🇰🇷 Seoul Welcomes Fall Lovers Once Again 🍂

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K-Pop

🎧 Start Off Your Fall Playlist With Korean Ballads

Bethany 🌌When the weather changes and the evenings get cooler, do you find it influences what music you listen to? If you’re someone that prefers to listen to slower or more mellow songs during the fall season you might be Korean! To complement the melancholic feeling of letting go and transformation that is even more prevalent during this season of change, Korean people turn to emotional ballads. Some artists that bring out this feeling in listeners are Sung SiKyung, SUPER JUNIOR’s KyuHyun and Na YoonKwon, who will you be listening to this fall?

🍻 Apateu! Apateu! BLACKPINK Rosé’s ‘APT’ Puts Korean Drinking Games In The Spotlight

Kay 🥑BLACKPINK’s Rosé has been the talk of the K-Pop town following the release of her song ‘APT’ which is a play on the Korean drinking game ‘Apateu’. Starting with the catchy melody, it is game of luck as the players stack their hands and the leader calls out a number. Players then remove their hands until they reach the number called out and the person who gets caught on that number is the loser and has to down their drink. BLACKPINK’s Rosé has unlocked a new appreciation for Korean drinking games through this release and K-Pop fans are living for it.

📈 New Career Highs For aespa On Spotify Charts

Dyllan 🐼aespa have been on fire this year, previously releasing viral tracks in ‘Armageddon’ and ‘Supernova’. But their year isn’t over, making a comeback with the title song ‘Whiplash’. It premiered on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Global chart at no. 53. This marked the highest achieved by the group, as well as the highest any K-Pop girl group has reached on the chart this year. With this, aespa continues to show they’re a K-Pop powerhouse, deserving to be called leaders of their generation.

K-Drama & K-Movie & K-Variety

🎥 Webtoon And Novel Adaptations Continues To Lead The K-Drama Industry

Dyllan 🐼Previously a one-off occurrence, webtoon and novel adaptations have started to lead the K-Drama industry by a large margin. While not all of them reach record-breaking levels of success, their viewership remains high all throughout its running. With this surge of adaptations, it seems the K-Drama scene has found a new formula for success. However, although adapted series like “Lovely Runner” and “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” have done well, some are worried that the industry’s creativity might be fading. Are you a fan of all these adaptations?

K-Beauty

💄 Looking For The Trendy Demure Style, Influencers Have Suggestions

Laure 🌼If you have kept up with previous newsletters, you know by now that the new trend in K-makeup and fashion is “demure”! Have you tried updating your makeup pouch? Olive Young influencers have some ideas for us, such as applying light blushes and warm shades for the lips, and using both in similar tones. They recommend creating a warm-toned makeup look with fewer colors and less sparkle. They also suggest products to achieve this look. If you’re looking for specific products, you can check out their recommendations.

K-Travel

❄️ First Snow Of The Year? Well, … In The Mountains

Laure 🌼It hasn’t been too long since we were discussing the heat in Korea despite it being fall. However, after the rain, temperatures have dropped. It is now cooler in Seoul, and Seoraksan saw its first autumn snow on Saturday, the 19th. The snow arrived two days earlier than last year, with temperatures at minus 2.6 degrees Celsius. Speaking of snow, all the department stores are already selling winter clothing.

🍂 Seoul Welcomes Fall Lovers Once Again

Bethany 🌌If you’re someone that finds joy in watching the leaves change color, seeing the cafes selling more hot drinks and the feeling of the first breeze of fall, you will love Korea’s fall! But where are the best places to indulge in the stunning seasonal foliage you might ask? Well here they are: Haneul Park is one of the most popular spots, followed closely by Seokchon Lake and Seoul Forest! Whether you want to see silver grass fields, trees painted with orange and yellow or wander down autumnal forest trails, Seoul has it all just a subway ride away!

🛍️ Hot Place Check! Myeongdong Is Back On Top As A Tourist Hotspot

Kay 🥑Myeongdong is known as one of the must-visit tourist attractions when visiting Seoul, especially for the first time. However, due to the pandemic, Myeongdong basically became a ghost town due to the lack of tourists and businesses closing down. Fortunately, as tourism has boomed up again, Myeongdong is seeing a resurgence and has finally reclaimed its reputation as the top shopping district in central Seoul.

💡 Let There Be Light! It’s Getting Bright On Seokchon Lake

Dyllan 🐼It’s that time of the year - time for the annual light festival on Seokchon Lake. This beautiful event is set to run from Friday, October 28th all the way until February 28th of next year. Dubbed as “Luminarie”, the light festival will have 50,000 lights on display in order to create an enchantingly magical atmosphere that both locals and tourists will love. Mark your calendars for a wonderful display of lights, amazing performances, and spellbinding attractions.

K-Food

🌎 The First Stick-Type Dried Seaweed Flakes To Conquer The Planet

Laure 🌼Are you a fan of K-Food? Have you ever thought about dried seaweed flakes? The brand HAEDAMSOL has developed Korea’s first stick-type dried seaweed flakes to introduce Korean seaweed products to the global market. Gimjaban, or dried seaweed flakes, can be enjoyed with a variety of dishes. And with this convenient design, it's easy to eat.

🍰 New Sungsimdang Cake Out, & Everyone Wants It

Laure 🌼One of the most popular bakeries in Korea is Sungsimdang, and cake lovers eagerly await their new releases. This fall, they have just introduced their Chestnut Siru. Roasted chestnuts meet smooth cream to deliver the full taste of autumn in this exclusive cake. If you're curious about the price, it’s 45,000 KRW, approximately 33 USD. You might have to wait in line for a while to get your hands on it, but it could be well worth the wait.

K-Society

💸 Convenience Stores Are The New Department Stores, At Least In Terms Of Profit

Kay 🥑Whilst Korean department stores have always been at the top of the game in terms of profitability, convenience stores have been filling the gap to the number one spot through increased popularity. This has partly been because Koreans have reduced spending at department stores due to high prices. Additionally, single and two-person households have increased and many of them sort out their meals at convenience stores.

👶 Birth Rate On The Rise Again, Supposedly

Kay 🥑A recent survey has revealed that the sentiment about having children is changing among young Koreans. In the past, women in their 20s were cited as the most skeptical group surrounding the topic. However, recently more of them have said that they felt a need to have children. This might be due to many of Korea’s government initiatives to incentivize giving birth (such as offering government stipends, cheaper housing, etc.). There have also been changes to policies in the workplace such as maternity/paternity leave as another form of support. Will these changes in policy and sentiment result in resolving the birth rate crisis? Only time will tell.

🧓 Move Aside Retirement - Elders Dominate The Workforce

Dyllan 🐼Those aged 60 and above can usually look forward to quieter days, retired and away from all forms of work. However, it seems the data says differently as one out of every four workers in Korea are 60 or older. Elders, aged 60+, now account for 23.4 percent of the workforce, an increase from 20.2 percent in 2021. This has led to talks about retirement age extension as older individuals choose to remain active in the workforce.

Intern Diaries From SK

Bethany 🌌 Lately I’ve noticed online that everyone is obsessed with finding ‘hidden gems’ when it comes to traveling and I think it’s important to remind people (especially young people) that it is so worth it to go to the popular, touristy places as well because they are popular for a reason! For example, I recently visited the famous Bukchon Hanok Village, and I regretted not going sooner. I think the view from the top of the village will be one of my favorite images I’ll take home with me when my trip ends. So even though these spots can be quite busy and you might think it won’t be worth the time it takes to get there, don’t be so sure until you are standing at the top with a perfect view of the N Seoul Tower in front of you!

Readers' Questions Corner

Gabi 😎Where is your best spot to see foliage in Korea?

Laure 🌼I think Namsan is a great spot because you can see trees and enjoy a view of the city painted in autumn colors.

Kay 🥑 I think Hwadamsup would be really breathtaking. I haven’t personally been yet but every time I see it pop up on my Instagram it just seems so magical. You can ride a capsule that goes through the artfully colored leaves and it all seems very pretty.

Bethany 🌌This will be my first time seeing the autumn foliage in Korea! I’m thinking about going to Seoul Forest so I can take a walk beneath the trees!

YuJun 🍎I think Gyeongbokgung Palace is good to go. There are more nature than you might think. The palace with autumn leaves is so pretty.

Dyllan 🐼I have a soft spot for Nami Island. Although it’s usually part of a day-trip itinerary, Nami Island just feels so enchanting while walking through the rows of trees covered in autumn hues. It also makes an amazing spot to take your next stunning profile picture for all your socials, so bring a friend or two!

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