Gangnam Style breaks YouTube record

Psy's song poking fun at South Korea's bourgeouisie leapfrogs Justin Bieber's Baby to become most-watched video ever

South Korean rapper Psy's Gangnam Style has become the most-watched YouTube video of all time with more than 805m views.

The camp video, which has spawned a growing number of spoof and tribute clips, wrested the title from Canadian singer Justin Bieber's Baby, which has more than 803m views.

Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, has become an international star since Gangnam Style's release in July.

Psy's song, which pokes fun at the fashion-conscious residents of an upmarket neighbourhood in Seoul, has topped charts around the world, selling more than 4m copies worldwide.

An array of public figures, including the Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, the sculptor Anish Kapoor, and UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon have copied his "horse riding" dance. Tribute videos include a parody by students from Eton, which has been viewed more than 2.7m times.

In October Gangnam Style became the first Korean song to top the official UK pop chart.

Earlier this month the rapper was awarded one of South Korea's highest cultural honours, the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit, in recognition of his global success.

Watch Gangnam Style below

Gangnam Style by Psy

Staff and agencies

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