For the first time ever, the No 1 album in the U.S. features lyrics sung mostly in Korean. Love Yourself: Tear by K-pop group BTS clinched the No 1 spot last month, surprising many industry analysts.
Priscilla Kim, director of the Korean Cultural Center in New York, which offers language courses, told The Guardian that, among younger students, K-pop has become a driving factor to learn the language.
“Over the years we have definitely witnessed growing popularity of K-pop among younger students.
As a Korean language and cultural institution located in the heart of K-town, we have courses in the summer that are tailored toward K-pop fans who are interested in learning Korean through K-pop lyrics.”