Abstract
Once considered a niche subculture, Korean popular music (hereafter, K-pop) is now extremely popular transnationally, with many K-pop groups having worldwide fanbases. Over the last fifteen years, this has led to a rise in interest in Korean Studies at colleges, with more students registering to take Korean or Korea-related classes. However, if many students are interested in learning more about the language or culture of Korea, it is harder to get them to elect a Korean Studies major, especially in a context where finding a job post-graduation is getting harder and harder. This research starts with the paradox that K-pop has yet to be widely acknowledged as a relevant object of pedagogy/study in Korean Studies. Based on experiences with students and observations from witnessing the growth of the field, it inquires about methods to overcome this obstacle. Overall, it argues that students’ interest in K-pop is often misunderstood as a superficial interest in Korean Studies—while it is actually the opposite. Undermining the strength of K-pop as a gateway to Korean Studies prevents students from majoring in the field while limiting them from exploring more ways to incorporate this interest in their future career paths.
Presenters
Mathieu BerbiguierVisiting Assistant Professor in Korean Studies, Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Korean Studies, K-pop, Critical Thinking, Professional Skills, Curriculum
