South Korea: Music

K-Pop & Culture

• Interview an emerging artist about the K-pop industry • Trace musical traditions through Korea’s history • Meet with a K-pop music producer in Seoul • Visit an NGO dedicated to preserving Korean heritage

Destination • Travel to South Korea, where age-old traditions coexist with a powerful, youth-led pop culture. Begin in Seoul, a vibrant city defined as much by its Buddhist temples as its cutting-edge technology, and travel to the seaside city of Busan, as you explore the traditions, forces, and phenoms of Korean music and life.

Themes • Delve into music and cultural trends as you learn firsthand through interactions with industry professionals and public officials. Explore the global reach of Korean pop, learn how a K-pop star is made, consider the influence of Western culture, and examine K-beauty, the global Korean cosmetics industry.

Activities • Watch aspiring K-pop stars perform and take a K-pop dance class. Visit a museum dedicated to Korean musical tradition. Sample Seoul’s famous street food at a lively night market. Travel to the Demilitarized Zone and peer into North Korea. Stay at a traditional Buddhist temple in the mountains.

Detailed itineraries and more at goputney.com Over the past two decades South Korea has become a leading exporter of global pop culture, often referred to as the “Korean Wave,” or Hallyu. Pop music is the heart of the Korean Wave and its impact reaches far beyond the country’s borders, propelled by the proliferation of K-pop videos on the internet and social media.

June 27–July 12

Completing Grades: 9–12 • 16 days • $5,390 + airfare Group Flight: Departs from Los Angeles

pre-college

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Develop the skill set necessary to thrive in college as you explore your interests through field-based seminars, activities, meetings with local experts, and excursions that delve into a local culture.

Choose two college-style seminars—a major and a minor. Establish a foundation in the classroom, then take your ideas to the streets and studios, the markets and museums—these are your classrooms. Learn about the history of World War II in Berlin, study anime in Tokyo, economics and trade at UCLA, and more.

Create a final project based on your seminar experiences and share your creation with your peers and instructors. Return home prepared intellectually and socially for the next step into college.

She gained a sense of confidence and a wider understanding of the seminar topics she enrolled in.

– Renu & Sandeep Kulkarni, Chicago, IL