🇰🇷 Tell All: Enquiring Cupids Want To Know Why Koreans Are Still Single 💘

Don't miss out on these

Get Jelly Coupons, and vote smarter for ASEA

Kpopmap X PODOAL: The “ASEA 2025 Popularity Award” Voting Via Ideal Type World Cup

Create a Korean name for yourself that you can use for the rest of your life

Vote for AAA with discounted Ruby CHAMSIM

Travel to Jeju with discounted pass

K-Pop

🎬 Become A Music Video Star With The Help Of SEVENTEEN & Airbnb

Dyllan 🐼Have you ever wanted to star in your own music video? Well here’s your chance! Airbnb has partnered with globally renowned idol group, SEVENTEEN, and has recreated a scene from the music video of their most recent release, ‘Love, Money, Fame’. Fans will be able to book the room for one night, and one night only! Lucky guests will receive a welcome package that includes a towel, cup, and slippers - all for the low price of 17,000 won. If you’re in Korea at the time and a fan of SEVENTEEN, mark your calendars for October 21 at 10 a.m., when reservations open, and be prepared to quickly choose one out of seven days the room will be available, starting from October 25th.

🎖️ Hope Back On The Street - BTS’ j-hope Is Discharged From The Military

Dyllan 🐼The wait is finally over and the second BTS member has finally been discharged from the military - and it’s none other than BTS’ j-hope! He was discharged on October 17th and was welcomed by the gleeful cheers of awaiting fans, as well as fellow member Jin. Many ARMY are excited as the singer will be going straight to work and has plans to film a content piece for all to enjoy in the near future. Welcome back j-hope!

K-Drama & K-Movie & K-Variety

🏳️‍🌈 Highly-Anticipated BL Drama "Love in the Big City" Standing Strong Against Conservative Backlash

Kay 🥑One of the most anticipated BL dramas of the year, “Love in the Big City” starring Nam YoonSu, Lee SooKyung, Jin HoEun, Oh HyunKyung, Lee SeHee, and Kwon Hyuk, has unfortunately been at the receiving end of backlash from conservative Koreans. Whilst BL fans are excited to see an authentic depiction of queer romance through the series, Korean conservatives have been sending out complaints citing that the show promotes homosexuality to the youth, in turn getting the drama trailer taken down and sparking talks about not airing the show. Despite all of this, the drama’s writer and production company are taking a stand, starting by re-releasing the trailer.

👩‍🍳 "Culinary Class Wars" Is Confirmed For Season 2 Much To Our Foodie Delight!

Kay 🥑Netflix's hit program “Culinary Class Wars” has been confirmed for a second season that will air in late 2025! This news has had Korean food enthusiasts excited as the next season is said to be even more fierce than the first. There are even rumors that the production team is trying to scout Gordon Ramsay to be part of the show.

K-Beauty

🍁 Fall Season Trends Makes Its Way In The K-Beauty Glow Makeup

Laure 🌼With fall, K-makeup is adapting to the new season with changes in colors and textures. Experts are using muted color multi-balms, calm and toned-down eyeshadows, and base and color cosmetics with a glowy finish to keep skin moist in dry weather. The 'demure' trend (meaning quiet and well-behaved) is expected to rise in fall and winter this year, focusing on less color and more toned-down makeup.

K-Fashion

👟 These Are The Go-To Sneakers Koreans Are Wearing These Days

Kay 🥑Whilst Korea is always riding the wave of the latest fashion trend, there are some things that don’t change and tend to stay the same. Recent research shows that when it comes to buying sneakers, no matter how much trends change, there are certain basic sneakers that Koreans continue to buy over and over again. Some of these include the Chuck Taylor All Star Cores and the New Balance 530s. Both of these shoes have their clean and classic aesthetic in common, proving that they are timeless designs that can withstand changing trends.

K-Travel

🍂 This Park Is Packed Every Year At This Time Of The Year

Laure 🌼Fall is back, and that means Haneul Park (Seoul) will be packed with people taking pictures. Every year, it’s the must-go destination in the fall to see the beautiful pampas grass. The park, located on top of a hill, is covered in these grasses, making it a stunning place to walk around and take photos.

The Silver Grass Festival (Oct. 19–25) will be held to showcase the grass at its peak. It’s definitely one of the best spots to capture beautiful pictures.

🔴 Time To Be Enchanted By Untouchable Beauty Of Red Spider Lilies (Especially In…)

Laure 🌼One of the most beautiful flowers seen in Korea during the fall season is Lycoris radiata, known as the red spider lily. These striking red flowers can be found here and there, but you can see carpets of them in the mountains during hikes or at temples.

In Buddhism, the Lycoris is highly regarded as the Higanbana (flower of the other shore). This flower, which blooms after shedding its lush leaves, symbolizes breaking free from the worldly desires of greed, hatred, and delusion, signifying entry into a state of enlightenment. This explains why they are often found in Buddhist temples, like Bulgapsa, where you can see vast fields of this red flower covering more than 1.65 million square meters. It’s more than just a carpet—it's a sea of red flowers.

However, don’t be bewitched to touch them, as they can be harmful. It’s a beauty you can’t touch.

K-Food

🍅 Hong Hong! Hongsi Is Back On Cafe Menus

Laure 🌼Hongsi, or soft persimmon, is one of the delicacies you can enjoy only in the fall in Korea. Cafés and dessert places make sure to include it on their seasonal menus. How about trying Greek yogurt with hongsi and nuts, or hongsi sikhye? There are plenty of options to satisfy everyone’s cravings for something to eat or drink! Plus, the vibrant orange color of hongsi pairs perfectly with the fall foliage, making it great for lifting the mood too.

🥣 One Bowl Of Gukbap Juseyo!

Dyllan 🐼Everyone has heard of Korea’s representative foods such as kalbi, bulgogi, and kimchi. But it seems another K-Food has seen a rise in popularity: gukbap. The dish is simple in nature as it’s a traditional Korean soup dish with rice. But data shows that gukbap has made its debut in the top 10 most popular foods among foreign tourists in 2024, ranking no. 7. As it becomes more prevalent in Korean media, young international tourists can’t help themselves and feel compelled to order a hearty bowl of gukbap to sate their curiosity.

🏠 “Culinary Class Wars” Restaurant Owners Attract Foodies, What Does This Mean For Its Locals?

Bethany 🌌Since it hit the number one spot on Netflix’ top non-English TV shows, “Culinary Class Wars” has caught the attention of food lovers all around the world. One of the ‘underdogs’ featured in the show - Gangui - owns a restaurant in Yongsan - specifically Namyeong-dong, a town in Seoul famous for its history and Korean-Western fusion food. Despite the good news, since witnessing the growing line outside of Gangui’s restaurant along with the rising popularity of restaurants also owned by stars of the Netflix show, locals of Namyeong-dong are hesitant to cheer at the traffic their town is attracting. Although it is ultimately a good thing that these unnoticed stars of the kitchen are getting the appreciation they deserve for their talents, we must consider the lives of the residents that face fears of gentrification and rising living costs as well as what the future of Namyeong-dong holds.

K-Society

💘 Tell All: Enquiring Cupids Want To Know Why Koreans Are Still Single

Kay 🥑Whilst news headlines are always focused on the low birth rate of South Korea, there is another related budding issue. The marriage rate in Korea is also declining as many Koreans opt not to get married at all. Many are choosing to stay single, whilst for many it is also not by choice. In a recent survey conducted by a match-making agency, it was revealed that most Korean women are single because they have high standards for a partner which proves as an issue. In the case of men, they cited a lack of opportunities to meet and date people as their main obstacle. This has led to quite a lot of concern from the government as the lack of marriage in the country will inevitably reflect in birth rate statistics, as well.

🍽️ Where Do The Different Generations Of Koreans Choose To Eat?

Bethany 🌌Sure it’s normal that people of all ages don’t always choose the same locations to eat, it would be quite odd to find someone’s grandfather in a cute pop-up cafe, but in Korea the divide is becoming quite apparent! The stats are in and have revealed that Koreans in their 20s and 30s make up just over half of the sales in bars and cafes whereas over half of the sales from fast food restaurants or snack bars are coming from Koreans in their 40s and 50s. As well as this, the study found that a higher percentage of men made up the sales from bars, fast food restaurants and Korean restaurants, whereas women were more likely to be contributing to the sales in cafes and non-Korean cuisine restaurants. So if you want to know what kind of people you’ll bump into when going out to eat in Korea, the numbers have already been crunched for you!

K-Lit

📚 The Result Of Becoming A Nobel Prize Winner - Han Kang’s Books Are Flying Off The Shelves

Dyllan 🐼It was most recently announced that South Korean author, Han Kang, was the winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. As a direct result, her books have been flying off the shelves all across Korea. It was reported that more than 500,000 copies of novels and short stories have been sold via two major online bookstores. Now, in order to read her works, curious consumers must resort to pre-orders and patiently wait until they have a copy of their own in hand.

Intern Diaries From SK

Bethany 🌌I didn’t quite realize it until after living here for a month or so, but Korea really does have everything! One of these things happens to be an archery cafe where you can enjoy your coffee alongside a fun archery training session and scored game! What made it even better was the owner is a huge IU fan, and as an IU fan myself, let’s just say I’ve already made plans for my return! Another fun way to spend your time in Korea if you're stuck for ideas is to go to a 4DX cinema! I don’t have a cinema at home that does anything past 3D screenings so I had no idea what to expect, but if you’re curious, the seats can move up, down and around, air and water are blasted into your face and extra lighting effects are played alongside the movie. It almost felt like I was watching the film on a roller coaster, but just a warning - avoid this if you are susceptible to motion sickness!

Readers' Questions Corner

Marie 🌰What is the team's favorite snack/menu at the moment in Korea? I will visit soon and want to get the best of my trip.

Laure 🌼Thank you for your question. All year long, I love drinking Korean fruit teas like yuja tea, grapefruit tea, ginseng tea, omija tea, plum tea, and more (even better if homemade by the café). When it’s hot outside, I enjoy them as ades. These days, the seasonal menu features Green Tangerine Ade (청귤에이드), so I gave it a try, and as expected from Korean fruit tea, it’s also delicious. I recommend it.

Kay 🥑 Hmm, I’m quite the foodie so this is not an easy choice but these days I’m really into Korean vegetables (나물 in Korean). I like to buy different veggie side dishes to eat with my food (even Western foods) and it’s great for your health, too!

Bethany 🌌I think I could eat Korean street food everyday for the rest of my life, but one item on the menu I will never pass up on is pajeon/Korean pancakes! It’s a great snack to share with friends on the colder days and I especially recommend trying the kimchi or scallion types (my favorite)!

YuJun 🍎I like shine muscats, and this is the right season for them. I have them in my yogurt or just on their own. They are much cheaper these days (by “cheap” for fruits in Korea, I mean still quite expensive). So how about trying these Korean shine muscats?

Dyllan 🐼I really love odeng (fish cakes) and while it’s great all year long, it’s perfect for this cooler weather. There’s just something oddly nostalgic about eating multiple skewers of odeng and washing it all down with the warm soup towards the end of the night. And if you’re like me, you’ll find there’s always room for one.

Do you want to ask us questions? DM or email us!