19 Apr First, consider your prior knowledge of Korean popular culture before and after the readings. What were your impressions? What seems to be the appeal of K-pop?
Read the assigned articles (especially Hall and Smith’s “The Struggle for Soft Power in Asia” and Shim’s “Hybridity and the Rise of Korean Pop Culture in Asia”).
For the actual paper, I want you to address the following: First, consider your prior knowledge of Korean popular culture before and after the readings. What were your impressions? What seems to be the appeal of K-pop? Then discuss whether you agree or disagree with Hall, Smith, and Shim’s assessments of “soft power.”
