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Cohort 2 open

> NOW_CASTING --cohort=02 --track=k_ent█

From fan to pro.A career behind the stage.

Learn directly from an A&R director who has shaped Korea's largest idol audition programs and globally debuted groups. It doesn't end in the classroom. You join a real live production project and walk away with portfolio-worthy experience.

Apply for Cohort 2Meet the instructors
01FAN
02LEARN
03EXP
04PRO
05CAREER
LINH_V
PIERRE_F
MEI_C
NINO
SOFIA_M

$ whois instructors // Instructors

Taught by people who do it.
Proven by their résumé.

$ whois nino[ CONFIRMED ]
Nino
A&R course confirmedCEO, Sherpa Music27 years in music business

NinoLee Se-hwan

A&R Director

CJ ENM A&R

  • Korea's largest idol audition program series
  • A&R for many globally debuted idol groups
  • Led A&R for Korean and Japanese idol projects

CEO, Sherpa Music

  • Music planning and artist visual direction
  • Award-winning artist projects
  • Managed songwriter deals with 290+ teams worldwide
$ whois choi[ CONFIRMED ]
Choi Chan-yong
Sound course confirmedDirector, E.K Ent.Live sound engineer

Choi Chan-yong최찬용

Sound System Director

Live sound direction

  • Lead sound director for pop opera, orchestra, and band shows
  • Sound operation for broadcasters, public institutions, and corporate VIP events
  • Technical support and artist care on domestic and overseas tour productions

Selected shows

  • MAMF
  • Orchestra of Dreams
  • Chong Kun Dang Opera Concert, and more

Faculty recruiting and operations partner: DEEPI. The Cohort 2 lineup is revealed as instructors are confirmed.

$ cat program.md // Program

Not just learning.
Working, from day one.

Fan to Pro brings the real workflow of the K-entertainment industry into the classroom. You handle the documents, tools, and processes used on the job.

The core is a real project. Graduates take part in an actual Union Pictures live production, build portfolio experience, and receive a participation certificate.

The certificate is issued under Dropdown. One more trusted line on your résumé.

$ ls curriculum/ // Curriculum

What you learn.

Two single courses, each a 4-week curriculum. All-in-one covers both.

▸a-r/A&R CourseSunday 2 to 4 PM / Nino
  • ├─Week 01Music BusinessThe structure of the music industry and business fundamentals.
  • ├─Week 02Album planning and strategyThe flow of production strategy from planning to release.
  • ├─Week 03A&R in practiceCasting, sourcing songs, and directing artists.
  • └─Week 04Visual DirectingArtist visuals and concept direction.
▸sound/Sound Director CourseSaturday 10 AM to 12 PM / Choi Chan-yong
  • ├─Week 01Inside a K-POP ConcertUnderstand the flow of a show day and backstage roles.
  • ├─Week 02What Does the Artist Hear?Wear an IEM and experience the artist's monitor mix firsthand.
  • ├─Week 03Talkback & CommunicationReal-time communication and problem-solving between artist and engineer.
  • └─Week 04Experience a K-POP ShowBuild a mini show together with PA, IEM, and divided roles.

$ ls courses/ // Courses

Only what you need. Or all of it.

$ install a-r

SingleNino confirmed

A&R Course

The real work of the A&R who builds idols. Learn planning, casting, and album production strategy directly from a working director.

Tuition

₩660,000₩550,000

Ask to apply →

$ install sound

SingleChoi Chan-yong confirmed

Sound Director Course

K-POP live sound and backstage. Learn how a show really runs through hands-on experience with artist monitoring (IEM), talkback, and large-format PA.

Tuition

₩660,000₩550,000

Ask to apply →

$ install all-in-one --bundle

All-in-oneBoth courses included

Full Package

The full track including both the A&R and Sound Director courses. Complete your portfolio through a real live production project.

Tuition

₩1,320,000₩990,000

Ask to apply →

$ check --eligibility // Eligibility

Meet all four, and you're in.

Designed for international students and job seekers in Korea who are serious about a career in the K-pop entertainment industry. You must meet all four requirements below to apply.

[ ]

International student or job seeker

A program for foreign nationals living in Korea. Nationality does not matter.

Any nationalityLiving in Korea
[ ]

Student or work visa

You need Korean residency status such as study (D-2, D-4), job-seeking (D-10), work (E series), or residency/employed (F series). Visa status is checked at application.

D-2D-4D-10E seriesF series
[ ]

Understand lectures in Korean

Lectures are 100% in Korean. No official test score is required, but you should be able to follow lectures in Korean.

Korean lecturesNo TOPIK score needed
[ ]

Weekend attendance

Classes run on both Saturday and Sunday by default. Every graduate gets hands-on experience at a real K-pop live production.

Sat, SunProduction for all

> checking requirements..._

$ cat schedule.json // Schedule

When and where.

schedule.jsonread-only
"start"
September 5, 2026 (Sat)First class. Applications close August 30. Detailed schedule shared once confirmed
"place"
Gangnam or Mapo, SeoulVenue shared individually after payment and class confirmation
"enrollment"
Minimum 10The course runs with at least 10 students. If enrollment falls short, it is canceled and payments are fully refunded.
"refund"
Refund policy
  • -Full refund within 7 days of payment, or any time before classes begin.
  • -After classes begin, refunds are prorated under the Academy Act Enforcement Decree (Table 4) and the KFTC consumer dispute resolution standards: two thirds before 1/3 of classes elapse, one half before 1/2 elapse, and none after 1/2.

$ return outcomes[] // Outcomes

We only promise what lasts.

01

Portfolio

Take part in a real K-pop production. Photos, video, and show data all become your results.

02

Industry network

A network of working mentors and peers. It continues over KakaoTalk open chat after the season ends.

03

Career prep

Résumé coaching, portfolio curation, and interview simulation.

04

Certificate + participation letter

A Dropdown certificate, plus a Union Pictures participation letter for those who join the production.

$ git log cohort_01 // Cohort 1

8 countries, one Cohort 1,
finished together.

From June to July 2026, students from 8 countries completed the full 8-session, 16-hour program. Here are their stories.

See the Cohort 1 archive →
0
countries represented
0
sessions, 16 hours
0
weeks, weekend intensive
Real
live production project

// reviews (n=6)

●commit2719000
For the first time in Korea, I saw from the inside how a show actually runs. The real flow schools don't teach.

author L., Vietnam, 27

goal K-pop songwriting

●commit2b6d000
Having real stage footage in my portfolio mattered most. One mentor's name in an interview carried weight.

author M., Indonesia, 24

goal Visual director

●commit2e38000
I'd only read about show planning. Seeing how a real team actually moves, up close, was completely different. I finally got a feel for the field.

author K., China, 26

goal Show planning

●commit3621000
Studying alone on YouTube felt hopeless. Watching up close for a season and touching it myself, it finally clicked.

author S., Thailand, 25

goal Sound engineer

●commit30bc000
We share info in the group chat every day. The season is over but we've only gotten closer.

author A., Russia, 28

goal Entertainment marketing

●commit3c3a000
Even with limited Korean, the mentor coached me mixing in English. They really don't let you give up.

author P., Philippines, 23

goal K-pop choreography

Excerpts from interviews with students of a prior run of the same curriculum. Anonymized for privacy. Real Cohort 1 reviews will be published with consent.

$ open scenes/ // Cohort 1 on-site

● REC / cohort_01
cohort 1
cohort 1
cohort 1
cohort 1
cohort 1
cohort 1
cohort 1
cohort 1

Real scenes from Cohort 1, 2026. A record of classes, hands-on work, and networking. (Published under student content-use consent.)

$ cat press/ // Press Room

The press took notice.

PEOPLEGATE / 2026.07.25

International students into K-culture. Dropdown and DEEPI graduate the first 'K-Culture Academy' cohort

The first graduates complete a one-month program. A global talent program centered on K-pop, live production, fashion, and beauty.

→

PEOPLEGATE / 2026.07

Dropdown and DEEPI open a public call for 'K-Culture Academy' instructors, seeking K-pop, beauty, and fashion experts

K-culture career platform Dropdown and DEEPI open a public call for working experts across K-pop, K-beauty, fashion, and more.

→

PEOPLEGATE / 2026.05

Dropdown opens an entertainment job bootcamp for international students in June

A hands-on 'fan to pro' bootcamp arrives amid the global expansion of K-POP. Built so students build a career through real K-POP production projects.

→

$ apply --cohort=2_// Apply

Choose what you'll take.

Take everything with all-in-one, or pick just the courses you want. You can change your choice anytime.

$ select courses
ALL-IN-ONEEverything, for the best price
  • +A&R Course
  • +Sound Director Course

Selected: all-in-one (full program)

₩990,000

Whatever you choose, payment is guided by bank transfer. Once you submit, our team reviews your selected courses and amount and sends payment instructions.

$ ./apply.sh --submit

GROWTH CAREER

Fan to Pro, K-Culture Track

A hands-on bootcamp for internationals building a career in Korea's cultural industry. Turn what you love into real field experience.

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Official Partner

DEEPI
Company
Dropdown Co., Ltd.
Representative
Hwang Jae-ha
Business registration
154-28-02110
E-commerce registration
No. 2026-Seoul Songpa-0882
Address
201-J554, 2F, 207 Jungdae-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea (Garak-dong, Daemyung Building)
Email
hello@dropdown.xyz

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