Singer G-Dragon has become the subject of the first four-credit university course in K-pop to be offered in the United States.

“A four-credit course dedicated solely to a K-pop artist is being offered for the first time at the University of Southern California’s (USC) Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism,” the singer’s Galaxy Corporation said Friday.

The course was first revealed through a post on USC Annenberg’s official Instagram account.

“Like Yale University’s course on Beyoncé and Harvard University’s course on Taylor Swift, USC’s decision to open a class on G-Dragon is seen as academia’s formal recognition of K-pop as a global cultural phenomenon and of the industrial and cultural value carried by the so-called G-Dragon universe,” said Galaxy Corporation.

Set to begin in the spring semester of 2026, the course, titled “COMM 400: Crooked Studies of K-pop: The Case of G-Dragon,” will be taught by Professor Lee Hye-jin.

“It is deeply meaningful that, on the 20th anniversary of G-Dragon’s debut, a prestigious university like USC is offering the first for-credit course in K-pop to explore his cultural impact,” said CEO of Galaxy Corporation Choi Yong-ho. “This will reaffirm the artistic depth and global influence of K-pop, and we will continue to promote G-Dragon’s unique value to audiences worldwide and expand the horizons of K-culture.”


BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]