President Psy?

Nothing proves how mainstream the once controversial Korean rapper Psy has become than his appearance, in tuxedo, at the inauguration ceremony for new South Korean president Park Geun-hye on Feb. 25.

“Gangnam Style” may have been irreverent about a certain class of Korean citizen, but its worldwide popularity turned Psy into the sort of national symbol that no one, not even the most visible representative of that class, can ignore.

Park is the daughter of late president Park Chung-hee, who ruled the country as a dictator and instituted a policy of repression and torture.

Some Koreans consider him a monster while others credit him with making the country a modern industrial state.

Regardless of the controversy, Psy treated the inauguration concert as a show of national unity. He introduced the hit at the ceremony by saying, “Last year ‘Gangnam Style’ allowed me to experience a miracle. As a Korean citizen, I hope that, with the beginning of this new administration, everyone can experience their own miracle.”

And while all 90,000 people in attendance were supposedly in formal attire, he got them all to do the horse dance.