Korean indie

[3] As a punk rock group, Crying Nut was formed in 1993[4] and is “Korea's most successful indie band”,[5] selling over 100,000 copies of their debut album in 1998.

Seo Taiji and Boys, despite their mainstream success, is still considered a part of innovative Korean indie of the time because they were a self-produced and self-promoted group.

[1] Situated in northwestern Seoul, Hongdae is home to a vibrant and diverse indie music culture and to Hongik University, an institution with a prestigious art program.

Having developed as the center of subculture since the 1990s, cheap rent enabled the establishment of numerous underground clubs, live music venues, record stores, and studios, gathering talented indie musicians.

Groups such as Crying Nut and No Brain are both indie bands that gained fame from a small club in Hongdae called Spot.

[11] One of the most famous clubs in Hongdae is Drug,[4] which opened in 1994 and established their record label in 1996, having played a crucial part in the underground music scene.

Famous for being the home of the renowned school, Seoul National University, student activism, political protest, and music were key elements of its culture until the 1990s.