This month, 45 ajummas—middle-aged South Korean ladies with sun visors, short permed hair, and bright, frequently mismatched outfits—flash-mobbed San Diego, shimmying and twerking to Rihanna.
Ajumma EXP performed for International Women's Day and Women's History Month to honor all women. In 2017, Lee Ann Kim dressed in high black heels, a skin-tight leopard print skirt, and a tight black top over a padded bra for a girls' night out in San Diego for her 47th birthday.
Her pals wore short curly wigs, visors, and flamboyant clothes. Kim, a former TV presenter, said they teased her: “‘Hey, Ajumma, you’re over the hill,’” “I changed my clothes inside, and we all went out as ajummas that night.”
This night out inspired Kim, her friend Sonia Chin, and choreographer Melissa Adao to form the flash mob dance company Ajumma EXP. Still going strong in its sixth season, the infectious group.
“Not worrying about our appearance or men's gaze was so liberating. There was no look, though. Kim stated we were invisible. BTS was starting to come on, Blackpink was already on, and we chose Ajumma EXP because it sounded K-pop-y and indicated experience, experiments, expression, and more, Kim added. Hip-hop was our only choice because everyone expected us to do K-pop. We visited grocery stores and malls.”
She said the group has grown from 12 to 50 ajummas, including Asian, Latina, Black, and white women.
“I can't believe how a fun, sassy idea became a movement. We have many women in different cities saying, ‘Oh my God, I want to start one!’ Oh my God, you inspire me.”
Ajumma EXPs' flash mob to Missy Elliott's “Work It” last year had nearly 1 million Tik Tok views. Kim said women in other cities and countries want to form chapters. The San Diego group is the only one.
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