This course introduces students to pop cultures in Korea, Japan, and China as well as related key theories and concepts of society and behaviour. Pop culture refers to production, circulation and consumption of movies, pop music, animation, comics, TV programs, games, idols, and other forms of entertainment. The course first introduces the genres and types of East Asian pop culture and then explores a broad range of issues such as cultural commodification and consumption, ethics and legality, cultural collaboration, soft power and historical reconciliation. In particular, the course focuses on cultural industries in East Asia and how they shape social behaviour, value creation, and identity formation in East Asia and beyond.

CILO-1: Describe cultural industries in East Asia and identify the determining economic and cultural factors of the East Asian pop culture. CILO-2: Describe the East Asian pop culture as globalizing youth culture and identify the ethical and legal issues in the East Asian pop culture. CILO-3: Describe the East Asian pop culture as global capitalism, cultural commodification, and identity-shaping consumption in the context of globalization and media digitization. CILO-4: Explain the East Asian pop culture in relation to soft power and cultural diplomacy.