Aug 6

Lies, theft, and cover-up: the history of Monopoly you've never heard

Monopoly is one of the best-selling board games of all time. It heralds free market economics and celebrates the American dream. That's a far cry from the original intent. This week on our series Hidden Histories, we go back in time to reveal the swindling and cover ups that robb ... Show More

49m 49s

Aug 4

The song that fueled protests and a legacy of hope

In our final installment of AP250, how We Shall Overcome became the anthem of generations of protestors. Today on the show, we revisit an episode from the NPR archives about the legacy of hope found in the lyrics of this timeless song. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy per ... Show More

19m 26s

Jul 30

The lightbulb conspiracy is both real and everywhere

Over the next few episodes, we present Hidden Histories: stories that will make you rethink how the world works. First up, the conspiracy behind the lightbulb—and how it came to shape the entire consumer economy. If you ever wondered why your tech outdates so quickly or just plai ... Show More

31m 49s

Nov 2022

Throughline: How Korean culture went global

From BTS to Squid Game to high-end beauty standards, South Korea reigns as a global exporter of pop culture and entertainment. How does a country go from a war-decimated state just 70 years ago, to a major driver of global soft power? Through war, occupation, economic crisis, and ... Show More

48m 3s

Jun 2021

K-pop, K-dramas, and K-fever: Why Korean Culture is Booming

In this episode, Dr. Anderson, a South Korean media studies and popular culture expert at George Mason University, tells us how Hallyu - or the Korean Wave - led to the globalization of Korean culture. We discuss how K-pop music and Korean dramas gained worldwide popularity, anal ... Show More

26m 43s

Jan 2023

Hallyu: How the Korean Wave Is Sweeping Global Culture

Background: The Korean cultural wave, also known as Hallyu, has become worldwide sensation a in recent years, with Korean art, music, drama, food and more sweeping the globe. Thanks to the fervour over the likes of K-pop and K-beaut ... Show More

22m 3s

Jan 2021

The K-Pop Wave

Since 2012, Korean pop culture has captured the imagination of people across the Middle East: from K-pop and K-dramas to Korean language classes and even to Korean fried chicken. It's everywhere!But how did we become so obsessed with a culture so different from our own? And how m ... Show More

36m 24s

Jan 2019

BTS: Who made Korea cool?

Korean culture is increasingly playing a bigger role in our lives: We eat Korean BBQ, watch Korean dramas, and buy Korean cosmetics. But the big drive behind the Korean wave is Korean Pop, better known as K-pop. The country’s music industry is taking the world by storm, penetrati ... Show More

21m 3s

Jan 2024

#440 | The Korean Wave: How K-Pop Conquered the World

It's the story of how artists from a small, somewhat unexpected country became global music sensations, amassing devoted fans and making billions in the process. In this episode, we'll be talking about the rise of K-Pop, the strategic role of the Korean government, and the global ... Show More

22m 59s

May 2023

K-Pop's Surprising B(l)ackstory

K-pop disrupted pop culture in South Korea in the early 1990s, and later found fans around the world. Vivian Yoon was one of those fans, growing up thousands of miles away in Koreatown, Los Angeles. This week, we're sharing an episode of In K-Pop Dreaming, the second season of LA ... Show More

45m 6s

Apr 2025

K-pop Stans (teaser)

Ever since Seo Taiji and Boys broke onto the scene in their baggy overalls back in 1992, Korea has been working to cast as wide a cultural net as possible on the world stage. And, by placing young talent through rigorous game show incubators and pumping out dozens of attractive, ... Show More

5m 49s

How Korean Culture Went Global