The 3 Best K-Pop Music Videos, Picked By A Korean Director

Introducing themselves as film director Lee Dae Han and producer and engineer Kim Beom Jun, the two professionals revealed which three K-Pop music videos were so wonderfully filmed they earned the title as their top favorites.

1. “Overdose”

The first music video that blew them away was EXO‘s 2014 title track “Overdose”.

Even though the music video is eight years old, Lee Dae Han remembered how groundbreaking it had been at the time.

That was so innovative [in] that era. The choreography is the main theme. [They] shot it in a long take and edited it to highlight the details.

That was new to us. That was so impressive.

— Lee Dae Han

Between the creative way the members turned the camera and how they used lighting to change the set into a completely new one, “Overdose” had been the first to use so many different techniques. Lee Dae Han said, “The camera zooms in and out in these specific points. There were no other music videos using that technique.”

2. “What is Love?”

The second music video that left Lee Dae Han impressed was TWICE‘s 2018 title track “What Is Love”.

Pointing out the natural way the music video flowed between scenes, Lee Dae Han appreciated how it perfectly captured the feel of a sleepover by weaving stories in. He said, “It’s like teenage girls having a pajama party and talking about their first love. There’s that kind of emotion.”

Those sleepover stories were parodies of other movies, such as La La Land, Love Letter, Ghost, and The Princess Diaries. Although they could’ve overwhelmed the music video, Lee Dae Han praised how well they were able to come together as one whole story.

It’s not easy to melt the homage into a work. Even though we brought different images from movies, the production was very good in that it was well melted into one work.

—Lee Dae Han

3. “Fear”

The last music video was recommended by Kim Beom Jun, who chose SEVENTEEN‘s 2019 title track “Fear”.

Both of them were impressed by the “sudden change of image where it’s not expected,” how the “scenes change quite quickly,” and the perfect transitions between “a lot of cuts.” Using so many techniques to show contrast perfectly captured SEVENTEEN’s unique colors as a group.

SEVENTEEN has their own style, and I think this music video conveys that so well. Every music video has a different vibe, but this was most impressive to me.

— Kim Beom Jun