Korean pop music or K-pop has become extraordinarily popular around the world. However, its global success has been largely unexpected, the result of a years-long process of difficulties. Understanding the key to their success provides an important lesson that can be applied to the music industries of other countries for their own takeoff.

In this second conference, prof. Jimmyn Parc (Sciences Po Paris & Seoul National University) will address some of these main topics. In an era of rapid technological advancement during the 1990s and early 2000s, Korean entertainment companies fully understood the evolution taking place in the music industry. A transformation that included the transition from analogue to digital formats, from albums to songs, from “possession” to “access”, from audio to visual, and from final products to promotional products. Instead of resisting such changes, Korean entertainment companies actively assumed them and with the evolution of digitalization, they have become innovative drivers for their way of adapting to new market trends. All of this has contributed to significantly improving the viability of the Korean music and K-pop industry in the global market.

Through a program of conferences given by leading specialists, the East Asian Global Studies cycle, organized by the Official Master in East Asian Global Studies of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and by Casa Asia, with the collaboration of the GREGAL research group (UAB), analyzes the social, cultural, political, economic and environmental dynamics that emerge from East Asia and influence the rest of the world, turning this area into the most dynamic engine of globalization.

The Official Master's Degree in Global Studies of East Asia (UAB) is a pioneering master's degree in the training of expert professionals in socioeconomic, political, cultural and environmental interactions with East Asia, and offers interdisciplinary training, connected to the international professional environment.

Welcome words:
Rafael Bueno, director of Politics, Society and Educational Programs, Casa Asia

Presented by:
Prof. Blai Guarné, Official Master in East Asian Global Studies, UAB

Moderated by:
Prof. Ester Torres Simón, Spanish Association of East Asian Studies, AEEAO

In charge of:
Prof. Jimmyn Parc, Sciences Po Paris & Seoul National University)

Prof. Jimmyn Parc, visiting professor at Sciences Po Paris and researcher at the Communication Research Institute of Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. He holds a PhD in International Studies (strategy and international business) from the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at Seoul National University, and a PhD in Economic History from the University of Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV), and has published numerous articles. academics and carried out various research projects related to the competitiveness of organizations, the industrial sector and their countries. Currently, his research focuses on the film and music industries facing a changing business and commercial environment as well as the new challenges of digitalization. 

The conference will be given in English.

Upcoming online conferences of the 'Global East Asian Studies' cycle:

Thursday, May 6 from 19.00:20.30 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.
“China in Latin America: the new Asian superpower in the southern countries”
In charge of Daniel Mendez Morán, ZaiChina

Thursday, May 27, 19.00:20.30 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.
“Remaking Kurosawa: Scaling up Kakushi Toride no San-Akunin (The Hidden Fortress)?”
In charge of Dolores P. Martinez, University of Oxford

Thursday, June 10 from 19.00:20.30 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.
“Mapping Environmental Conflicts: A Global Overview and the East Asian Story”
In charge of Yuan Liu, China Agricultural University & ICTA-UAB

Thursday, July 1 from 19.00:20.30 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.
“Global Governance, a 'Gaggle of Gs' and Japan”
In charge of Hugo Dobson, University of Sheffield

They coordinate the cycle:
David Sauri y Blai Guarne, coordinators of the Official Master's Degree in East Asian Global Studies (UAB).

You can also follow this webcast on YouTube on this same page on the indicated day and time:

Check out the Webcast: “Climate Change, Energy and East Asia” (March 18):