A1 Level – Elementary
1. Do you know K-Pop music?
2. What is a famous Korean food?
3. Do you like watching Korean dramas (K-Dramas)?
4. What is the capital of South Korea?
5. Do you like the traditional Korean dress (Hanbok)?
6. What makes Korean movies popular?
7. Do you like spicy food?
8. What is a common way to greet an older person in Korea?
9. Do you want to visit South Korea?
10. What is a common Korean family name?
11. What famous technological company is Korean?
12. What Korean word do you know?
13. What is a common social activity in Korea?
14. Do you know about the traditional Korean house?
15. What makes Korean beauty products popular?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. What are the key differences between the traditional food and the modern street food in Korea?
2. Describe one element of Korean etiquette (e.g., table manners) that is unique.
3. What are the pros and cons of the intense training system for K-Pop idols?
4. How has the global success of K-Dramas changed the perception of Asian cinema?
5. Have you ever tried to learn a few basic Korean phrases?
6. What kind of historical sites or cultural landmarks would you visit in Seoul?
7. What is the difference between historical Korean music and modern K-Pop?
8. What is the role of technology and fast internet in promoting the “Korean Wave”?
9. How does the Korean approach to beauty and skincare differ from Western standards?
10. What are the biggest challenges for foreigners trying to live and work in Korea?
11. What is the importance of Confucian values (respect for elders) in modern Korean society?
12. Do you think the popularity of K-Culture is a temporary trend or a lasting global influence?
13. What are the common themes that appear in popular Korean cinema (e.g., class struggle)?
14. What are the best ways to experience Korean culture without traveling there?
15. What is the difference between a traditional Korean holiday and a modern celebration?
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. Discuss the difficulty of adapting to the high-pressure educational and work environment in South Korea.
2. How has the government actively promoted the global export of Korean popular culture (Hallyu)?
3. What are the ethical issues surrounding the extreme public scrutiny and lack of privacy faced by K-Pop stars?
4. Do you agree that the global popularity of Korean culture helps people understand the country’s complex history?
5. Describe a time when a Korean product (food, music) introduced you to a new cultural concept.
6. To what extent does the idealized image presented in K-Dramas reflect the reality of everyday life in Korea?
7. What role do online fan communities (fandoms) play in supporting the global growth of K-Pop groups?
8. How do traditional Korean arts (e.g., ceramics, dance) survive and adapt alongside modern digital culture?
9. Discuss the psychological phenomenon of intense dedication and loyalty to a favorite K-Pop idol or group.
10. What are the challenges for Korean companies in maintaining a unique identity while catering to a global audience?
11. How does the concept of “jeong” (deep emotional bond) influence personal and professional relationships in Korea?
12. Should cultural exports be subtly used by governments as a form of “soft power” diplomacy?
13. What is the difference between consuming Korean culture and truly understanding the language and context?
14. Discuss the concept of “mukbang” (eating broadcasts) and why they are popular globally.
15. What is the long-term impact of high cosmetic surgery rates on the beauty standards of Korean youth?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. How does the hierarchical social structure (age, title) in Korea affect everyday communication and workplace dynamics?
2. What are the ethical arguments about the intense control and contract lengths imposed on young trainees in the K-Pop industry?
3. Should international media be more critical of the mental health issues and social pressures within the highly competitive entertainment industry?
4. What are the psychological reasons why the aesthetic of Korean culture (clean, precise, vibrant) appeals so strongly to a global audience?
5. How has the popularity of Korean food globally influenced traditional culinary practices within Korea itself?
6. Discuss the idea that the success of K-Culture is due to its high production quality rather than its unique content.
7. What is the role of technology (e.g., online comics/webtoons) as a new, major cultural export from Korea?
8. How do the themes of social inequality and economic struggle, often seen in Korean cinema, resonate internationally?
9. What are the challenges of translating the specific humor and cultural references of K-Dramas for a non-Korean audience?
10. Discuss the concept of “cultural odor”—the degree to which a foreign product feels distinctly non-local—in relation to Korean exports.
11. What is the difference between a respectful adaptation of Korean culture and simple cultural appropriation?
12. Should foreign students be required to learn about Korean history and politics before studying abroad there?
13. What is the impact of globalization on the preservation of minority languages and regional dialects within Korea?
14. How does the history of conflict (e.g., with North Korea) subtly influence the art and media produced in the South?
15. Discuss the idea that Korea’s rapid economic and cultural success serves as a model for other developing nations.
C1 Level – Advanced
1. Analyze the geopolitical factors that enable South Korea’s “soft power” influence relative to its economic and military size.
2. To what degree should the legal system intervene to protect the human rights and labor conditions of K-Pop trainees?
3. Discuss the philosophical concept of “collective identity” and how the idea of “uri” (we) shapes Korean social behavior.
4. Evaluate the efficacy of government agencies in predicting and sustaining the longevity of cultural trends like Hallyu.
5. How does the strategic use of fan service and carefully managed celebrity images reflect a commercialized approach to persona?
6. Examine the legal challenges regarding copyright and adaptation when Korean cultural content is remade in foreign markets.
7. What ethical guidelines should govern the level of access and intrusion that fans and media have into the private lives of public figures?
8. Discuss the concept of “cultural homogenization”—is the global spread of K-Culture a form of it, or a counter-force to Western dominance?
9. How do different national policies on cultural funding affect the balance between commercial and traditional arts in Korea?
10. Analyze the interplay between the intense competitive pressure in Korean society and the themes of comfort and escape in its media.
11. What ethical challenges arise when Western companies use Korean aesthetics and branding without crediting or hiring Korean creators?
12. Debate whether the global popularity of Korean media will eventually lead to a decline in interest in its traditional culture.
13. How does the design of major public spaces in Seoul (e.g., entertainment districts) reflect the city’s focus on youth culture?
14. Discuss the concept of “national branding” and how a country’s image is intentionally crafted for the world stage.
15. To what extent does the extreme success of Korean technological and cultural exports exacerbate internal social divisions?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. How do you analyze the idea that K-Pop is an industrial, optimized system for cultural production, differing fundamentally from Western music evolution?
2. Formulate a critique of the global media landscape that often filters or simplifies the complex political and social issues facing Korea.
3. Analyze the intersection of digital privacy, celebrity culture, and the state’s power to monitor the personal lives of public figures.
4. Discuss the philosophical distinction between “authenticity” (real cultural output) and “manufactured product” (global cultural export).
5. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of “soft power” as a tool for achieving hard political and economic goals internationally.
6. Propose a system for managing the global distribution of Korean cultural content that ensures fair profit distribution to all levels of creators.
7. Examine the psychological function of fan labor (e.g., large-scale charity, mass purchasing) in driving the success of K-Pop groups.
8. How does the semiotics of visual storytelling in K-Dramas communicate complex social critiques to a non-Korean audience?
9. Discuss the ethical responsibilities of media companies in providing mental health support to stars subjected to extreme public scrutiny.
10. Analyze the historical relationship between cycles of economic development and the parallel rise of national cultural confidence.
11. Articulate the inherent tension between the intense domestic competition in Korea and the need for global cooperation in cultural export.
12. Debate whether the increasing complexity of Korean media themes (e.g., in films) will eventually require viewers to learn the language to fully appreciate them.
13. Assess the long-term societal effects of highly competitive beauty standards on the mental health and self-image of young women globally.
14. Discuss the philosophical definition of ‘aesthetics’ when applied to the hyper-stylized and commercially driven world of K-Culture.
15. How might the principles of high-precision cultural marketing be used to model processes of global educational outreach?
