The “Gangnam Style” statue, inspired by the international hit song by K-Pop star Psy, has been a part of Seoul’s landscape since its unveiling in 2016. Situated on the eastern patio of COEX, a cultural hub in the Gangnam Ward of southeastern Seoul, this impressive sculpture has recently surged in online popularity, catching the attention of netizens worldwide.
| Engadget
Despite being a fixture since 2015, the statue has only recently gone viral, thanks to a tweet from a passerby. The user expressed their admiration for the statue’s design, initially unaware of its association with “Gangnam Style.”
we walked by this sculpture and i really liked it like it looks so delicate for its scale and medium i was actually kind of in awe then i found out it was a statue made to commemorate gangnam style pic.twitter.com/RUHR8XvnoN
— renren! (@twtnirenren) November 27, 2023
Their tweet, revealing this realization, struck a chord with the online community, amassing over 170,000 likes and 20,000 retweets. The Twitter user also explained their shock at the statue’s design came as a result of it looking nothing like they expected it to.
I knew we were going to a ‘Gangnam Style’ statue but I thought it was going to be like a fiberglass Psy cartoon figure not the c*ntiest pair of hands I’ve ever seen.
— @twtnirenren
| Global Gangnam-Gu
Standing five meters high and eight meters wide, the bronze statue is a creative representation of the iconic horse-riding dance from “Gangnam Style.” Viewed from above, the giant hands of the sculpture seem to embrace a globe, symbolizing the song’s global reach. The sculpture’s interactive nature, equipped with sensors that play the song and flashlights when people are nearby, adds a dynamic element to the visitor experience.
Psy doing the dance. | Wireimage | Yonhap
The “Gangnam Style” sculpture was built to give Seoul a landmark reflecting its culture and history, similar to New York City’s “Charging Bull” or London’s “Piccadilly Circus.” The Gangnam Ward, recognizing the song’s influence in popularizing Korean pop culture, has held annual events since then to celebrate the mega-hit.
The statue, initially unveiled as a tribute to a momentous song in K-pop history, has now found a new audience, sparking interest and appreciation years after its creation. This resurgence of interest underscores the lasting impact of “Gangnam Style” and its continuing influence on global pop culture.
