Friday, September 23, 2022 | 12:00PM-9:00PM (PT) | FLYER | PHOTOS

This all-day event examines K-pop as a global cultural phenomenon and the evolution of the Korean Wave, known as Hallyu. The event will feature a graduate student panel, a conversation with Dom Rodriguez (Senior Vice President and Head of SM Entertainment USA), as well as a K-pop festival that includes a K-pop cover dance competition and performances by K-pop artists, Kingdom and Kim Sejeong (of Uncanny Counter and Business Proposal; former member of I.O.I and Gugudan).

Graduate Student and Industry Panel
12:00PM-4:00PM | Wallis Annenberg Hall (ANN) Auditorum (L105A) 

Graduate Student Panel moderated by Prof. Henry Jenkins (Provost Professor of USC Annenberg Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Arts and Education)
12:00PM-1:30PM
>> Angie Chang, MS, Music Industry, USC Thornton 
>> Hyejoo Lee, PhD, East Asian Languages and Cultures, USC Dornsife
>> Becky Pham, PhD, Communication, USC Annenberg
>> Ray Kyooyung Ra, PhD, Cinema and Media Studies, USC Cinematic Arts
>> Tiara Wilson, PhD, East Asian Languages and Cultures, USC Dornsife

Dom Rodriguez (Senior Vice President and Head of SM Entertainment USA) in conversation with Prof. Hye Jin Lee (Clinical Assistant Professor of Communication, USC Annenberg)
2:30PM-4:00PM

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K-Pop Dance Competition and Performances by KINGDOM and KIM SEJEONG
6:00PM-9:00PM | McCarthy Quad 
 

This event is co-hosted by the Annenberg School of Communication, East Asian Studies Center, the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles (KCCLA), the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE)

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Event Wrap!

(Photo by Louis Chen)

We kicked off the event with a Graduate Student panel followed by a conversation with the Senior Vice President and Head of SM Entertainment USA, Dom Rodriguez and USC's own Prof. Hye Jin Lee! Later in the afternoon, a K-pop dance cover competition took place on McCarthy Quad with teams from all over the nation competing. Kingdom, a K-pop boy group, started off the evening program with energetic performances of their latest songs and interacted with their fans throughout their performance! Kim Sejeong was the final act and participated in a mini-interview session on stage with Prof. Lee before wrapping up the night with a final song.  

Additional Photos and Videos
Dance Competition
Kingdom
Kim Sejeong

Recordings
Graduate Student Panel
Conversation with Dom Rodriguez, SVP and Head of SM Entertainment USA

News Articles

"K-Pop Festa at USC celebrates increasingly popular music genre"
- ABC News

"K-pop takes center stage at USC concert, dance competition and academic forum"
- USC News

"Photos: K-pop takes center stage at USC"
"K-pop Festa brings the Korean cultural wave to USC"
"Dornsife and Annenberg panelists discuss the worldwide reach of K-pop"
- USC Annenberg Media