By Honorary Reporter Volga Serin Suleymanoglu from Turkiye (Turkey)

Music video directors like Shin Ji-hoon are shaping the visual language and collective memory that define K-pop's future.

I grew interested in Shin after seeing the music video he directed for Stray Kids' "Jjam." I later found out that he also directed the music video for J-Hope's "Sweet Dream," something I was deeply impressed with. I have since closely followed his work.

The following are excerpts from an email interview from June 24 to July 14 with Shin on his work.

Shin Ji-hoon on music video sets (Shin Ji-hoon)

Briefly introduce yourself.
I'm a music video and commercial director based in Seoul. I grew up loving math and science, but curiosity led me to deeper questions about nature and philosophy. What started as casual photography on hikes sparked an interest in capturing human emotion. That guided my early work in documentaries and commercials and led to my full-time focus on music videos.

Scenes from official music video for J-Hope's "Sweet Dreams" (YouTube)

What about K-pop music videos made you start directing in this industry?
I became a director simply because I fell in love with making videos, not because I was drawn to K-pop from the start. But once in the field, I discovered K-pop music videos are a fascinating blend of culture, story, fashion, choreography and artistic collaboration. I feel a sense of responsibility to help expand and lead its visual language as K-pop grows globally rather than simply following trends.

Briefly summarize the production process of a K-pop music.
It typically takes three to four months depending on project, though shooting takes only one to five days. Most of the time is spent in preproduction, learning about the artists and their fanbase, analyzing the music and choreography, building the concept and refining every detail. 

Scenes of preparation on set of music video for "Red Cheek Boys" by Sunburnkids (Shin Ji-hoon)

How have you overcome challenges in your directing career?
K-pop music videos are more than visual, they're full of cultural content. I prioritize the artist and song, avoiding technical flair. I tried to focus on emotion over complex effects when making the music video for QWER's "Dear" despite criticism that it was too simple. I realized that simplicity, when honest, can be the boldest choice.

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.