logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2024
22m 59s

#440 | The Korean Wave: How K-Pop Conque...

Leonardo English
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Jul 30
#624 | George III: The Real Story of the “Mad King”
In 1788, King George III began speaking without pause, talking to trees, and frightening his court. He is often remembered as the “Mad King” who lost America, but his life was far more complex and tragic. This episode looks at the devoted farmer-king, his mysterious illness, and ... Show More
25m 31s
Jul 16
#622 | A Short History of Fire
A million years ago, in a cave in South Africa, our ancestors did something no other animal has ever done: they controlled fire. Fire cooked our food, shrank our guts, grew our brains, and gave us the deep sleep and fireside stories that made us human. This is the story of our sp ... Show More
24m 39s
Jul 2
#619 | Wyatt Earp | The Man Behind the Legend (English Listening Practice)
In 1881, a 30-second gunfight in Tombstone, Arizona made Wyatt Earp a legend of the Wild West. Earp was a gambler, a lawman, a fugitive, and later a showman who told his own legend for cash. So who fired first at the OK Corral, and how did Hollywood turn a frontier opportunist in ... Show More
23m 9s
Recommended Episodes
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
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
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
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
Jul 2019
What BTS's "Boy With Love" ft. Halsey Can Teach Us About K-pop
How should we listen to K-pop? This music has become a global phenomenon, charting on the Billboard Hot 100, taking over social media feeds, and touring the world. In particular, the group BTS has captured the ears of millions, building an Army of fans along the way. As uninitiat ... Show More
39m 53s
Sep 2022
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
47m 48s
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
Dec 2019
96 - The Rise of BTS
What makes BTS so successful? It's a question with no simple or single answer. Join Kayla and Bethany as they discuss the multitude of components that have contributed to the rise and popularity of BTS worldwide, regardless of linguistic and geographical barriers. Let us know wha ... Show More
1h 10m
Apr 2020
The Dark Story of K-Pop
<p>Korean pop music, or K-pop, originated in South Korea but has become a powerful, global phenomenon. This multi-billion dollar industry manufacturers scores of pitch-perfect idols and groups, performers who become lead trendsetters in the world of fashion, dance, music and more ... Show More
1h 1m
Sep 2018
Why BTS Became the Breakthrough K-Pop Act in America
BTS is the focus of the latest episode of the Pop Shop Podcast, as the Pop Shop team dives into why the South Korean group became the breakout stars for the K-pop genre in the U.S. Billboard contributor and K-pop expert Jeff Benjamin joins the show to discuss all things BTS and K ... Show More
39m 15s