Iranian Cultural Minister Abbas Salehi expressed his concern today (Sunday) over the increasing popularity of K-Pop or Korean popular music, among Iran's youth, according to Iran International.
The Minister said that this phenomenon has them wondering "Where did we go wrong, and where are we going wrong, that we are changing Iran's musical taste in this way?"
Despite the religiously conservative country's restrictions on western culture reaching the country, young Iranians have found ways to celebrate K-Pop via online platforms and social media. Indeed, they not only celebrate the music but also other aspects of Korean culture such as fashion and even language.
This is far from the first time Iran has done its best to try and prevent articles of western or non-religiously approved media and items from making it inside the country.
In June, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei complained of western toys coming into the country amounting to a "cultural invasion" which must be stopped. The Iranian government placed a particular emphasis on stopping Barbies from entering the country, and has succeeded in cutting down the number of dolls entering the country by half.
Iran is facing many other troubles besides Barbies and K-Pop. For the past few months, it has been enduring an escalating economic crisis on multiple fronts.
The country is failing to sell what oil it has due to US sanctions and Chinese efficiency measures at its refineries. Meanwhile, it is suffering fuel shortages at home due to both sanctions and aging infrastructure, leading not only to blackouts in private homes but also the shuttering of factories.
The government recently admitted that about 50% of those aged 25-50 are unemployed, a number likely to worsen with the fuel shortages and blackouts throughout the country.
Iran is also suffering from over 40% inflation and a collapsing currency, with no end in sight and with President-elect Trump promising "maximum pressure" sanctions after the Biden administration loosened some of the sanctions.
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