Our Nation: A Korean Punk Rock Community (2002)

The 1990s were a period of continued growth and change for the Republic of Korea. The election of the nation's first civilian president, greater economic purchasing power, increased exposure to outside influences, and a rapidly globalizing world all facilitated the rise of new youth subcultures. In 1994, near Hongik University in Seoul, a club by the name Drug opened. Soon it began featuring bands playing underground rock music: alternative, grunge and punk. In 1996, the Drug label put out its first CD: Our Nation featuring two young bands, Crying Nut and Yellow Kitchen. By 1999, the fans and bands had made Drug into a place of their own. With it and other clubs like it, punk had truly come to South Korea. This is the story of some of the people who make Drug what it is.