K-Pop

📱 STAYC Girls… It’s Going Down! On The Members’ Individual Instagrams (Finally)

Kay 🥑The STAYC members have finally opened individual Instagram accounts! It’s well-known among SWITH (STAYC’s fandom) that the members were under a phone ban that would supposedly come to an end after they won their first No. 1 on a music show. However, despite reaching that milestone, that ban was not lifted. Fans are not only rejoicing because the members can now communicate individually through personal Instagram accounts but also because fan assume that it signifies the end of their phone ban!

🌊 WATERBOMB 2024 Is Turning Up The Heat (As Always)

Ishani 🎀K-Pop fans are getting ready for the hottest and, at the same time, the coolest music festival coming soon. It is none other than WATERBOMB 2024, happening in Seoul on July 6! Seoul is one of many stops that this festival is happening at, with a stellar lineup of acts including TWICE’s NaYeon, SHINee’s TaeMin, SunMi, ChungHa, BaekHo, MAMAMOO’s HwaSa, BIBI, and Kwon EunBi, Chuu, among others. Recently, it was announced that SHINee member MinHo will also be performing at WATERBOMB Seoul 2024. The hotness quotient just went through the roof! No wonder everyone needs water guns at this festival! Also, fun fact: according to a poll held by Kpopmap, 551,807 people voted for NaYeon as the most anticipated act for WATERBOMB Seoul, and TaeMin came in second place with 357,599 votes! Who are you looking forward to the most? After all, even if you cannot attend the festival this time, fancams and official videos will make sure you’re not missing out!

💿 ZEROBASEONE Continues To Set Records As A Fifth Generation Powerhouse

Dyllan 🐼ZEROBASEONE have been crushing it ever since they stepped foot into the K-Pop industry. On top of all the awards and accolades, they’re able to put album sales record under their belt too. Their newest mini-album, “You Had Me At HELLO” was released on Monday May 13th. Their agency, WakeOne Entertainment, has announced that the boy group has once again sold over 1 million copies on the day of release — the third time they’ve done so. This also makes them the first group in K-Pop history to achieve this feat and sell over 1 million copies on release day, three times in a row. They’re truly living up to their status as fifth generation leaders.

✨ BTS’ RM Dives Deep Into Spirituality In His Pre-Release Track ‘Come Back To Me’

Ishani 🎀RM released the music video of his pre-release track ‘Come Back To Me’ recently, ahead of the release of his upcoming album “Right Place, Wrong Person”. The music video has been trending on YouTube ever since its release and currently stands very close to 10M views. This music video is truly the essence of who RM is as a person before anything else and hence, strikes a chord with the audience, thereby becoming universally resonant. ‘Come Back To Me’ is a meditative piece of art. It is poetry, on the one hand, and a performance of life, on the other. It is an everyman story, yet inherently unique in its conclusion. RM’s deep, resonant voice speaks to the soul this time and commands attention from within. It may even be interpreted through the lens of spirituality and Buddhism, in particular, and holds a deep inner meaning whereby actress Kim MinHa comes to play another version of RM himself, perhaps his true self!

🎤 JYP Entertainment Teams Up With KBS To Find The Next Big Entertainer

Dyllan 🐼Another survival audition program is in the works, this time a join effort between JYP Entertainment and broadcasting station KBS. Together, they’ve started their search for a complete all-rounder – someone who can sing, dance, act, and do well on variety programs. Aptly named “The Entertainer”, they’ve opened up applications for both Korean natives and foreigners worldwide. All you need is the talent and skills necessary to impress the world and JY Park himself. It’s possible that even you could become the next trend of K-Pop through this program!

🎤 ATEEZ Makes History Again – This Time As The First K-Pop Group To Headline The Mawazine Music Festival in Morocco

Ishani 🎀ATEEZ is on an absolute roll! Previously, the group made history as the first-ever K-Pop boy group to perform at Coachella, during which ATEEZ reached the peak of their success so far. It seems like ATEEZ has no intention of slowing down as they chase their next peak. Accordingly, the group has already achieved another milestone, as the first-ever K-Pop group to headline the Mawazine music festival in Rabat, Morocco, on June 23! Previous headliners for this music festival include prestigious names like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, and Bruno Mars. Now, ATEEZ has written their name alongside these legendary artists. Now, this is what we call icon behavior.

K-Drama & K-Movie

📺 “The Atypical Family” Enters Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV Shows (Non-English) For The First Time

Dyllan 🐼With all the K-Content currently available on streaming platform Netflix, it can be difficult to rise to the top. However, “The Atypical Family” makes a strong start and enters Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV Shows (Non-English). The JTBC series currently stands at no. 6 with 2M views. The drama continues to gain much interest as it serves as Jang KiYong’s comeback project since his military discharge last year. He is surrounded by a noteworthy cast in Chun WooHee, Claudia Kim, Park SoYi, and more, convincing audiences that “The Atypical Family” should be on top of your watchlist.

🎥 Hwang JungMin and Jung HaeIn’s Movie “I, The Executioner” To Be Screened At Cannes Film Festival

Ishani 🎀One of the most prestigious European film festivals, the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival, kicked off on May 14. The Korean movie “I, The Executioner” by Ryoo SeungWan, which serves as a sequel to “Veteran” (2015), was selected to be screened during the noncompetitive “Midnight Screenings” section of the festival held at the Théâtre Lumière. The film stars Chungmuro megastar Hwang JungMin and Hallyu top star Jung HaeIn in the leading roles, thus promising an explosion of outstanding acting.

In addition, the documentary “Walking In The Movies” by Lyang Kim, about the life and work of Korean filmmaker Kim DongHo was also selected to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival this year in the “Cannes Classics” section and “Forest Of Echoes” by YooRi Lim is competing in the Cinéfondation (or La Cinéf) section, which includes films by students from film schools across the world.

📈 Have K-Dramas About The Entertainment Industry Lost Their Appeal?

Dyllan 🐼The K-Drama craze hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, however, a sub-genre seems to have fallen in popularity among viewers. K-Dramas about the entertainment world, aside from the wildly successful “The Producers”, reportedly trends lower on audiences’ watchlist, if it’s on any at all. Although based on real life situations, the world of K-Entertainment continues to feel like a far off universe that regular people are unable to resonate with. This could be due to many factors: the inability to resonate with the general public, the depth of the characters, or the clichés that remain a driving force. Industry insiders continue to ponder on what will make a series about the entertainment industry work and how to make it different, while incorporating the K-Drama elements that everyone loves.

👊 Ma DongSeok’s “The Roundup” Packs A Punch & The Box Office Agrees

Ishani 🎀“The Roundup” has just made Korean box office history with a cumulative total of 40.8 million viewers across the four films in the franchise. This is the highest number reached by any Korean movie franchise ever! In addition, the latest installment, “The Roundup: Punishment”, starring Ma DongSeok and Kim MooYeol, is currently the #1 most-watched movie in Korean theatres, with 10,661,225 movie-goers as of May 14 (Need to update this). The film is expected to cross the 10 million mark, after which it will become the third film in the franchise to have done so.

K-Beauty

👣 Shampoo For Your Feet? Koreans Say ‘Hell Yes’

Laure 🌼Seems like foot odor and beauty are main concerns for Koreans with the hot season approaching. On online communities and social media, a particular foot shampoo has gone viral, gaining numerous views and purchases. This product is said to wash, exfoliate, and moisturize your feet all at once while leaving a nice scent. It appears that Foot Shampoo is the must-have item for this summer.

🤩 aespa Give New Meaning To Phrases Like ‘Starry-Eyed’ With New Contact Lens Craze

Kay 🥑Colored contact lenses have always been a staple in the K-Pop idol aesthetic. However, as the trendsetters they are, aespa have re-invented this K-Beauty trend. For their latest comeback “Armaggedon”, the aespa members have not only taken on the colorful contact look, but these contacts are made to show different shapes surrounding the pupil; such as stars, butterflies, hearts. & more. Talk about having us ‘starry-eyed’!

K-Travel

🏝️ Healing Time With Pet-Friendly Picnics At Jeju

Laure 🌼Traveling with your pet is such a pleasure, and there are more opportunities now! Koreans are enjoying outdoor activities with their dogs more and more. With the spring weather, Koreans have been escaping the cities to enjoy nature with their dogs. Recently, pet-friendly picnics have become popular while traveling on Jeju Island. Would you like to travel there with your pet as well?

🧳 Discover The Hottest Guesthouses In Korea With TWICE’s JiHyo

Dyllan 🐼A brand new YouTube variety program has just started, featuring TWICE’s JiHyo as its host. Called “SeIpJa”, together with the idol, viewers will be able to visit various guesthouses across Korea. A guesthouse is a travel accommodation that allows both solo and group travelers to stay in one place for a cheaper price, allowing them to bond with strangers and explore the local neighborhoods together. As JiHyo introduces and reviews these guesthouses, you can add them to your recommendation list for when you’re able to plan your trip to Korea.

🇰🇷 Exploring K-Heritage: It’s Out With The New And In With The Old

Kay 🥑Korea is renowned for its blend of modern and traditional landscapes, with ancient palaces and hanok houses nestled amidst towering skyscrapers. Recently, there’s been a surge in Koreans embracing traditional culture, enjoying nightscape palace tours, tea ceremonies held within palace walls, exhibitions of spaces used personally by Kings, etc. Young Koreans are swapping modern pursuits for traditional experiences, adding a cultural touch to their weekends.

Additionally, in celebration of the Cultural Heritage Administration’s name change to ‘The Korea Heritage Service’, it was announced on Monday that 76 national heritage sites including the four royal palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, and Changgyeonggung) will be open for free May 15th to May 19th, adding to the frenzy.

🌹 Have You Heard Of Everose, A Rose Born In Everland

Laure 🌼From May 17 to June 16, Everland, one of the largest theme parks in the country, will host its annual Rose Festival. The festival will feature over 3 million roses of 720 varieties, including Everose, a rose species unique to Everland with 24 different varieties. Developed by the park, Everose has even won an international award. Would you like to experience the scent and beauty of Everose as well?

K-Food

🍜 Korean Ramyun Makes Big Entry Into Europe

Laure 🌼The largest Korean ramyun company Nongshim had signed big contracts with two French top supermarket chains. Their noodles will be easy to buy for French people and that is a big starting point for Korean noodles. The ramyun will be promoted with booths at the Paris Olympics and the Korean Expo 2024 both held this summer in France. According to Nongshim, France is just the start as they are targeting other European countries in the southwest but also the north. Nongshim is the home of the famous Shin Ramyun but they are also planning to export other products such as vegan products and snacks.

🥐 The Crookie aka The Cookie Croissant: Korea’s New Dessert Obsession That Is Genius And Everywhere

Kay 🥑Experimenting with delicious food combinations is one of Korea’s favorite past times. Whether combining flavor combinations that you’ve never imagined or creating fusions of different cultural foods… Their knack for this cannot be denied.

The ‘crookie’ (a combination of a ‘cookie’ and ‘croissant’) is the latest dessert treat that is all over TikTok and the cafes of Korea. Even renowned actress Go HyunJung recently made headlines for her Instagram post captioned, “I finally got a crookie!!!” where she flaunted her casual chic outfit and held two of the tantalizing desserts up for display. That just shows how in-demand it is!

🍑 Millennials & Gen Z Fall In Love With Flavored Makgeolli

Laure 🌼Makgeolli, a traditional rice-based alcohol, is one of the emblematic drinks of Korea, but until recently, young people were not big fans of it. For Millennials and Gen Z, makgeolli often meant bad hangovers and was not their first choice. However, trends have been changing with new flavors that spark curiosity and effective marketing strategies on social media. These include basil, strawberry, peach, lychee, Peanut Caramel candy, and citrus-flavored Moonlight Yuzu drinks. As a result, they have now fallen in love with these drinks, leading to a significant increase in sales. Which flavor would you like to try?

K-Society

🍎 Teacher’s Day Is Not Giving What It’s Supposed To Give This Year

Kay 🥑Teaching was once one of the most respected professions in South Korea, and this made many people take on the profession in the past. However, things have changed. In recent years, Korean and non-Korean teachers have come forward to express their dissatisfaction with the teaching profession. In fact, in a recent survey, the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Association found that only 21.4% of survey participants were satisfied with their jobs. Some reasons cited included disruptive students and no means to discipline them, parental complaints and expectations, crime such as illegal recordings, and too much admin unrelated to the curriculum.

K-Literature

📚 Korean Literature Makes Its Way Into The UK As Young Readers Turn To Healing Korean Fiction

Ishani 🎀Penguin Random House UK has announced an expansion of its collection of translated literature with plans to introduce six incredible titles from Korea this year, which is highlighting a fascinating new trend. According to Penguin Random House UK, the most sought-after genre in Korean translated fiction today is what they’re calling ‘healing fiction,’ created to offer comfort to readers and soothe their souls. In this context, Penguin Random House UK has revealed a stellar lineup of Korean books translated into English and slated for release this year. This includes “The Rainfall Market” by You YeongGwang, “The Healing Season of Pottery” by Yeon SoMin, “Snowglobe” by Park SoYoung, and “Marigold Mind Laundry” by Yun JungEun. English translations of two Korean essays: “I Decided to Live as Me“ by Kim SooHyun (recommended by BTS’ JungKook) and “If You Live to 100, You Might As Well Be Happy” by Rhee KunHoo, are also going to be released in 2024.

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