From niche music loved by a few to the center of global pop culture—K-pop has come a long way 🌍✨ Now it’s not just dominating charts, but also becoming a core subject in academia. On April 25, University of Oxford announced the launch of its Korean Studies Center, set to officially open this October. The center aims to study the sustainability of Hallyu and contribute to its future as a creative hub. Professors there even noted how interest in Korean studies used to be minimal, but now K-pop stages draw the biggest crowds—showing just how much things have changed. At San Diego State University, a K-pop dance theory course—first introduced in 2023 as the first of its kind in the U.S.—continues to sell out every semester, with long waitlists. The class is led by Professor Oh Jooyeon, a former dancer who studied contemporary dance at Ewha Womans University. Meanwhile, University of Southern California even offers lectures centered on G-Dragon (xxxibgdrgn). Top global universities ad...