This study purposed to examine the effectiveness of the utilization of popular culture in cultural education in association with the importance of cultural education in Korean language education for foreigners and with the recent waves of Korean popular culture.
Although the importance of culture in Korean language education has been discussed intensely, yet frames for cultural education have not been structured clearly.
In addition, according to the recent tendencies of Korean language learners, many of them learn the Korean language as their interest in the language has been stimulated by Korean popular culture spread through the Korean Wave, but the image of popular culture presented in Korean language education is considered not much different from popular culture viewed from Korean culture (treated as popular, entertaining, and vulgar).
However, popular culture and in particular dramas contain many elements for effective cultural education, so we can develop desirable Korean culture teaching learning plans by studying and utilizing dramas.
Thus, the present study purposed to examine the relation between Korean culture education and the Korean Wave centering on dramas, to select and suggest cultural items that can be learned through dramas, and to analyze the merits of dramas for cultural education. (Sun Moon University of Korea/Il-Stad Youth Center of Port-Said, Egypt)