B-boying is No. 1 culture product of Korea, says Jinji Crew leader

"Jinjo Crew" is a particular case in that most b-boying dancers are concerned more about livelihood than dancing. There are more than an estimated 1,000 professional b-boying dancers in Korea. Among them, around 10 teams have outstanding skills to compete in the global stage. They compete in these stages and make living with prize money earned there.

B-boying dancers also perform on stage, where competition is so fierce. Moreover, they cannot find enough chances to hold b-boy shows when the economy is tough. Due to this reason, b-boy dancers engage in other part-time work, and some even give up b-boying.

Many people still view b-boying dancers in an unfavorable way. Though it is one genre of art, there are no groups that can defend b-boys while there are no dedicated education institutions for them. "There is no systemic support as the government takes only stop-gap measures," Jinjo Crew's leader Kim Heon-joon said. "B-boying is No. 1 product that Korea should try to spread globally."

부천=김동욱 기자creating@donga.com