About Gangnam Style (강남 스타일) is a 2012 dance pop single written and performed by Korean pop singer Park Jae Sung, better known by his stage name PSY. Since the release of the song and its highly entertaining music video in mid-July 2012, the video has gained more than 8 million views in the span of two weeks and spawned numerous parodies and copycat dance videos on YouTube. Origin The song “Gangnam Style” was written, produced and recorded as the title single of the sixth studio album PSY 6 (Six Rules), Part 1 by South Korean singer and rapper PSY, who is best known for his quick-witted sense of humor and comical dance moves. The song was released on July 15th, 2012, along with the music video which made its online debut via PSY’s official YouTube channel on the same day. "Gangnam Style" (Korean: 강남스타일, IPA: [kaŋnam sɯtʰail]) is a single by the South Korean pop artist PSY. The song was released on July 15, 2012, as the lead single of his sixth studio album PSY 6 (Six Rules), Part 1. "Gangnam Style" debuted at number one on the Gaon Chart, the national record chart of South Korea.[3] As of November 3, 2012 (2012 -11-03)[update], the music video has been viewed over 630 million times on YouTube,[4] and is the site's second most watched video[5][6] and most watched K-pop video.[7] The phrase "Gangnam Style" is a Korean neologism that refers to a lifestyle associated with the Gangnam district[8] of Seoul. The song and its accompanying music video went viral in August 2012 and have influenced popular culture since then. "Gangnam Style" is considered by some to be a worldwide phenomenon, while others have praised "Gangnam Style" for its catchy beat and PSY's amusing dance moves in the music video and during live performances. On September 17, the song was nominated for Best Video at the upcoming 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards to be held in Frankfurt, Germany.[9] On September 20, 2012, "Gangnam Style" was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most "liked" video in YouTube history.[10] The music video has become a source of parodies and reaction videos by many different groups including The Oregon Duck, midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy, and the North Korean government.[11][12] PSY has brought the "Gangnam Style" dance to various locations such as The Today Show, Saturday Night Live, Dodger Stadium, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Samsung commercials.[13] By the end of October 2012, the song reached the number one position in 33 countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Although "Gangnam Style"s reception in Japan remained lukewarm, the song topped China's Baidu 500 download list and was labelled by state-controlled media as a "divine melody".[14][15][16][17] As the song continued to gain popularity, a few prominent figures outside of the sports and entertainment industry appeared in various notable "Gangnam Style" parodies, such as the civil rights activist John Lewis, the Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei, the mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat, the American political philosopher Noam Chomsky, and Inri Cristo, a self-proclaimed reincarnation of Jesus Christ.[18] It was also referenced by Song Sang-Hyun, the President of the International Criminal Court, during his speech in front of the UN Security Council.[19][20][21] In addition, "Gangnam Style"s dance moves have been performed by business and political leaders including Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt, the British Prime Minister David Cameron, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who hailed "Gangnam Style" as a "force for world peace".[22][23][24][25] Contents [hide] * 1 Background o 1.1 K-pop and the Korean Wave * 2 Music video o 2.1 Synopsis o 2.2 Production * 3 Release and reception o 3.1 Critical reception o 3.2 South Korea and Japan * 4 Appearances and live performances * 5 Impact o 5.1 Social o 5.2 Popular culture o 5.3 Parodies and covers + 5.3.1 North Korean parody + 5.3.2 Green Climate Fund * 6 Chart performance * 7 Tracklisting * 8 Charts and certifications o 8.1 Weekly charts o 8.2 Certifications * 9 Achievements o 9.1 Awards and nominations o 9.2 Records attained * 10 Release history * 11 Viral spread of music video * 12 "Oppa Is Just My Style" * 13 See also * 14 References * 15 External links Background "Gangnam Style" is a Korean neologism that refers to a lifestyle associated with the Gangnam district[8] of Seoul,[26] where people are trendy, hip and exude a certain supposed "class". The term was listed in Time's weekly vocabulary list as a manner associated with lavish lifestyles in Seoul's Gangnam district.[27] PSY likened the Gangnam District to Beverly Hills, California, and said in an interview that he intended a twisted sense of humor by claiming himself to be "Gangnam Style" when everything about the song, dance, looks, and the music video is far from being high class.[28] People who are actually from Gangnam never proclaim that they are—it's only the posers and wannabes that put on these airs and say that they are "Gangnam Style"—so this song is actually poking fun at those kinds of people who are trying so hard to be something that they're not. —PSY[29] The song talks about "the perfect girlfriend who knows when to be refined and when to get wild."[30] The song's refrain "오빤 강남 스타일 (Oppan Gangnam style)" has been translated as "Big brother is Gangnam style", with PSY referring to himself;[31][32] "Oppa", a Korean expression used by females to refer to an older male friend or older brother,[33] is also used by K-Pop fans to address their K-Pop idols.[34] During an interview with The New York Times, PSY revealed that his Korean fans have very large expectations about his dancing, so he felt a lot of pressure. In order to keep up with expectations, he studied hard to find something new and stayed up late for about 30 nights to come up with the "Gangnam Style" dance.[35] Along the way, he had tested various "cheesy" animal-inspired dance moves with his choreographer, including panda and kangaroo moves,[36] before settling for the horse trot, which involves pretending to ride a horse, alternately holding the reins and spinning a lasso, and moving into a legs-shuffling side gallop.[37] K-pop and the Korean Wave According to the news agency Agence France-Presse, the success of "Gangnam Style" could be considered as part of the Korean Wave,[38] a term coined by Chinese journalists to refer to the significant increase in the popularity of South Korean entertainment and culture since the late 1990s.[39] Korean popular music (K-pop), considered by some to be the most important aspect of the Korean Wave,[40] is a music genre that relies on cultural technology to adapt to the tastes of foreign audiences and has now grown into a popular subculture among teenagers and young adults in many places around the world.[41] Although it has spread to the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and parts of South America,[42] its reception in the Western world has so far been lukewarm.[43] However, social media networks such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have made it easier for K-pop musicians to reach a wider audience in the West.[44] According to Mark James Russell from Foreign Policy, while the Korean wave "may not (yet) turn heads in Los Angeles or London", this could soon change because of the Gangnam Style phenomenon.[42] Music video Synopsis PSY and Noh Hongchul in the infamous elevator scene in the music video of "Gangnam Style". PSY is lounging at what looks like a sandy beach, but the camera zooms out to reveal he is actually at a playground.[45] The video alternates between the playground, where a boy (Hwang Min-Woo) dances next to him, and a row of horses in stalls, where PSY performs his signature "invisible horse dance".[46] PSY is shown horse-dancing on the roof of the ASEM Tower before the camera zooms out to reveal the Trade Tower in the background. As PSY (and two girls) walk through a parking garage, they are pelted by pieces of newspaper, trash, and snow.[47] At a sauna, he rests his head on a man's shoulder, while another man covered in tattoos is stretching. He sings in front of two men playing chess, dances with a woman at a tennis court, and bounces around on a tour bus of seniors. The scenes alternate quickly until there is an explosion at the chess players. PSY walks towards the camera, exclaiming "Oppan Gangnam style". He and some dancers perform at a horse stable. He dances as two women walk backwards. He dances at the tennis court, a carousel, and the tour bus. He shuffles into an outdoor yoga session. He dances on a boat. The camera zooms on a woman's buttock, then shows PSY "yelling" at it.[47][48] At a parking lot, PSY is approached by a man (Yoo Jae-Suk) with a red Mercedes-Benz SLK and a yellow suit; they have a dance duel. He then appears in an elevator underneath a man (Noh Hongchul) who is straddling him and thrusting his pelvis. The man in the yellow suit gets in his car and leaves. In a subway cabin, he notices an attractive young woman (Hyuna) dancing. At one of the train stops, he approaches the girl in slow motion, and she does the same. Both scenes alternate quickly till they start to embrace. He then tells the girl "Oppan Gangnam style", and they horse dance along with some others at the train stop. He also surfaces from a spa and horse dance across a pedestrian crossing.[49][48][47] PSY sings to the girl at a night club as people in all sorts of costumes walk behind them. He raps "seriously" in an enclosed space, but when the camera zooms out, he is actually sitting on a toilet with his pants down.[47] PSY and a large group of dancers do the horse dance and strike a final pose. After some additional footage of the dance duel, PSY says, "Oppan Gangnam style", and the video finishes with a cartoon graphic. Production A view of Gangnam Station intersection The music video shows PSY performing a comical horse-riding dance and appearing in unexpected locations around the Gangnam District, such as an outdoor yoga session and a hot tub. He wears several distinctive suits and black sunglasses with a mindset of "dress classy and dance cheesy".[50] It features a "skewering [of] the Gangnam image" by the "non-Gangnam PSY"; this parody would be recognizable to viewers familiar with Korean culture.[51][52] Although there are more than ten different locations featured, only two of the scenes are actually filmed in the Gangnam district. The sauna scene, elevator scene and bathroom scene were filmed elsewhere in the greater Seoul region.[53] The video was shot over 48 hours in July.[47][48] And some shots were filmed in Songdo International Business District, which includes Songdo Central Park and International Business District Station.[54] In K-pop, it is routine to have cameos by celebrities in a music video, such as in the dance scenes in the elevator and the parking garage.[45] Making appearances in the music video are: * 4minute member Hyuna playing PSY's love interest and appearing in the two final dance sequences.[52][48] * Big Bang members Daesung and Seungri appear in the video as two old men playing a board game in the park; they are the two men flying in the background after the explosion.[55][56][57] * Hwang Min-woo, a 5-year-old boy who is seen dancing at the beginning of the video. During an interview with CNN, PSY stated that "the night before the music video shoot, I was watching Korea's Got Talent and saw him dance to Michael Jackson. His moves were ridiculous. So we called him up and asked him to be in the music video, which was shooting the very next day, and he came and it all worked out."[29][48] He has been praised for his eye-catching dance moves that have received a lot of attention from viewers.[58] * Comedian/television personality, Korea's Nation emcee Yoo Jae-Suk, in a dance duel with PSY.[52][48] * Comedian/television personality, No Hongchul, dancing in an elevator with his trademark pelvis-thrusting, with PSY rapping underneath him.[52][48] The music was composed by PSY and Yoo Gun-hyung, a producer in South Korea who has also collaborated with PSY in the past. Yoo also arranged the song while PSY was responsible for the lyrics. According to The Guardian, PSY has waived his copyright to the music video. Although this has not been officially confirmed, Arwa Mahdawi of The Guardian reported it was likely that PSY had simply refrained from taking legal action against parodies of his video. "Gangnam Style" is therefore a video that is "born to spawn".[59] Release and reception On July 15, 2012, the music video for "Gangnam Style" was uploaded onto YouTube and received about 500,000 views on its first day.[60] In mid-August 2012, "Gangnam Style" began to catch the attention of broadcasting networks and newspapers around the world. In Germany, an ongoing dispute between YouTube and the GEMA (the country's performance rights organization) regarding copyright issues has led to thousands of music videos, including "Gangnam Style",[61] being blocked in the country.[62] Critical reception Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating About.com 5/5 stars[63] Common Sense Media 4/5 stars[64] Digital Spy 1/5 stars[65] The song received mostly positive to mixed ratings from music critics. Music journalist Bill Lamb from About.com gave the song 5 stars, praising it for "spreading smiles and pure fun around the world in record time". He compared it to Ricky Martin's Latin dance music (i.e. The Cup of Life) and LMFAO songs, saying, "take one part LMFAO's synth-based party music, another part Ricky Martin's Latin dance party and the rest a powerfully charismatic South Korean showman and you have the first worldwide K-Pop smash hit". On about the similarities with Ricky Martin's music he remarked that "...40 seconds into the song, the massive buildup to the chorus is more reminiscent of Ricky Martin stirring a crowd into a Latin frenzy".[63] Deborah Netburn of the Los Angeles Times called it "one of the greatest videos ever to be uploaded to YouTube",[66] while Matt Miller, a host from the business and financial news broadcaster Bloomberg Television, played "Gangnam Style" during his show, because "it's just a super hot video that has gone astronomically viral." He also said that PSY did say on CNN that he wants to make people laugh even in the midst of all these global economic slowdowns, so that is the "Wall Street tie-in" he needed.[67] [68] The song was positively reviewed by Steve Knopper from Rolling Stone, who called it an astoundingly great K-pop video that has all the best elements of hypnotically weird one-hit wonders.[69] Although "Gangnam Style" received largely positive reactions, some have found it wacky or even vulgar.[70] Kim Alessi from Common Sense Media considered the music video for "Gangnam Style" worth seeing for its caricature of contemporary Asian and American urban lifestyles, but also warned that "Gangnam Style" contains sexually suggestive images and "degrading messages" which could be inappropriate for children and teenagers.[64] Mesfin Fekadu of the Associated Press wrote that PSY is "currently having a pop culture moment." PSY's dance moves are "somewhat bizarre" but the music video is full of colorful, lively outfits. He also remarked that the singer is excited that his colorful style is being celebrated in the United States, and around the world.[71] Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, claims that the seemingly bad elements of "Gangnam Style" all come together to create an awesome whole.[72] Maura Judkis from The Washington Post wrote, "'Gangnam Style' has made an extraordinarily stupid-looking dance move suddenly cool".[73] Matt Buchanan and Scott Ellis of The Sydney Morning Herald gave it a negative review, writing that the video "makes no sense at all to most Western eyes" and it "makes you wonder if you have accidentally taken someone else's medication".[74] Paul Lester of The Guardian labelled it as "generic ravey Euro dance with guitars".[75] and Robert Myers of The Village Voice called it "an inspired piece of silliness".[76] Robert Copsey from Digital Spy also gave it a negative review, saying that, "you could slap an LMFAO tag on the cover and few would know the difference".[65] South Korea and Japan Dancers performing "Gangnam Style" during the Gimje Horizon Festival. Cha Woo-jin, a South Korean music critic, told The Chosun Ilbo that "Gangnam Style"'s sophisticated rendering and arrangement has made it very appealing to the general public.[77] Choe Kwang-shik, the South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told reporters that "Gangnam Style" had played an important role in introducing the Korean culture, language, and lifestyle to the rest of the world.[78] However, some have criticized the song for failing to accurately represent South Korean culture. Oh Young-Jin, managing editor of The Korea Times, wrote that the dance has more to do with Americans than Koreans.[79] Immediately after its release, "Gangnam Style" was mentioned by various English-language websites providing coverage of Korean pop culture for international fans, including Allkpop[80] and Soompi.[81] Simon and Martina Stawski, a Canadian couple living in Seoul who were among the first to parody "Gangnam Style" in late July, wrote that the song has the potential to become "one of the biggest songs of the year".[82] However, during an interview with Al Jazeera a few weeks later, Martina Stawski claimed that the worldwide popularity of "Gangnam Style" has been viewed negatively by some K-pop fans, because "they [the fans] didn't want K-pop being liked by other people who don't understand K-Pop".[83][84] This view is also supported by Promi Ferdousi, a K-Pop fan who wrote that the song "has managed to find its way into our clubs while the best K-pop songs are limited to niche groups on social-media websites."[85] In Japan, the song was met with considerable criticism. When "Gangnam Style" first appeared in Japanese TV shows in July, the reaction from viewers was negative. As a result, PSY's Japanese record label YGEX cancelled a previously planned Japanese version of "Gangnam Style".[86] According to The Dong-a Ilbo, a Korean newspaper, "Gangnam Style" has hardly been mentioned by the Japanese media.[87] In comparison with China and other neighboring countries, the song is almost entirely unknown in Japan. The Dong-a Ilbo claimed that this is due to a bilateral diplomatic conflict with South Korea, and it accused the Japanese media of keeping its people "in the dark".[87] Appearances and live performances Following the release of "Gangnam Style", PSY made several performances on television and at concerts in Korea. Among the first of such performances include his appearance on the weekly South Korean music program, The Music Trend.[88] PSY also performed at several concerts prior to his departure to the US, including during "The Heumbbeok Show"[89] and the Summer Stand Concert in Seoul.[90] On August 20, PSY posted on Twitter "Bringing #GANGNAM STYLE to the Dodgers–Giants game this evening". Dodger Stadium presented a segment called "PSY Dance Cam" where they showed clips of the music video, followed by live shots of baseball fans dancing, and then PSY, who waves and does the dance.[91] Two days later, PSY appeared on VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live show, and taught television hosts Carrie Keagan and Jason Dundas how to dance "Gangnam Style".[92][93] On September 6, PSY appeared at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards performing his "Gangnam Style" dance alongside comedian Kevin Hart.[94] After the event, He would make several more appearances on US TV programs. On September 10, he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in Burbank, California, introducing himself as "PSY from Korea", before teaching Britney Spears the dance. He described the dance as "pretending to bounce like riding on an invisible horse"[50][95][96] and when Ellen told Britney she would have to remove her high-heeled shoes to perform the dance Psy protested that no, the point was, 'to dress classy, and dance cheesy.' On September 14, he appeared on NBC's morning program Today in New York City for its Toyota Concert Series, where he performed the song twice and taught the anchors the dance.[97][98] The September 15 season premiere episode of Saturday Night Live featured a sketch based on the song and its video. Bobby Moynihan portrayed PSY, but was joined mid-sketch by PSY himself.[99] On September 22, PSY made an appearance at the iHeartRadio Music Festival to perform "Gangnam Style".[100] PSY would return to South Korea on September 25;[101] while the rapper was in the US, it was announced that he, as ambassador of the Formula One Korean Grand Prix, would perform "Gangnam Style" at the event during the 2012 edition.[102] On October 4, PSY performed "Gangnam Style" during a free concert that he held outside the Seoul City Hall. More than 80,000 fans attended the event, leading to the closure of a part of the city center and an increase in subway operations.[103][104] On October 14, PSY travelled to Yeongam to perform "Gangnam Style" at the 2012 Korean Grand Prix. He also taught Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber the moves. He waved the flag as Sebastian Vettel crossed the line to win.[105] On October 16, PSY travelled to Sydney, Australia, to perform "Gangnam Style" that night on The X Factor, a reality TV music competition; he would be joined by Melanie Brown to perform the "horse dance" on stage.[106] The following day, he performed on breakfast TV show Sunrise in Martin Place, Sydney.[107] Impact Students re-enacting the elevator scene at the University of Bradford's atrium in West Yorkshire, England. After the release of "Gangnam Style", the American talent manager Scooter Braun, who discovered Justin Bieber on YouTube, asked on Twitter "How did I not sign this guy (Psy)".[108] Soon afterwards, it was reported that PSY had left for Los Angeles to meet with representatives of Justin Bieber, to explore collaboration opportunities.[8][70] On September 3, Braun made a public announcement that was later uploaded onto YouTube, saying that he and PSY have decided to "make some history together. [To] be the first Korean artist to break a big record in the United States." On September 4, it was confirmed that PSY was signed to Braun's Schoolboy Records.[109] The music video for the song has gone viral and is an Internet meme.[110] Hallie Sekoff of The Huffington Post quoted from the video's official YouTube video description that the song is characterized by its "strongly addictive beats", and wrote that this is not too far-fetched, considering "how obsessed we've found ourselves."[111] Melissa Locker of Time noted that "it's hard not to watch again …and again …and again",[112] while CNN reporter Shanon Cook told the audience that she had watched "Gangnam Style" about 15 times.[113] As of September 28, 2012, the song's YouTube music video had been accessed by people from 222 countries.[87] Social Main article: Gangnam Style phenomenon As the song's popularity continued to rise, it caused the share price of the song's music label YG Entertainment to gain as much as 50%. DI Corporation, whose executive Chairman Park Won-Ho is PSY's father, saw its share price increase by 568.8% within a few months of the song's release despite making a year-over-year loss.[114][115] Soon, "Gangnam Style" began to attract the attention of several business and political leaders, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon who recognized the song as a "force for world peace".[25] During his meeting with PSY at the United Nations Headquarters, he commented, "We have tough negotiations in the United Nations. In such a case I was also thinking of playing Gangnam Style-dance so that everybody would stop and dance. Maybe you can bring UN style."[116][117] A resident of a shelter for disabled persons dancing "Gangnam Style" during a U.S. Navy community service visit in Geojedo, South Korea. Through the Internet, many fan-organized "Gangnam Style" flash mobs have taken place in various places. The following table documents the top five "Gangnam Style" flash mobs with the highest number of participants: Top 5 "Gangnam Style" flash mobs with most participants Date Location Country Participants October 6, 2012 Seoul South Korea 15,000[118] October 6, 2012 Palermo, Sicily Italy 9,000[119] October 14, 2012 Makassar, South Sulawesi Indonesia 12,000[120] October 20, 2012 Castle Square, Warsaw Poland 6,000[121] October 21, 2012 Piazza del Duomo, Milan Italy 20,000[122] The song has also been tweeted by the United Nations,[123] and the United Nations Children's Fund.[124] It was mentioned by a reporter during a U.S. State Department briefing[125] and referenced by the President of the International Criminal Court, Song Sang-Hyun, during his speech in front of the UN Security Council.[19][20][21] Larry Page, the CEO and co-founder of Google, called the song a glimpse of the future of worldwide distribution during a Google Earnings call.[126] On October 9, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, held a speech at the 2012 Conservative Party Conference where he told the audience that he and the British Prime Minister David Cameron have danced "Gangnam Style".[127] A few days before the conference, they had performed the dance at Chequers Court in Buckinghamshire.[128] The American Council on Exercise has estimated that dancing "Gangnam Style" will burn 150–200 calories per half hour[129] and the song was used by Northampton General Hospital to promote hand washing as part of the 2012 Global Handwashing Day on October 15.[130] Swype, an input method for Android operating systems, included "Gangnam Style" in its list of recognized words and phrases.[131] The French-born political commentator Tim Soutphommasane, a Research fellow at Monash University, wrote that the Gangnam phenomenon is worth studying. According to Soutphommasane, the world is only beginning to appreciate Gangnam Style as "part of a broader hallyu cultural wave coming out of the country [South Korea]".[132] Popular culture Main article: Gangnam Style in popular culture ...it has taken over the world, it has taken over the intrawebs, and now it's time for it to take over Times Square. “ ” —ABC News[133] during a "Gangnam Style" flash mob in Manhattan, September 12, 2012. Since September 2012, "Gangnam Style"s dance moves have been performed by athletes in international competitions.[134][135][136] For example, the Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle danced "Gangnam Style" twice during the West Indies' match against Ireland and then repeated the act when he took a wicket during the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 match against England.[137] District3 and Rylan Clark, finalists of the British music competition The X Factor, lip-synced and danced to "Gangnam Style" in a promotion.[138] On September 27, Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google was reported to have danced "Gangnam Style" when he visited the company's office in Seoul. Nick Carbone from Time described it as cringe-worthy because "It's the same reason why you'd never want to see your dad planking on top of the family car".[139] Several Bollywood actors including Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan have danced "Gangnam Style" during the Indian television game show Kaun Banega Crorepati.[140] Parodies and covers Gangnam Style as parodied in a comic strip published by Dyess AFB, an airbase of the U.S. Air Force.[141] Main article: Gangnam Style in popular culture#Parodies and reaction videos Reaction videos and parodies have been made for or with the music respectively. Some of these user generated videos have received international media recognition. "Gangnam Style"-related videos have also been uploaded by Cody Simpson,[142] Seungri,[143] Latino,[144] Fine Brothers,[145] Barely Political,[146] the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders,[147] and The Ohio University Marching 110.[148] In addition, the song was also parodied by fourth class cadets from the United States Air Force Academy,[149] soldiers from the 210th Fires Brigade, the 2nd Infantry Division, servicemembers from an undisclosed unit and location in Afghanistan,[150], servicemembers from the China Coast Guard's Jiangsu division,[151][152] 150 officers from the People's Liberation Army Air Force,[153][154] as well as high ranking officers from the Royal Thai Navy.[155] During the two weeks leading up to August 8, 2012, nearly 1,000 videos with the word "Gangnam" in the title were uploaded onto YouTube.[60] On August 16, 2012, Nelly Furtado performed the song at her concert in the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines.[156] In Geneva, Switzerland, about 300 people gathered at the International Monument to the Reformation for a parody of "Gangnam Style" organized by a local radio station.[157] According to The Christian Post, "Gangnam Style" was parodied by Inri Cristo, a self-proclaimed reincarnation of Jesus Christ, to attract the public's attention.[18] Another noteworthy parody is "Jerusalem Syndrome Gangnam Style", which is shot at the Old City of Jerusalem and includes important heritage sites such as Mahane Yehuda Market, Western Wall, Zion Square, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It also includes a special cameo appearance by the Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat. The Times of Israel described the parody as "a unique Jerusalem twist to the song".[158] North Korean parody On September 18, 2012, the North Korean government uploaded a parody with the title "I'm Yushin style!" onto the government website Uriminzokkiri.[159] It is a parody of South Korea's ruling conservative party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye, and shows a photo-shopped image of her performing the horse-riding dance, while mocking her as a devoted admirer of the Yushin system of autocratic rule set up by her father, Park Chung-hee.[12][160] At the end of the video, next to an image of Park dancing "Gangnam Style", the video declares, "Yes I love Yushin. Yushin is my hometown, my creed, my future. I'm Yushin style"[161] According to Josh Visser from the National Post, North Korea's video cannot be compared with the original "Gangnam Style" because of its "'Scooby-Doo'-style sound effects and 1960s big band brass".[162] John Hudson from The Atlantic Wire wrote that most frames of the video are too dark to even make out the imagery, and he dismisses the parody as "Pyongyang's latest attempt at cultural appropriation".[163] Mok Yong Jae from Daily NK, an online newspaper run by opponents of the North Korean government, claims that Uriminzokkiri is a "propaganda website" and labels the "Gangnam Style" parody as an attempt to link Park Geun Hye with her father's two decades of dictatorial rule.[161] Green Climate Fund GCF Songdo Style Songdo, a ubiquitous city 40 miles (65 km) west of Gangnam, was among five cities vying for the right to host the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a project developed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to channel $100 billion a year from developed countries to help developing countries combat climate change.[164] During its campaign to win the right to host the GCF, the country's Presidential Committee on Green Growth produced a promotional video entitled "GCF Songdo Style by Psy" in which PSY recommends Songdo as the host city for the GCF. He announces that a "new paradigm" will begin at Songdo with the GCF and the video heralds "The beginning of Songdo Style" while "Gangnam Style" plays in the background.[165][166] On October 20, 2012, the Board of the GCF announced that Songdo had won the right to host the fund.[167] Chart performance The song debuted at number six on the Billboard Korea K-Pop Hot 100 for the week of July 28, 2012.[168] It then topped the chart the week after,[26] and remained at number one for five weeks.[169] On the Gaon Single Chart, the song was downloaded 816,000 times in its first week, and was number one for five weeks. As of 22 September 2012 (2012 -09-22)[update], the song was downloaded over 2.8 million times in South Korea. On August 21, 2012, "Gangnam Style" charted number one on the iTunes Music Video Charts, overtaking Justin Bieber's "As Long as You Love Me" and Katy Perry's "Wide Awake"; this feat is the first for any South Korean artist.[170] Since early September, the song has also peaked on Billboard's YouTube Music Chart at number one.[171] In the United States, "Gangnam Style" debuted at number 74 on Billboard Hot Digital Songs with 23,000 downloads sold in the week ending of September 8, 2012, and two weeks later reached number 25 with 61,000 downloads;[172] previously, 57,000 copies were downloaded in the US up until August 31.[173] The song rocketed to number four for the chart week of September 29, with 188,000 downloads.[174] On the issue date of September 22, it debuted at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the second K-pop song to enter the chart behind the Wonder Girls' "Nobody" in 2009. In the same week, "Gangnam Style" also debuted on the Billboard Pop Songs at number 28.[172] "Gangnam Style" had, by October 11, sold one million downloads in the US,[175] becoming the first K-pop song ever to cross the one-million mark in the country. In its second week on the Hot 100, "Gangnam Style" rose to number 11.[174] In its third week on the chart, "Gangnam Style" rose to number two, behind "One More Night" by Maroon 5, becoming the first K-pop song ever to enter the top ten.[176] On September 1, 2012, "Gangnam Style" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 196;[177] in its second week, the song reached number 61. The next week, the song rose up to number 37 and reached the top spot on September 30.[178] In Finland, "Gangnam Style" peaked at number one on the Official Finnish Download Chart in August[179] and debuted at number one on the main chart in September.[180]