Activity 8.1: Hallyu and K-Pop: A Global Phenomenon

Activity 8.1: Hallyu and K-Pop: A Global Phenomenon

    Students explore Hallyu, the Korean Wave, and analyze K-Pop and Hallyu examples.

Activity Questions

  • What is ” Hallyu, the Korean Wave,” and how is it impacting the global economy and global culture?
  • How is K-Pop similar and different from other genres of music?
  • How has the popularity of Korean culture and pop music shaped Korean American identify?
  • How has Korean culture and K-Pop influenced your understanding of South Korea’s current status in the world?

Instructional Strategies

  • Use the Lesson 8: Korean Popular Culture in the United States (Activity 8.1) presentation to support this lesson.

Introduction to Hallyu: The Korean Wave

  • Review the activity questions.
  • Present lecture material introducing the topic of Hallyu.
  • OPTIONAL: Show the video, “A Brief History of Hallyu,” which focuses on Korean films (6:47 minutes).

Hallyu Assignment

  • Provide students time in class to pair up and select a Hallyu example to

research. Review the assignment with students and provide time in class or assign as homework.

  • Let students know they will select and research a specific example of Hallyu to research and share. Students will prepare a one-page report.
  1. Title, author, and year originally published/created
  2. 50-words summary and description
  3. Reasons it has become internationally popular
  4. Whether the intended audience is children, youth, adults, or all of the above.
  5. Two images of the example
  6. One YouTube clip (less than 3 minutes long) of the example.
  • Have students share their reports and videos in class.

Introduction to K-POP

  • Open the lesson by playing one of the songs by BTS or BlackPink.
  • Present lecture material introducing the topic of K-Pop.

Compare and Contrast Activity

  • Distribute lyrics to Girls’ Generation’s Mr. Taxi and Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway.
  • Play both musical videos and make them available for students to replay while completing the comparison/contrast activity.
  • Distribute and review the K-Pop Music Comparison/Contrast Activity and have students complete the worksheet in pairs or small groups.

Closing Activity

  • End class with review and discussion of the activity questions.

Resources

Hallyu Research Assignment (PDF)

K-POP Comparison/Contrast Worksheet (PDF)

YouTube Video: Brief History of Hallyu (6:47 minutes)

YouTube Video: The Korean Wave: How South Korea is Dominating the Internet (9:08 minutes)

Lyrics Breakaway English (PDF)

Lyrics Mr.Taxi Japanese English (PDF)