The Return of K-Gyaru, the Success Formula for K-pop Content [HT Spotlight]

It all started with the gyaru peace sign. The pose where you make a V with your palm facing the sky, stretch your arm out, and take a selfie. Gyaru peace is a Japanese expression that combines “gyaru,” the Japanese pronunciation of the English slang word “Gal,” meaning a woman or girl, and “Peace,” meaning peace or a finger gesture. Starting with REI of the group IVE, it was once a pose that everyone seemed to copy, but afterward, gyaru disappeared from domestic trends for a while.

Gyaru (ギャル) was originally a subculture that became popular in Japan in the 1990s and 2000s, characterized by dark skin tanning, flashy eye makeup, and blonde or brightly colored hair. At the time, it was read as a rebellious image that resisted established social norms, but its striking individuality is now being newly summoned decades later.

The signal flare for its revival came last November from the YouTube channel ‘Just Lee Mijoo.’ LEE MIJOO uploaded a video in which she personally experienced gyaru makeup, hair, and fashion in Hongdae, and it drew major attention. She later announced that she would continue creating various gyaru-style content under the concept of “K-gyaru.” Her flashy gyaru makeup and cheerful character were said to have matched perfectly, radiating a one-of-a-kind charm.

In March this year, on the YouTube channel ‘Hello, This Is Won,’ MINAMI, the Japanese member of girl group RESCENE, appeared with gyaru-style hair, makeup, and coordination, even adding her distinctive way of speaking, earning the nickname “a gyaru ghost with an overwhelming presence.” As catchphrases like “Geoje—yahoo!” were born, viewers also began copying it by inserting the names of their own regions or friends. In the Geoje Island episode, the scene where MINAMI dances para para (パラパラ, a club dance popular in Japan in the 1990s) behind Won as he fishes drew reactions such as “She looks like a gyaru lady who married into Geoje” and “She never gets discouraged, always works hard, and speaks Korean well,” and it continues to be talked about steadily to this day.

Girl group HEARTS2HEARTS also became a hot topic with Reels filmed in gyaru style. STELLA, a member from Canada of Korean descent, received praise for naturally pulling off gyaru outfits and makeup, and she also showed her affection for gyaru culture by enjoying gyaru poses at official events. Member YUHA also drew reactions such as “HARAM, YUHA’s real name, seems like the successor of gyaru.”

If gyaru in the past was a symbol of rebellion and the non-mainstream, it is now being reinterpreted and consumed as an aesthetic concept. This can also be seen as an extension of the Y2K and retro sensibility connected to the boom in emotional cameras and digital film cameras.

Especially within Gen Z culture, where self-branding has become important, the gyaru trend is being consumed not only as an external style but also as an attitude of not caring about what others think and the inner confidence to proudly express what one likes. In that sense, the resurgence of gyaru can be read not as a simple retro craze, but as an evolution of self-expression culture.