[FEATURE] Resurging popularity of vinyl LPs faces abrupt halt in S. Korea

By Park Sae-jin Posted : November 23, 2017, 09:18 Updated : November 24, 2017, 08:06

[Photo by Park Sae-jin]
 


In a maze of alleyways and narrow byroads packed with hundreds of small stores selling everything outdated and old-fashioned from TVs and antiques to expensive transistor audio systems sit a 45-year-old vinyl shop with a worn-out sliding door which is reminiscent of a doorway into a dungeon.

On the walls of Dol Record, filled with a sweet and spicy smell of old vinyl paper covers, tens of thousands of LPs were tightly shelved. And Kim Sung-jong, a 63-year-old shop owner, silently wiped the dust off LPs with a few regular customers watching the graceful handiwork or being immersed in deep consideration over what to buy.

Almost every vinyl available in South Korea is on display, ranging from old Korean pop songs released back in the 50s and albums of foreign artists such as Bob Dylan to hit songs in the 1990s. Albums of Metallica and other popular foreign rock bands occupied a whole wall, forming a section of its own.
 

[Photo by Park Sae-jin]


"Welcome to the vault of nostalgia," Kim said, beaming a warm smile in the middle of a thick cloud of cigarette smoke. "People here are desperately trying to hold back the extinction of an old culture."

The shop located in what used to be a thriving electronics market in central Seoul epitomized the history of South Korea's vinyl community that thrived in the 1970s, backed by small shops which had their own recording facilities to help consumers create a record of their own edited to include their favorite songs.

"There was at least a record shop in each neighborhood back then. The shops played a crucial role in getting uncensored foreign albums deemed unfit for release by the government," Kim said, recalling the days of strict censorship under military dictatorship.

The industry experienced a crash landing in 1994 when a new copyright law banned illegal copies and the distribution of pirated albums. Vinyl shops were literally wiped off as fans shifted to CDs and mini audio systems which were relatively cheaper, forcing the country's last record pressing factory to shut down.

With home-made vinyl records unavailable, South Korea has been completely dependent on expensive imports up until now. Famous modern K-pop artists like BIGBANG's G-Dragon released a limited version of albums in LPs but they were manufactured overseas in small numbers.

After a downfall for two decades, the audio industry saw the resurging popularity of vinyl LPs last year, boosted by cheap, entry-level LP players produced by China.

"I don't know exactly why, but there was an increase in the number of 'newbies' interested in listening to vinyl records as their hobby. Maybe it's because of the cheap, affordable audio systems," said Kim.

Vinyl fans and shop operators, however, remained pessimistic about vinyl's complete resurgence in a digital age. "The bubble of interests has popped. The industry is stagnant and I see no future," Kim said, adding he was keeping his place up just because of old fans.

"South Korea's vinyl industry will turn into something like an antique industry. I think it will not die off but dry out gradually to become a very rare hobby for a small number of people," Kim added.

 

A DJ prepares to play a song off an LP record at "The Timber House", a bar operated by Park Hyatt Seoul. [Photo by Park Sae-jin]


Sales of new vinyl records were up and down. Last year, Kyobo Hottracks, a multi-store subsidiary of the Kyobo Life Insurance Group which owns the country's largest bookstore chain, posted a 150 percent increase in sales of vinyl records, but the company predicts this year's sales will drop by 31 percent on-year.

"We have yet to analyze the reason, but sales of vinyl records have seen a sharp drop this year," a Kyobo Hottracks official said on condition of anonymity. He cited various factors such as prices and the changing social trend, though it's premature to make a clear judgment.

Women accounted for 13.9 percent of all vinyl record sales at Kyobo in 2014, but the share rose to 21.5 percent in 2017, reflecting a change in their dilettante life.

Fortunately, there are some bars and restaurants trying to become a sanctuary for old fans who want to hear the sound of LPs and young people who are experiencing something new and fresh. Drinks or food were served, but the music was at the center of the experience.

Park Hyatt Hotel located in a financial and commercial district in southern Seoul renovated "The Timber House", a vinyl music bar, in October by turning its live stage into a DJ box along with a premium audio system and two thousand records. It runs a bi-weekly program on Saturdays, encouraging visitors to bring their own vinyl to have it played in the bar.

 
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