South Korea is literally building a monument to 'Gangnam Style'
The South Korean musician Psy took the world by storm in 2012 with the music video for "Gangnam Style." The viral sensation, which featured a dance reminiscent of riding a galloping-horse, became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views and, since November 24, 2012, it has been the most-watched YouTube video of all time.
You might say it's a monumental achievement — and the Seoul district of Gangnam, from which the song takes its name, would agree. The neighborhood announced Friday that it's going to erect a statue in honor of the dance outside of a shopping center where one of the scenes in the music video was shot. The sculpture will feature two giant, overlapping wrists, a signature of the "Gangnam Style" dance. The song will reportedly play when tourists stand under the statue.
"Thanks to the music video, Gangnam became known throughout the world. We hope this will become a landmark for our district," Gangnam's tourism director, Park Hee-Soo, told AFP.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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