General Guidance for K-Culture Studies

Each weekly session has a specific focus:

• Week 1: Understanding K-Culture Studies
• Week 2: K-pop and Fandom Studies
• Week 3: K-drama and the Globalization of Korean Popular Culture
• Week 4: Webtoon and the Platformization of Cultural Production
• Week 5: K-food Culture and Live Streaming Media (Mukbang)
• Week 6: K-Platform Economy and Super Apps (Naver and Kakao)

In this module on K-Culture Studies, our aim is to provide a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of this cultural movement. While it’s true that information about K-Culture can be easily found on the Internet, there are limitations to this information. Often, what is available online contains inaccuracies, distorted facts, poor translations, and superficial explanations.

Upon the completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. Place shifts in South Korean popular culture in the context of broader social, economic, and cultural changes with a historical perspective.
2. Understand the theories of globalization and digitalization and their specific impact on South Korean society and culture. Acquire practical skills and critical thinking abilities to analyze research cases related to contemporary Korean society and culture.
3. As professional researchers of Korean culture, we aim to tackle these limitations by providing accurate and reliable information through our curated reading materials. Using our expertise and cultural knowledge, we will cover over 6 themes that are essential for understanding K-Culture.

We will delve into their meanings through discussions, fact-checks, and peer reviews, and provide expert commentary to elaborate on these topics. By doing so, we hope to offer a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of K-Culture to our audience!