I’m a dancer, I usually move my body to any kind of song. After I started making videos for (social media), I thought, ‘I have to make one for the Seoul subway’.”
Mr Aki made the video by combining two separate clips – a video of him dancing and another of an approaching train. Recently, he filmed a new dance video at a subway station.
“I asked Seoul Metro for permission to film and they said I could do it in a station. I chose Noksapyeong station not only because it’s close to my house but also because there aren’t that many people there, and I didn’t want to bother anyone while they’re travelling,” he said.
The American dancer, who has worked with many K-pop artistes, including girl groups (G)I-dle and Brown Eyed Girls, was surprised by the explosive response from local residents after sharing the dance video.
“I actually get recognised in public these days because of that video. I hear people around me saying, ‘I think that’s the subway dance video guy’. I’ve gotten a lot of new followers too, so I am very thankful for everyone’s positive reactions,” he said. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
