3rd week of August

🇰🇷 LE SSERAFIM’s ‘CRAZY’ Sweet Nail Art Showcases Rising 3D Nail Trend 🍬

Newsletter By Kpopmap

Welcome to your one-stop destination for all K-Trends, Weekly Trends Newsletter by Kpopmap🌟

Dyllan 🐼Cheoseo, the day that signals the end of summer heat arrived on August 22nd. Usually, it brings in cooler weather that helps Korea transition from summer to fall. However, it seems that the Cheoseo magic is nowhere to be seen and the heatwave will continue for a little while longer. Thankfully, it isn’t too hard to keep cool as citizens can order a bowl of refreshing bingsu, with some specially made to look like jjajangmyeon or bibimbap. There’s also the option to feel cool by looking to LE SSERAFIM for inspiration on the rising 3D nail trend. There’s much more happening in Korea, so stay tuned to this newsletter as we bring you the hottest news and rising trends!

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The famous Starfield Library. Picture by Kpopmap.

Kpopmap Briefing: *News worth paying attention to in the whole K-World selected by Kpopmap’s editors. Get to know all the trends from last week that you don’t want to miss.

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K-Pop

🎙️ Like aespa said, “naevis, we love you!” SM’s First Virtual Artist Debut Confirmed

YuJun 🍎It’s finally here! naevis’ official debut is set for September this year and K-Pop fans could not be more excited. As a key part of Kwangya, many have been anticipating this virtual debut as naevis is one of the OG virtual idols. Her debut involves various mediums including music, games, webtoons, etc. Are you excited for naevis’ debut?

🍰 ‘Tiramisu Cake’ Made This Summer Sweeter Than Ever

Dyllan 🐼Korea has seen some of the hottest memes and sounds take over social media feeds all summer long. But the one to top them all on TikTok is We Are The Night’s ‘Tiramisu Cake’. It was named as this summer’s most used Korean song on TikTok, featured on 1M+ videos from dance challenges to other short-form content and memes. Despite being released in 2015, it surged in popularity with all of the hottest Korean celebrities embracing the memes and vibes that came with it.

🐈‍⬛ The Hype For MEOVV Continues With A Pre-Listening Pop-Up

YuJun 🍎The announcement of THEBLACKLABEL’s upcoming girl group, MEOVV, has the K-Pop community in a frenzy. Excitement has continued to grow with the reveal of its first member, Ella Gross, and it seems there’s even more prepared for waiting fans. THEBLACKLABEL revealed that MEOVV will be holding a pre-listening pop-up from August 29th - September 4th at The Hyundai Seoul. The pop-up offers a reservation-only pre-debut listening booth and a photo zone which can be reserved on-site. This is an amazing opportunity to preview MEOVV’s musical talent and how they’ll shake up the industry.

🎥 Korea? New Zealand? Discover Young Koreans Struggle In New Movie

Laure 🌼Are you looking for something to watch? You might want to consider this new movie “Because I Hate Korea”, which sheds light on the challenging aspects of Korean society. It is based on the 2015 novel of the same title by Chang KangMyoung. The film primarily focuses on the struggles of young Koreans dealing with injustices and frustrations. We follow Gyena (Ko Asung) as she tries to escape her hardships in Korea by moving to New Zealand. The movie, set to be released in theaters on August 28, portrays her life in both countries.

💘 “Love Next Door” Is Knocking On Your Doorstep

Dyllan 🐼August has been a huge month for K-Drama releases and one of the most highly anticipated series has finally premiered - “Love Next Door”. The lighthearted rom-com features a top tier cast in Jung HaeIn, Jung SoMin, Kim JiEun, and Yun JiOn. With their exemplary acting talent, they’ve already captivated netizens in Korea and abroad. The drama has managed to enter into Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV Shows (Non-English) at no. 5 and signs point to a craze brewing for the tvN drama. We’re certainly excited for “Love Next Door” - are you?

🎤 K-Pop Star? Think Again - Become A Star OST Vocalist Instead!

Dyllan 🐼There’s several different ways you could become a K-Pop star, but did you know that you can be an OST star instead? That’s right, streaming platform Aurora opens up auditions for aspiring vocalists to become a star and feature on web-based drama soundtracks. The company behind Aurora is Danal Entertainment, a soundtrack provider to hit series like “Reborn Rich” and “One Dollar Lawyer”. Applications are now open and will be accepted until September 8th.

🍬 LE SSERAFIM’s ‘CRAZY’ Sweet Nail Art Showcases Rising 3D Nail Trend

Kay 🥑LE SSERAFIM rocked pleasantly surprising nail art in their recent concept pictures for their 4th mini album “CRAZY”, featuring mini jelly figures of sweets (like m&ms, donuts, jelly babies, etc) as part of the design. The celebrity nail artist and director behind these cute designs, Kim SuJi, believes in ‘the feeling of feeling with one’s fingertips’, bringing a new twist to the touch of your fingertips in the form of 3D designs with different textures.

🌙 Gyeongju By Moonlight: Nighttime Walking Tours Are Starting Up This Autumn

Kay 🥑Gyeongju is one the most magical cities in South Korea, as it bares a unique charm that can’t be found anywhere else in the country. A sight to see during the day, Gyeongju has now introduced nighttime walking tours that will allow you to discover a new side of the city by moonlight. Especially catered to families traveling from September to November, the tours will not only include sightseeing but also constellation-themed temporary tattooing, lantern decorating, etc.

🗿 Next Stop: Prehistoric Cemeteries? Visit K-Dolmen Sites!

Laure 🌼Are you interested in UNESCO World Heritage Sites? If so, you shouldn't miss the K-UNESCO Tour, which showcases the beautiful historical sites of Korea! This time, the government is highlighting the Ganghwa Dolmen in Ganghwado, Incheon. Did you know that the Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites (all registered with UNESCO) contain over 1,000 dolmens? These sites boast the highest density and greatest variety of dolmens. For those curious about Megalithic culture, Korea is a must-visit destination.

📱K-Cuisine Turns Into K-Desserts, Time For Bingsu Pictures

Laure 🌼This week, it's time to check out some Instagram-worthy bingsu. Summer is still going strong in Korea, and everyone is searching for refreshing desserts—especially if they're as pretty as they are delicious. VisitKorea recommends trying the jjajangmyeon bingsu, which looks just like the black noodles dish, from Daegu’s Café sweet_and. Or, you can try the bibim bingsu, resembling bibimbap, from Café Allright. The dessert makers are true artists, as both bingsu closely resemble their respective Korean dishes but are made with sweet dessert ingredients instead.

🇰🇷 Enter The Competition! Video Competition For Hallyu Is Open

Laure 🌼The K-Community Challenge 2024 will be held from August 22 to September 22, organized by various Korean governmental organizations. Join the competition with your community to promote Joseon pop, sogochum, taekwonmu, or Hansik in videos. Winners will be invited to Korea and will have the chance to meet SF9, EPEX, and other artists. For more details, visit the website: (www.kcommunityfestival.com).

📚 AI-Based Korean Studies? The King Sejong Institute Aims To Make Korean Learning Accessible Worldwide

Kay 🥑As one of the leading global academic institutes for learning Korean, the King Sejong Institute has been on a mission to make learning Korean accessible to all, having expanded from an initial 13 language centers in 3 countries (2007) to 256 language centers in 88 countries since. Now, they’re taking things a step further, aiming to launch an AI-powered online platform by 2027 accessible from all locations.

⚖️ It Was Not Just A K-Drama? Divorce Attorneys On Rise

Laure 🌼Trends and mindsets are changing in Korea, as the Korea Times highlights that content about divorce is no longer created for "sensationalism" but rather to find solutions and provide rationale, much like the popular K-Drama “Good Partner.” This shift reflects a society where divorces are more common than before. There has been an increase in TV shows focusing on the theme of divorce in Korea, and there’s a reason for this. Statistics show that roughly 3.5 out of every 10 couples end up divorcing, and there has been a 64 percent increase in the number of divorce attorneys, from 517 in 2021 to 851 in 2024.

🚇 Saying Goodbye To Slippery Subway Seats In Seoul

Dyllan 🐼For those who have ridden on the Seoul Subway, you might have noticed its uncomfortable and slippery stainless steel seats. While they were made with safety in mind, they’ve become a true nuisance, making riders feel as if they’re on a moving slip ‘n slide. In order to remedy this, the Seoul Transportation Corporation has decided to test install anti-slip silicone pads for one out of 159 subway cars on Subway Line 1. Fingers are crossed that this will work and become the solution to Seoul Subway’s slippery problem.

💬 You Can Text Your Fave Webtoon Characters? AI Makes It Possible!

Kay 🥑That’s right! You can chat with your favorite webtoon characters now thanks to Naver Webtoon’s AI technology and new service. You can now ask webtoon characters such as Ki SangHo from “Garbage Time”, Go EunHyeok from “Operation: True Love”, Cho Seok from “The Sound Of Your Heart”, and Hungry Cell from “Yumi’s Cells” what they’re up to or for life advice. Naver Webtoon has created the service to deepen the connection between fans of these iconic works.

Intern Diaries From SK

Bethany 🌌This week I visited Dongdaemun Design Plaza! It is an exhibition center with a really unique structure and a variety of interactive exhibits and stores inside. My favorite part was taking a test to see what my skin type is and getting skincare recommendations based on the results! Later in the week I visited the famous Starfield Library and ate spicy noodle soup! However, I visited in the evening so I’d like to go back again and visit during the daytime! I also didn’t know that right outside the library are the handprints of some SM artists as well as the Gangnam Style Statue!

Readers' Questions Corner

Lucie 🍫Is it true that Seoul has many date locations??

Laure 🌼 Hello Lucie, thank you for the question. Seoul has numerous date locations that are clean, safe, and pretty. There are plenty of options! Whether you're visiting new or old cafes in Seongsu or Ikseondong, taking a walk along the Han River or through Bukchon Hanok Village, or exploring much more, the list could go on.

What’s quite unique to Korea, in my opinion, is the variety of couple activities available, making it great for a date: making a ring or perfume, painting together, enjoying a couple's spa, etc. So, while the locations are nice, the activity opportunities are even nicer.