Media | Grace Kao, IBM Professor of Sociology

October 29, 2024. “Taking Gratitude into Our Own Hands.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
October 24, 2024. “From Stars and Stripes to K-Pop Heights.” ABC (Australia Broadcasting Corporation). Radio Interview with Grace Kao.
October 15, 2024. “Buddhism, Poet Seo Jeong-Ju, and BTS.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao
October 8, 2024. “Why K-Pop Lip-Syncing Doesn’t Bother Me.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
October 1, 2024. “Korea’s Obsession with Designer Handbags.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao
September 24, 2024. “NewJeans Fights HYBE for Their Survival.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao
September 11, 2024. “Why do Fan Reactions to Celebrity Misconduct Differ between Korea and Overseas?” The Korea Times. By Pyo Kyung-min.
September 10, 2024. “American Redemption vs Korean Punishment for BTS’s Suga.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
September 4, 2024. “K-Pop Agencies Hop on the Virtual Artist Bandwagon.” The Korea Herald. By Hong Yoo.
September 3, 2024. “My K-Pop Class at Yale University.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao
August 20, 2024. “K-Pop’s Pursuit of the US Billboard Hot 100.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
August 13, 2024. “What It’s Like to Ride in a Driverless Car.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
August 6, 2024. “Vance’s ‘Childless Cat Ladies’ Make Memes for Democracy.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
July 30, 2024. “Asian Americans in US Census Counts.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
July 23, 2024. “Webtoons in College Classrooms.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao
July 2, 2024. “BTS Jin’s Hugs and Idols’ ‘Fan Service.'” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
June 28, 2024. “What Tech Startups and K-Pop Have in Common.” Fortune Magazine. By Allie Garfinkle.
June 25, 2024. “Six Degrees of ASTRO’s JinJin.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
June 24, 2024. “Can K-pop thrive beyond its Korean identity?” The Korea Herald. By Jae-heun Kim.
June 18, 2024. “TRENDZ ‘Glows’ Toward Global Stage.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
June 11, 2024. “International Fans on the Way to “Music Bank.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
June 4, 2024. “K-Pop Fanmeetings and Collective Nostalgia.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
May 28, 2024. “Did K-pop debut in US with The Kim Sisters in 1959?” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
May 14, 2024. “American Racism against Stray Kids.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
May 7, 2024. “Has Money Displaced Romance on Dates?” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao and Meera Choi.
April 29, 2024. “HYBE vs. ADOR: Inspiration, Imitation, and Plagiarism.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
April 23, 2024. “The Golden Girls: 1980s Miami vs 2020s Seoul.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
April 17, 2024. Interview on “What’s Behind the Popularity of Korean Content?” Korean Wave in Busan, BeFM (English language public radio station) Busan, South Korea.
April 11, 2024. “The Joys and Challenges of Interracial Friendships.” The Washingon Post. By Rachel Hatzipanagos.
April 9, 2024. “Manners and Morals for Everyday Idols.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
April 3, 2024. “Romantic Relationships Turn Off Women More Than Men.” Psychology Today. By Bella DePaulo. (Summary of paper by Hannah Tessler, Meera Choi, and Grace Kao, “Love as a Low Priority: Gender and Relationship History Differences in Singles’ Value of Romantic Partnership”)
March 26, 2024. “How Makgeolli Signals Virtue in K-Dramas.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
March 19, 2024. “My Korean Hospital Adventures after Breaking My Ankles. The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
March 12, 2024. “What are American BTS Army events like?” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
February 27, 2024. “The Manifold Groups of BOYS PLANET.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
February 13, 2024. “Are Pets Replacing Kids in Korea?” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao
January 30, 2024. “The Appeal of K-Pop to Americans.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.
December 12, 2023. “BTS go off into the army – what now for K-pop’s biggest stars?” BBC News. By Frances Mao.
December 12, 2023. “K-pop fans get ‘enlistment depression’ as last BTS members join bandmates in military.” NPR Morning Edition.
December 8, 2023. “政大校友會歲末雲端音樂雅集 12月15日登場” (NCTU Alumni Association’s year-end Music Gathering will be held on December 15 via zoom). World Journal (世界日報). In Chinese.
November 29, 2023. “With ‘Golden,’ Jung Kook Goes From K-Pop Phenomenon to Global Superstar.” Bloomberg. By Ashley Carman.
November 6, 2023. “Yale sociologist and BTS fan researches K-pop.” The Korea Herald. By Kim So-hyun.
October 21, 2023. “TRENDZ halten vor Yale-Studenten Vortrag über K-Pop” KBS World/German.
October 18, 2023. “TRENDZ convivió con estudiantes de Yale.” K-Land Mexico.
October 17, 2023. “Yale Professor Invites K-Pop Group to Speak with Class, Organizes Public Fan Meeting.” Office of International Affairs, Yale University.
October 16, 2023. “TRENDZ Holds Their First-Ever Virtual Fan Meeting at Yale University.” HALSUG.
October 12, 2023. “트렌드지, 美예일대 찾아 K-POP 파급력 입증···“꿈 이뤘지만 새 목표 향해 달리는 중”(TRENDZ visits Yale University to prove the influence of K-POP… “I have achieved my dream, but I am running toward a new goal.”) (in Korean). Kyunghyun Shimun.
October 11, 2023. “트렌드지, 美 예일대서 데뷔 과정, 목표 전해… K-POP 파급력 입증” TRENDZ, talks about their debut process and goals at Yale University… Proving the influence of K-POP” (in Korean) Single List.
October 10, 2023, “재능 뛰어난 4세대 아이돌”…트렌드지, 美 예일대 러브콜” (4th Generation Idol with Outstanding Talent… TRENDZ gets call from Yale University) (in Korean). Nate.com.
October 10, 2023. “트렌드지, 美예일대 러브콜…“꿈 이뤘지만 새 목표 향해 달리는 중” (TRENDZ, gets attention from Yale University, “We have achieved our dream, but we are running towards a new goal”) (in Korean). BigData News.
October 10, 2023. “Media Release: Deep Dive into TRENDZ’s Discography at Yale University.” mykpopwire.
October 10, 2023. “TRENDZ on Awakening Your Inner Self and Doing Things Your Way at Yale University.” Cherry Chu.
October 10, 2023. “7 Things to Know about TRENDZ.” The Honey Pop.
August 21, 2023. “Beyond BTS: Professor Grace Kao on K-Pop.” YouTube — Yale University News.
August 21, 2023. “The rise of K-pop, and what it reveals about society and culture: Early in the pandemic, sociologist Grace Kao began watching K-pop videos, largely as a diversion. Now she’s exploring the societal impact of the popular genre.” Yale University News.
June 18, 2023. South China Morning Post. “How a Yale professor, raised on MTV, saw BTS and fell in love with K-pop. Now she teaches a comparative course in the music genre.”
June 14, 2023. The Korea Times. “INTERVIEW: Yale professor’s love affair with K-pop.”
May 30, 2023. CNN. “The Differences Between Race and Ethnicity and Why They’re So Hard to Define.”
May 18, 2023. Korean Culture and Information Service, Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. “Meet Grace Kao, A Yale Professor in Love with K-Pop.”
May 2, 2023. Yale’s Office of International Affairs. “Yale Sociology Professor visits Korea to Discuss the Impact of K-Pop on Asian American Identity.”
June 7, 2022. Korean Journal of Popular Music. Hallyu and K-Pop as Seen in America. (20-page interview with me in Korean, translated from the Peng Pai interview from January 21, 2022). Volume 29: 389-409.
June 2, 2022. The Korea Times (한국일보) “BTS가 쏘아 올린 ‘차별금지’… “고개 들 수 있게 됐다” 美 이민계 울컥” (Translation: BTS Urges to Combat ‘Anti-Asian Hate Crimes’… “Now We Are More Confident” — Response from Asian Americans).
April 15, 2022. KBCS Radio, Seattle, WA. “The Power of the BTS/ARMY Relationship.”
January 21, 2022. “The Paper” or Peng Pai (澎湃新闻), a daily news outlet in Shanghai, China. “Interview｜Grace Kao (actually my Chinese name) on Hallyu Research and Teaching: Reflections of a Yale Sociologist.”
January 10, 2022. Podcast: Yellow and Brown Tales: Asian American Folklife Today. Episode 6. “K-Pop Scholar Dr. Grace Kao Talks BTS and Their Rise To Popularity.”
November 29, 2021: The Korea Times (한국일보). “BTS, 눈물의 ‘나성’ 상봉…팬데믹 이산가족 모녀의 만남: ‘BTS·아미 어셈블’ 눈물바다 된 공연장” (Article about BTS fans traveling to LA for their concerts).
November 21, 2021: The Korea Times (한국일보). ‘오겜’ 결혼식, 52년 된 프로에 첫 한국계 캐릭터… 일상 파고든 한류 (Article about the popularity of the Korean Wave Abroad).
August 5, 2021: Seattle Times. “How America Tells Me and other Asian American Men We’re Not Attractive.”
May 5, 2021: Mainichi Shimbun (毎日新聞). “Fluctuating Hierarchies? Rapid Increase in Hate Crimes against Asian Americans” “揺らぐヒエラルキー　ヘイトクライム急増の背景にアジア系の躍進?”
April 12, 2021: Wyoming NPR “What Anti-Asian Sentiment Looks Like In Smaller, Rural Areas, And Why It Matters”
April 12, 2021: Variety “Media Bears Responsibility for Reinforcing Asian American Stereotypes”
April 12, 2021: The Debate on France 24 TV (40 minute show)
April 8, 2021: ACADAMES Podcast S507: Friendship in the Academy, Part 2: Grace Kao on Interracial Friendship‪s‬
March 31, 2021: CT NPR (WSHU). “Asian American Pacific Islander Individuals Weigh In On Biden Discrimination Plan”
March 26, 2021: CT NRP (WSHU). “Virus Of Hate: ‘We Are Not Your Fetish’ — Combating Anti-Asian Racism And Sexism”
March 23, 2021: The Wrap. “There’s No Evidence Atlanta Spa Victims Were Sex Workers – So Why Is That Part of the Narrative?”
March 23, 2021: Los Angeles Times “As pandemic recedes, mass shootings again jolt America.” LA Times & Finger Lakes Times
March 21, 2021: KRON-4 (NBC Affiliate in San Francisco)
March 20, 2021: CNN Interview with Christi Paul
March 19, 2021: The Washington Post. “Atlanta spa killings lead to questions about sex work and exploitation”
March 18, 2021: The Insider. “The shooter blamed sex addiction, but experts have ‘no doubt’ the Atlanta killings were racially motivated”
March 17, 2021: USA Today. “Will Atlanta shootings spur action on anti-Asian hate crime laws?”
August 19, 2020: NPR. Code Switch. “Keep Your Friends Closer”
July 16, 2020: WSHU Public Radio. “Virus Of Hate: Plagues And Anti-Asian Racism, Then And Now”
July 11, 2020. The Insider. “Trump has a penchant for calling the coronavirus the ‘Chinese Virus’ or ‘Kung Flu.’ Experts on Asian culture said the racist implications of the term divert attention from the disastrous US response.”
May 20, 2020: Washington Post. “Asian American Doctors and Nurses are Fighting Racism and the Coronavirus.”
March 26, 2020. USA Today. “Asian American Lawmakers Sound the Alarm on Coronavirus-Related Discrimination.”
February 9, 2020. The Conversation. “Asian Guys Stereotyped and Excluded in Online Dating”

October 29, 2024. “Taking Gratitude into Our Own Hands.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

October 24, 2024. “From Stars and Stripes to K-Pop Heights.” ABC (Australia Broadcasting Corporation). Radio Interview with Grace Kao.

October 15, 2024. “Buddhism, Poet Seo Jeong-Ju, and BTS.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao

October 8, 2024. “Why K-Pop Lip-Syncing Doesn’t Bother Me.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

October 1, 2024. “Korea’s Obsession with Designer Handbags.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao

September 24, 2024. “NewJeans Fights HYBE for Their Survival.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao

September 11, 2024. “Why do Fan Reactions to Celebrity Misconduct Differ between Korea and Overseas?” The Korea Times. By Pyo Kyung-min.

September 10, 2024. “American Redemption vs Korean Punishment for BTS’s Suga.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

September 4, 2024. “K-Pop Agencies Hop on the Virtual Artist Bandwagon.” The Korea Herald. By Hong Yoo.

September 3, 2024. “My K-Pop Class at Yale University.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao

August 20, 2024. “K-Pop’s Pursuit of the US Billboard Hot 100.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

August 13, 2024. “What It’s Like to Ride in a Driverless Car.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

August 6, 2024. “Vance’s ‘Childless Cat Ladies’ Make Memes for Democracy.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

July 30, 2024. “Asian Americans in US Census Counts.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

July 23, 2024. “Webtoons in College Classrooms.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao

July 2, 2024. “BTS Jin’s Hugs and Idols’ ‘Fan Service.'” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

June 28, 2024. “What Tech Startups and K-Pop Have in Common.” Fortune Magazine. By Allie Garfinkle.

June 25, 2024. “Six Degrees of ASTRO’s JinJin.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

June 24, 2024. “Can K-pop thrive beyond its Korean identity?” The Korea Herald. By Jae-heun Kim.

June 18, 2024. “TRENDZ ‘Glows’ Toward Global Stage.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

June 11, 2024. “International Fans on the Way to “Music Bank.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

June 4, 2024. “K-Pop Fanmeetings and Collective Nostalgia.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

May 28, 2024. “Did K-pop debut in US with The Kim Sisters in 1959?” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

May 14, 2024. “American Racism against Stray Kids.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

May 7, 2024. “Has Money Displaced Romance on Dates?” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao and Meera Choi.

April 29, 2024. “HYBE vs. ADOR: Inspiration, Imitation, and Plagiarism.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

April 23, 2024. “The Golden Girls: 1980s Miami vs 2020s Seoul.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

April 17, 2024. Interview on “What’s Behind the Popularity of Korean Content?” Korean Wave in Busan, BeFM (English language public radio station) Busan, South Korea.

April 11, 2024. “The Joys and Challenges of Interracial Friendships.” The Washingon Post. By Rachel Hatzipanagos.

April 9, 2024. “Manners and Morals for Everyday Idols.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

April 3, 2024. “Romantic Relationships Turn Off Women More Than Men.” Psychology Today. By Bella DePaulo. (Summary of paper by Hannah Tessler, Meera Choi, and Grace Kao, “Love as a Low Priority: Gender and Relationship History Differences in Singles’ Value of Romantic Partnership”)

March 26, 2024. “How Makgeolli Signals Virtue in K-Dramas.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

March 19, 2024. “My Korean Hospital Adventures after Breaking My Ankles. The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

March 12, 2024. “What are American BTS Army events like?” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

February 27, 2024. “The Manifold Groups of BOYS PLANET.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

February 13, 2024. “Are Pets Replacing Kids in Korea?” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao

January 30, 2024. “The Appeal of K-Pop to Americans.” The Korea Herald. By Grace Kao.

December 12, 2023. “BTS go off into the army – what now for K-pop’s biggest stars?” BBC News. By Frances Mao.

December 12, 2023. “K-pop fans get ‘enlistment depression’ as last BTS members join bandmates in military.” NPR Morning Edition.

December 8, 2023. “政大校友會歲末雲端音樂雅集 12月15日登場” (NCTU Alumni Association’s year-end Music Gathering will be held on December 15 via zoom). World Journal (世界日報). In Chinese.

November 29, 2023. “With ‘Golden,’ Jung Kook Goes From K-Pop Phenomenon to Global Superstar.” Bloomberg. By Ashley Carman.

November 6, 2023. “Yale sociologist and BTS fan researches K-pop.” The Korea Herald. By Kim So-hyun.

October 21, 2023. “TRENDZ halten vor Yale-Studenten Vortrag über K-Pop” KBS World/German.

October 18, 2023. “TRENDZ convivió con estudiantes de Yale.” K-Land Mexico.

October 17, 2023. “Yale Professor Invites K-Pop Group to Speak with Class, Organizes Public Fan Meeting.” Office of International Affairs, Yale University.

October 16, 2023. “TRENDZ Holds Their First-Ever Virtual Fan Meeting at Yale University.” HALSUG.

October 11, 2023. “트렌드지, 美 예일대서 데뷔 과정, 목표 전해… K-POP 파급력 입증” TRENDZ, talks about their debut process and goals at Yale University… Proving the influence of K-POP” (in Korean) Single List.

October 10, 2023, “재능 뛰어난 4세대 아이돌”…트렌드지, 美 예일대 러브콜” (4th Generation Idol with Outstanding Talent… TRENDZ gets call from Yale University) (in Korean). Nate.com.

October 10, 2023. “트렌드지, 美예일대 러브콜…“꿈 이뤘지만 새 목표 향해 달리는 중” (TRENDZ, gets attention from Yale University, “We have achieved our dream, but we are running towards a new goal”) (in Korean). BigData News.

October 10, 2023. “Media Release: Deep Dive into TRENDZ’s Discography at Yale University.” mykpopwire.

October 10, 2023. “TRENDZ on Awakening Your Inner Self and Doing Things Your Way at Yale University.” Cherry Chu.

October 10, 2023. “7 Things to Know about TRENDZ.” The Honey Pop.

August 21, 2023. “Beyond BTS: Professor Grace Kao on K-Pop.” YouTube — Yale University News.

August 21, 2023. “The rise of K-pop, and what it reveals about society and culture: Early in the pandemic, sociologist Grace Kao began watching K-pop videos, largely as a diversion. Now she’s exploring the societal impact of the popular genre.” Yale University News.

June 18, 2023. South China Morning Post. “How a Yale professor, raised on MTV, saw BTS and fell in love with K-pop. Now she teaches a comparative course in the music genre.”

June 14, 2023. The Korea Times. “INTERVIEW: Yale professor’s love affair with K-pop.”

May 30, 2023. CNN. “The Differences Between Race and Ethnicity and Why They’re So Hard to Define.”

May 18, 2023. Korean Culture and Information Service, Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. “Meet Grace Kao, A Yale Professor in Love with K-Pop.”

May 2, 2023. Yale’s Office of International Affairs. “Yale Sociology Professor visits Korea to Discuss the Impact of K-Pop on Asian American Identity.”

June 7, 2022. Korean Journal of Popular Music. Hallyu and K-Pop as Seen in America. (20-page interview with me in Korean, translated from the Peng Pai interview from January 21, 2022). Volume 29: 389-409.

June 2, 2022. The Korea Times (한국일보) “BTS가 쏘아 올린 ‘차별금지’… “고개 들 수 있게 됐다” 美 이민계 울컥” (Translation: BTS Urges to Combat ‘Anti-Asian Hate Crimes’… “Now We Are More Confident” — Response from Asian Americans).

April 15, 2022. KBCS Radio, Seattle, WA. “The Power of the BTS/ARMY Relationship.”

January 21, 2022. “The Paper” or Peng Pai (澎湃新闻), a daily news outlet in Shanghai, China. “Interview｜Grace Kao (actually my Chinese name) on Hallyu Research and Teaching: Reflections of a Yale Sociologist.”

January 10, 2022. Podcast: Yellow and Brown Tales: Asian American Folklife Today. Episode 6. “K-Pop Scholar Dr. Grace Kao Talks BTS and Their Rise To Popularity.”

November 29, 2021: The Korea Times (한국일보). “BTS, 눈물의 ‘나성’ 상봉…팬데믹 이산가족 모녀의 만남: ‘BTS·아미 어셈블’ 눈물바다 된 공연장” (Article about BTS fans traveling to LA for their concerts).

November 21, 2021: The Korea Times (한국일보). ‘오겜’ 결혼식, 52년 된 프로에 첫 한국계 캐릭터… 일상 파고든 한류 (Article about the popularity of the Korean Wave Abroad).

August 5, 2021: Seattle Times. “How America Tells Me and other Asian American Men We’re Not Attractive.”

May 5, 2021: Mainichi Shimbun (毎日新聞). “Fluctuating Hierarchies? Rapid Increase in Hate Crimes against Asian Americans” “揺らぐヒエラルキー ヘイトクライム急増の背景にアジア系の躍進?”

April 12, 2021: Wyoming NPR “What Anti-Asian Sentiment Looks Like In Smaller, Rural Areas, And Why It Matters”

April 12, 2021: Variety “Media Bears Responsibility for Reinforcing Asian American Stereotypes”

April 12, 2021: The Debate on France 24 TV (40 minute show)

April 8, 2021: ACADAMES Podcast S507: Friendship in the Academy, Part 2: Grace Kao on Interracial Friendship‪s‬

March 31, 2021: CT NPR (WSHU). “Asian American Pacific Islander Individuals Weigh In On Biden Discrimination Plan”

March 26, 2021: CT NRP (WSHU). “Virus Of Hate: ‘We Are Not Your Fetish’ — Combating Anti-Asian Racism And Sexism”

March 23, 2021: The Wrap. “There’s No Evidence Atlanta Spa Victims Were Sex Workers – So Why Is That Part of the Narrative?”

March 23, 2021: Los Angeles Times “As pandemic recedes, mass shootings again jolt America.” LA Times & Finger Lakes Times

March 21, 2021: KRON-4 (NBC Affiliate in San Francisco)

March 20, 2021: CNN Interview with Christi Paul

March 19, 2021: The Washington Post. “Atlanta spa killings lead to questions about sex work and exploitation”

March 18, 2021: The Insider. “The shooter blamed sex addiction, but experts have ‘no doubt’ the Atlanta killings were racially motivated”

May 5, 2021: Mainichi Shimbun (毎日新聞). “Fluctuating Hierarchies? Rapid Increase in Hate Crimes against Asian Americans” “揺らぐヒエラルキー　ヘイトクライム急増の背景にアジア系の躍進?”