🇰🇷 Elsa’s Magic In Seoul: A Snow Wonderland After The Heaviest November Snow In Over 100 Years ❄️

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K-Pop

💥 BIGBANG Turns MAMA Into The Most Iconic Reunion Concert Ever

Kay 🥑BIGBANG crushed their 2024 MAMA Awards performance - which was no surprise to K-Pop fans but still managed to blow everybody’s minds. Their stage was nothing short of legendary and the energy in the air was electrifying with thousands of fans singing and chanting at the top of their lungs. Just seeing the excited waves of lightsticks in various videos gave you a clear indication of how electrifying the atmosphere in the MAMA venue was.

🎶 ATEEZ Tops Billboard 200 Again With “Golden Hour: Part. 2”

J 🍿K-Pop sensation ATEEZ has achieved its second No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with their 11th EP, “Golden Hour: Part. 2”, earning 184,000 equivalent album units. This marks the sixth-largest sales debut week of the year. Alongside ATEEZ, BTS member Jin's solo album “Happy” debuted at No. 4, and ENHYPEN's “Romance: Untold” reentered at No. 7, placing three K-Pop albums in the top 10 simultaneously for the first time.

🎤 Another First For TWICE - A Memorable Debut On Amazon Music Live

Dyllan 🐼TWICE continue to set records and cement their status as one of K-Pop’s best. They recently made their debut on Amazon Music Live, becoming the first K-Pop girl group to be featured on the live concert series. They sang everything from hit classics to newer releases that include some of the members’ solo tracks and unit songs. With this, the excitement for their upcoming mini-album, “STRATEGY”, has also reached an all-time high. Following their Amazon Music Live, are you ready for TWICE’s long-awaited comeback?

K-Drama & K-Movie & K-Variety

📲 “When The Phone Rings” Makes A Stunning Premiere And Enters Netflix’s Global Top 10

Dyllan 🐼Another K-Drama has joined the current drama lineup to close out 2024. Led by main leads, Yoo YeonSeok and Chae SooBin, “When The Phone Rings” has everything you could ask for from thrilling mystery to heartwarming romantic comedy. Despite the tense competition, it was able to rank no. 4 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list for Non-English TV shows. The drama has millions glued to their seats, eager to find out what happens next.

🌟 "Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born" Ends On A High Note But Receives Criticism For Its Finale

Dyllan 🐼 All throughout its run, “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” has trended at the top of audiences’ watchlists every weekend, becoming a must-watch drama of this season. And while it ended on a high note, it drew massive criticism for straying away from the original webtoon. Fans have labeled the finale as a “betrayal of the original”, expressing their frustration towards the erasure of important events, core themes, and pivotal relationships. “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” might have had a great run, but left many feeling unsatisfied at the very end.

K-Beauty

🧙💄 "Wicked" Is Not Only Popular (Pun Intended) In Korean Cinemas But In K-Beauty Too

Kay 🥑K-Beauty has always been pop-uUu-lar (again, pun intended) but with the “Wicked” craze reaching Korea, it has reached a new level. Popular beauty and K-Beauty brands such as Lush, ma:nyo, and BYCOLOR have released “Wicked” collaboration beauty products such as bath bombs, cleansing foams, cleansing oils, serums, toothpaste, and much more. Now you can take your “Wicked” obsession past just having the “Wicked” OST stuck in your head, but use collab products in your daily life, too.

🌨️ People Flocking To Buy These Items These Days At Skin Care Shop

Laure 🌼Temperatures in Korea can drop significantly in winter, but what makes it even more challenging is the dryness and strong winds. As if that weren’t enough, indoor heaters further dry out the skin. That’s why, at the start of winter, Koreans turn to hydrating creams to help their skin endure the harsh conditions. These creams are a must-buy! In stores like Olive Young, they’re prominently displayed, with brands promising deep moisture, repair care, soothing effects, and long-lasting hydration. Facial mists are also trending essentials as the dry weather sets in.

K-Travel

❄️ Elsa’s Magic In Seoul: A Snow Wonderland After The Heaviest November Snow In Over 100 Years

YuJun 🍎Last week, Seoul experienced its heaviest November snowfall in over a century. Residents woke up on Wednesday morning to find the city blanketed in a thick layer of snow, which continued to fall throughout the day and into the night. The city and surrounding regions transformed into magical winter scenes reminiscent of Disney's “Frozen”.

Media captured stunning photographs showcasing Seoul's transformation into a snowy wonderland. Korea's landscapes are breathtaking no matter the season, but winter adds a unique charm to its beauty.

🛒 A New Shopping Hotspot: K-Museum Goods Shopping

Max 🪐 A new shopping hotspot in Seoul is the National Museum of Korea. As the capital of South Korea, Seoul is home to many museums and art galleries, but the National Museum of Korea stands out for its impressive scale and high-quality exhibitions. Inside the museum, a shop selling exhibition-related and Korea-themed goods has become a trendy destination for shoppers. Here, you can find unique and special items that aren’t available in popular areas like Myeongdong or Gangnam. Combine culture and shopping in one trip—be sure to add the National Museum of Korea to your travel itinerary!

K-Food

🍓 Santa Says No To Cookies And Milk But Yes To Strawberry Cake This Year

Laure 🌼 Sungsimdang is one of the most popular bakeries in Korea, arguably the most renowned outside the major bakery chains. People travel all the way to Daejeon to enjoy their cakes, often waiting in line for hours. But you probably already know this if you’ve read our previous newsletters. So, what is Sungsimdang offering for Christmas this year? Most of their cakes feature strawberries (the most popular winter fruit in Korea—yes, in winter!), along with a crepe cake and a few chocolate cakes. They’re also offering the famous Italian Christmas treat: Panettone. The standout star, however, is the strawberry and cream cake. It seems many Koreans will be enjoying strawberries stacked like a Christmas tree, topped with cream, this holiday season.

🗺️ Find My Bungeoppang: Karrot App Creates A Map To Find Bungeoppang Near You

Kay 🥑Bungeoppang (a Korean fish-shaped pastry traditionally filled with custard cream or red bean paste) is one of the go-to winter desserts in Korea. Enough so to make people seek out the warm and tasty treat. However, most bungeoppang stalls are not registered in Korean map services. So, the Karrot App (a secondhand marketplace) has created its very own bungeoppang map to help Koreans find the dessert stalls more easily.

K-Society

💪 Koreans Have Reached A Consensus On Their Year-End Resolutions With Diets Ranking No. 1

Kay 🥑Many Koreans have decided on their year-end resolutions for the rest of the year and it seems that a lot of people have the same resolution in common. According to a survey, 39.5% of respondents said that they wanted to have exercise, health, and dieting as their main priorities to wrap up the year. In 2nd place, many Koreans said they wanted to express gratitude and love more, whilst personal development came in 3rd place. Reading, quitting smoking or drinking, and traveling also ranked at the top of the list of things they wanted to achieve.

🚌 Self-Driving Buses Are No Longer the Future—They're Here in Seoul!

Laure 🌼Last week, we talked about welcoming non-Korean bus drivers in Seoul. This week, the spotlight is on self-driving buses as a solution to the driver shortage. Newly launched self-driving bus routes are now operating in northern and western Seoul during the early morning hours. These buses can seat up to 22 passengers, with no standing allowed. Seats will be reserved through the usual transportation apps. During the trial period, rides are free, but they will later cost the standard fare for these hours. The buses stand out with their sleek white design, a noticeable contrast to Seoul’s red, blue, and green buses. If you’re an early riser—or a night owl—don’t miss the chance to spot or ride one on your next trip to Seoul!

🤵🏻‍♂️ Are You Sure It’s A Wedding? What’s The Deal With The All Black Attire

Dyllan 🐼Weddings are a time for celebration and having a good time. But Korea’s recent wedding trend has the event feeling a little more somber than it should. In an effort to highlight the bride, a vast majority of wedding attendees in Korea ultimately decide to wear black or dark tones to the event. Dubbed as “spotlight contrast”, they do so in order to avoid any unwanted criticism from other attendees, and most especially, from the bride herself. Online communities have become filled with posts asking whether an attire is wedding appropriate or if they should apologize for wearing a bright color. While many accept this change in Korean wedding norms, some lament the funeral-like atmosphere all black attire brings.

🤖 AI-Driven Shifts In Korea’s Search Engine Market: Naver’s Response

Joseph 🐶 Naver is the most popular search engine in Korea. Naver’s search engine market share in Korea has dropped from 78.06% in 2015 to 57.32% this year, while Google has grown from 7.31% to 33.9%. This shift is largely due to AI advancements, like OpenAI's ChatGPT, which changed searches from listing information to offering personalized answers. To keep up, Naver plans to integrate AI into its search services and has been testing a generative AI platform called "Cue:" since last year. Exciting changes seem to be on the way!

Intern Diaries From SK

Eleni 💌When I mentioned the quick shift to winter last week, I wasn’t joking—this week, I woke up to Seoul completely covered in snow! The sudden snowfall was unlike anything I’d experienced before, especially since the night before had just been wind and rain. My highlight of the week was visiting Hongjecheon Artificial Waterfall, just a 10-minute bus ride from Hongdae. Stepping off a busy city street into 5km of peaceful walkways ending at Café Pokpo overlooking a waterfall was surreal. The stark change of suddenly feeling like you’re not in the city was refreshing, and I’m sure it’s just as beautiful covered in snow! Worth a visit with many layers on and hot cocoa in hand.

Readers' Questions Corner

Lara🎄What is your favorite Christmas season song?

Laure 🌼 I’m a huge fan of EXO’s ‘Miracles in December’ (the live version, please!). Their Christmas playlist is absolutely amazing and played everywhere during the holiday season in Korea. I can’t get enough of it!

Kay 🥑It’s tiiiiiiiiimmmeeee! IYKYK. Is it even Christmas if you don’t listen to Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ 10000 times on repeat? Haha jokes aside, this is the song that truly gets me into the festive mood and I think it’s the queen of all Christmas songs.

Eleni 💌One of my classics is ‘Sleigh Ride’ by The Ronettes. You can’t not feel like it's Christmas when you hear this song! But that being said, I think my newest contender for favourite Christmas song this year will probably be BTS’ V’s ‘Christmas Tree’. It's comforting and makes me want to read with hot tea in Christmas PJs by a fire!

Dyllan 🐼‘Heartshaker’ counts, right? If not, I’ll suggest TWICE’s actual Christmas song, ‘Merry & Happy’. It’s one of the first songs I listen to during the season, whether I’m putting up decorations or out on a drive. Everything just feels so holly and jolly with it on repeat.

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