Psy to speak at Oxford Union

The popularity of “Gangnam Style” has now breached the walls of academia and the man behind the viral trend will be heading to one of the most distinguished universities in the world. The Oxford Union, a debate club at the University of Oxford, has asked K-pop star Psy to speak at the college.

Psy will present a one-hour lecture in English on his life and colorful career in the Korean music industry on Nov. 7 to members of the 190-year-old institution.

The YouTube sensation was selected as one of the 30 annually invited guest lecturers. He will be the Union’s second Korean guest after former Samsung Electronics president Hwang Chang-gyu.

The invitation was made at the suggestion of Korean student Lee Seung-yoon, also known as John Lee, who was elected as the Union’s president in March. The club has a membership of some 12,000 students.

Previous distinguished guests of the Union include former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the Dalai Lama, Billy Joel and the king of pop, Michael Jackson.

While in Britain, Psy is also set to appear on several BBC programs. Psy, who is currently in the U.S. following a promotional tour in Australia last week, will head to Paris on Nov. 4 to begin the European leg of his travels. After his engagements in London, he will move on to Frankfurt, Germany, where he will attend the MTV Europe Music Awards on Nov. 11. Psy’s “Gangnam Style” has been nominated for best music video at the awards

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)