Korean Popular Culture

3 Units

This course examines the development and global circulation of Hallyu (the Korean Wave), highlighting various contemporary Korean popular culture genres including K-pop music, cinema, TV dramas, webtoons and animation, digital games and esports, lifestyle media, fashion, and food. Students will engage with primary sources such as K-pop music videos, films, and excerpts from TV dramas and other media products, alongside academic secondary readings that provide theoretical, methodological, and contextual perspectives. By exploring diverse K-media products and engaging in academic readings, multidisciplinary discussions, presentations, and a research project, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of Korean pop culture and social phenomena while developing analytical tools to critically approach cultural objects and texts. The primary language of instruction, including lectures and discussions, is English, and no prior knowledge of Korean is required. Offered as ASIA 312 , KORE 312 , and WLIT 312 . Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.