Conceived as a series, these four lectures address the popular media’s paradoxical ability to serve as both a gateway to escapism and a form of engaging with reality, and explore how new media technology has brought more voices and perspectives to wider audiences.


2 October
K-pop Natives: Popular Music Industry and Fandom Culture
Speakers: Bokgil and Yoonha Kim, with DJ GCM

The organizer of K-pop Djing event SKPP, Bokgil, and popular music critic Yoon-ha Kim probe the inner workings of the popular music industry and fandom culture to discuss the current status of K-pop as a locus of fantasy.


9 October
Navigating Back and Forth Between Reality and Fantasy
Speaker: Bo-young Kim

Novelist Bo-young Kim draws from SF fiction and film, including from her own work, to address the paradox of how fantastical depictions are often more accurate and have more universal reach than realistic approaches.


16 October
On the Edge of Escape: The Mediascape Created by Contents Lab Vivo
Speaker: Hyekyong Sim

Professor Hyekyong Sim reflects on the impacts of Contents Lab Vivo, a content creation company founded by comedian Song Eun-I in 2015 as a response to the challenges faced by female entertainers.


23 October
Sitcom Euratpapa: Yeonbunhong TV’s Journey Towards Diverse Entertainment
Speaker: Kim Il Rhan

Based on her personal experience of directing Euratpapa, Korea’s first queer family sitcom produced by the LGBTQ-focused studio Yeonbunhongchima, Kim Il Rhan talks about how video-sharing platforms can help to better present diversity and inclusion.