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Social Science and Public Policy

The Birth of Korean Cool

April 28, 2022 at 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Virtual (See event details)

This event has already occurred. The information may no longer be valid.

Euny Hong offers a fresh, funny, up-close look at how South Korea remade itself as the world’s pop culture powerhouse of the twenty-first century, discussing how a really uncool country became cool, and how a nation that once banned miniskirts, long hair on men, and rock ‘n’ roll could come to mass produce boy bands, soap operas, and the world’s most important smart phone. She will recount how South Korea vaulted itself into the twenty-first century, becoming a global leader in business, technology, education, and pop culture.

Hosted by:
Kristen Patel
Gregg Professor of Practice in Korean and East Asian Affairs

Euny Hong is a journalist and twice-published author, most recently of a work of non-fiction entitled The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture, which received rave reviews. The Telegraph UK described the book as “fabulously snarky.” The New York Times described the book as “Incisive and humorous…an excellent case study of calculated entrepreneurial moxie.” Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal Europe, The International Herald Tribune, The New Republic, and The Boston Globe, among others. She has many TV appearances, on such programmes as “Picture This” on BBC2, “Ronan Farrow Daily” on CNBC, and Bloomberg TV. She has delivered live talks at SXSW 2015, Boston College, Harvard, Yale, The Korea Society, and has keynoted events around the country. Previously, she was with the France 24 TV news network in Paris, and she started her journalism career as a TV columnist at the Financial Times. She has a Higher Certificate from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. She graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Philosophy and is a former Fulbright Scholar. She is fluent in English, French, German, and Korean.

This event was first published on March 28, 2022 and last updated on January 19, 2023.

Event Details