InterviewMeet Korea's 1st official MA in K-culture and entertainment

Abigail Jazmine Llamo attends NCT DREAM TOUR "THE DREAM SHOW." Courtesy of Abigail Jazmine Llamo

For Abigail Jazmine Llamo, who will turn 29 this year, K-pop was never just entertainment.

Abigail Jazmine Llamo

“K-pop may seem light and entertaining on the surface, but for me, it provided joy, comfort and hope,” she said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. “It became a kind of escape, but also a source of energy that helped me dream of a different future. Because of that, I wanted to be part of the kind of work that could inspire or comfort others.”

That personal connection ultimately brought Llamo, a Filipino national, to Korea, where she recently completed a master’s degree in K-Culture and Entertainment at Sungshin Women’s University — becoming the first graduate of the program.

Her journey reflects the deeply personal ways in which the Korean cultural wave continues to resonate across borders, including in the Philippines, where Korean media content has long enjoyed widespread popularity.

Llamo’s exposure to Korean culture began early, through a family visit to Korea in 2004 and television broadcasts of dramas such as “Jewel in the Palace.” Her interest deepened in the following years as she enjoyed hit series like “Boys Over Flowers” and “You’re Beautiful.”

What began as casual consumption evolved into a deeper, more sustained engagement and interest. While studying entrepreneurship at De La Salle University, she began learning the Korean language and taking courses on Korean culture, laying the groundwork for her eventual move to Korea.

Bound copies of Abigail Jazmine Llamo’s 2026 master’s thesis at Sungshin Women’s University / Courtesy of Abigail Jazmine Llamo

Beyond fandom, she said her academic pursuits were driven by a desire to understand and contribute to the industry behind the global phenomenon.

As K-pop continues to expand internationally, Llamo said she sees both opportunity and risk.

“I do agree that K-pop has definitely become more global, and I think globalization isn’t necessarily bad, as it allows K-pop to reach more audiences and communicate with fans from different cultures,” Llamo noted. “However, if K-pop becomes too detached from the cultural and industrial context that shaped it, it may lose part of its identity or what makes it distinctive. So for me, the important thing is balance.”

To keep that balance, she believes the most important thing is to preserve key Korean elements, one of which is the language.

“I understand that many artists and companies use more English lyrics to appeal to non-Korean markets, which can make songs more accessible … but many international fans have already connected with K-pop through Korean lyrics, even when they did not understand every word at first,” Llamo said. “To me, K-pop doesn’t need to lose its Korean identity to become global. Its ability to reach global audiences while remaining recognizably Korean is part of what makes it powerful.”

When asked what makes K-pop appealing to audiences in the Philippines, Llamo pointed to its multidimensional nature and strong fan culture.

“It offers a complete cultural experience: music, performance, visuals, storytelling, variety content, fan communication, merchandise, online content, live concerts and other offline activities,” she said. “Filipinos are very active, expressive and enjoy community, so K-pop’s participatory fandom culture fits well with the way many Filipino fans enjoy entertainment.”

Now, Llamo hopes to turn that passion into concrete work within Korea’s live music scene as a concert planner and operator.

Initially more drawn to the stage herself, she later found through years of stage management and other backstage roles that she enjoys working off stage just as much as performing.

“I hope to bridge Korean and Filipino audiences by contributing to projects that help both sides understand each other better and work together more closely,” she said. “Ultimately, I would like to help create spaces where Korean and Filipino audiences don’t just consume content separately, but connect through shared cultural experiences.”