MUS 200 — K-Pop and the Global Stage

 

Quarter: SummerInstructor(s): Christopher Hepburn

Duration: 6 weeks

Location: Online

Date(s): Jul 13—Aug 17

Class Recording Available: Yes

Class Meeting Day: Mondays

Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade

Class Meeting Time: 5:30—7:00 pm (PT)

Tuition: $365   

Refund Deadline: Jul 15 

Enrollment Limit: 55  

Status: Open

 

 

@koreantopik4u

 

What began as a regional experiment in South Korea has become one of the defining cultural forces of the 21st century. This course traces how K-pop evolved from a tightly managed domestic industry into a global phenomenon that has transformed how popular culture is produced and consumed. We’ll examine the production systems behind idol groups, the transnational creative networks that sustain them, and the fan communities redefining what it means to be an audience in the digital age. Situating K-pop within the broader history of modern Asia, the course explores how cultural “soft power” operates through media, aesthetics, and shared imagination rather than formal politics. Case studies include music videos and media such as KPop Demon Hunters, which playfully reimagines idol culture through mythology and genre storytelling. Drawing on scholarship, journalism, and conversations with leading experts, students will gain insight into how Asian popular music illuminates globalization, identity, and cultural influence today.

 

 

CHRISTOPHER HEPBURN

Lecturer, Southern Methodist University

Christopher Hepburn is a musicologist with expertise in premodern and contemporary East Asian history, art, and culture, particularly focused on Japan and South Korea. He previously taught courses on East Asian history, art, and culture at the University of Southern California. He is the author of Defining Waka Musically, and he has contributed to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. He received a PhD in musicology from Texas Tech.

 

Textbooks for this course:

There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.

https://continuingstudies.stanford.edu/courses/liberal-arts-and-sciences/k-pop-and-the-global-stage/20254_MUS-200