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· Ryan General
Blackpink stans call on YG Ent to protect Jennie from Filipino scammer’s billboard date invite
Fans have expressed concern after a self-confessed scammer from the Philippines bought two giant billboards to ask Blackpink member Jennie out on a date. Desperate call for attention: Social media influencer Christian Albert Gaza, 28, also known as Xian Gaza, set up the…
· Ryan General
North Korean defector works with Canadian human rights group to help other refugees
A North Korean escapee is working with a Canadian nonprofit to help other refugees from the hermit kingdom start a new life in Canada. New haven for refugees: Sam Kim, who fled North Korea as a young boy, is serving as a bridge for refugees like himself through a pilot program…
· Michelle De Pacina
South Korea’s tourism campaign with original soundtrack amasses over 240 million total views
South Korea’s latest tourism campaign “Feel the Rhythm of Korea” has gone viral with a total of over 240 million total views on YouTube. The campaign: On Sept. 3, the Korea Tourism Organization released Season 2 of “Feel the Rhythm of Korea” with eight short videos, reported…
· Ryan General
Three North Korean soldiers sent to prison camp for dancing BTS moves
A group of North Korean soldiers was reportedly sent to a political prison camp after its members were caught dancing BTS moves. Army’s armies: On Aug. 5, three soldiers from the Korean People’s Army Air and Anti-Air Force Command unit were arrested for allegedly performing…
· Ryan General
Workers flood the streets of Seoul wearing ‘Squid Game’ attire to protest for better working conditions
South Korean union workers recently took to the streets to demand job security while wearing costumes from the hit show “Squid Game.” Call for better working conditions: On Wednesday, around 80,000 members of the South Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) came out to…
· Michelle De Pacina
Korean ballerina is the first Asian to reach ‘star dancer’ rank at Paris Opera Ballet in its 352 years
Park Sae-eun is the first Asian ballerina to reach the highest rank at the Paris Opera Ballet in its 352-year history. Danseuse étoile: On June 10, South Korean ballerina Park Sae-eun made history not only for herself but also for the Paris Opera Ballet when she became the first…
· Ryan General
South Korea, China criticize new Japanese PM’s offering to controversial Tokyo shrine honoring war dead
Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida drew criticisms from the Chinese and South Korean government after sending a ritual offering to a controversial Tokyo shrine. A reminder of war: Fumio Kishida, who took office on Oct. 4, marked the autumn festival by donating “masakaki”…
· Bianca Gray
‘Blackpink: The Movie’ is coming to Disney+
K-pop girl group Blackpink’s movie is coming to Disney+. Hallyu: On Nov. 12, streaming service Disney+ will be launching in South Korea, and along with the launch, “Blackpink: The Movie” will become available to stream.
· Carl Samson
Shirtless North Korean soldiers break bricks with their heads, lay on glass and nails for Kim Jong-un
A video of North Korean soldiers — some of them shirtless — performing extreme martial arts for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has gone viral on social media. What’s going on: The performance, which originally aired on North Korean TV, was part of a “self-defense” military…
· Michelle De Pacina
North Korean soldier in shiny blue bodysuit upstages Kim Jong-un at military photo op
A photo taken of Kim Jong-un and 30 North Korean soldiers during an exhibition generated buzz on social media due to one soldier in a skin-tight blue suit. “Captain DPRK”: In a military exhibition of weapons systems on Monday, an unidentified, blue-clad man upstaged Kim Jong-un…
· Ryan General
Rising hallyu: 26 new Korean words added to Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the accepted principal dictionary of the English language, recently included dozens of Korean words in its September update. At the “crest of the Korean wave”: Citing South Korea’s culture, which “continues to rise in international…
· Bianca Gray
Why Jungkook’s lip piercing challenges Korean norms and has BTS fans whipped up into a frenzy
BTS member Jungkook made waves on social media by performing with a lip ring on during The Fact Music Awards. Piercings: Singer Jungkook was seen performing with a lip piercing, which led to intense fan speculation on whether the piercing was real, according to AllKpop.
· Bryan Ke
South Korean presidential candidate seen with ‘King’ marked on his palm draws side-eyes all around
Politicians have accused Yoon Seok-youl, the leading presidential candidate of the conservative opposition party People Power Party (PPP), of relying on shamanistic rituals after he was spotted bearing the Chinese character for “King” (王) on his left palm during a debate. The…
· Ryan General
Netflix to release live-action K-drama adaptation of ‘All of Us Are Dead’ zombie webtoon in Jan.
K-drama fans have another series to look forward to with the highly anticipated release of “All of Us Are Dead” on Netflix. Worth the wait: “All of Us Are Dead,” the live-action adaptation of the webtoon “Now at Our School, All of Us Are Dead” (“지금 우리 학교는”) by Joo Dong-geun, is…
· Bryan Ke
‘Squid Game’ is so popular that a South Korean internet provider is suing Netflix
A South Korean internet provider has sued Netflix for costs incurred from increased internet traffic and maintenance work following the premiere of “Squid Game.” The lawsuit: On Friday, a spokesperson from SK Broadband told Reuters that Netflix’s traffic handled by the company…
· Bryan Ke
South Korean maker of dalgona used in ‘Squid Game’ has since seen his sales more than double
A dalgona seller in Seoul has found massive fame after providing Netflix with 700 sweet treats for the third episode of “Squid Game.” Booming business: An Yong-hui, 37, has been selling dalgona candies in a university district for eight years, reported Reuters.
· Grace Kim
A cultural breakdown of ‘Squid Game’ for non-Koreans and those new to K-dramas
Warning: Contains major spoilers. By now it seems everyone’s heard of “Squid Game,” Netflix’s violent survival game series topping the platform’s streaming charts worldwide. As the internet continues its debate on whether or not the subtitles and English dubbing adequately…
· Editorial Staff
‘Hasn’t the time come’: South Korean president wants to ban dog meat consumption
South Korea may move to ban the consumption of dog meat after Moon Jae-in, the country’s president, publicly raised concerns over the traditional but increasingly uncommon practice. A decline in canine consumption: Eating dog meat, which has become an infamous custom, could…
· Ryan General
South Korea is one of the world’s most innovative economies thanks to Hallyu
Thanks to K-pop, IT and medical research, South Korea has now been deemed the fifth most innovative economy in the world. An innovator rises: South Korea was ranked in the top five of the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021, according to a report published on Monday by the World…
· Bryan Ke
BTS ARMY hail group’s performance of ‘Permission to Dance’ at UNGA as one of their proudest moments
K-pop mega group BTS received an outpouring of support from their fans, known as ARMY, following the release of their “Permission to Dance” video shot at the 76th United Nations General Assembly meeting on Monday. Their proudest moment: The music video, released on the United…