News

67th Annual Grammy Awards

2025/02/03 10:00

In the U.S., the 67th annual Grammy Awards is taking place in Los Angeles on Sunday local time. Hosted by Trevor Noah for the fifth time, the event honors outstanding achievements in the music industry over the past year. Beyonce led the nominations with 11, and secured early wins, including Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Kendrick Lamar also won multiple awards for his track "Not Like Us." The ceremony features performances by artists such as Shakira and Billie Eilish and includes a tribute to Quincy Jones, an iconic producer who died last year. The event also aims to support wildfire victims in Los Angeles.

[Arts & Culture] Why 2025 will be a huge year for K-pop

2025/01/31 20:00

Time now for our weekly Arts and Culture segment. As always, we're joined by our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin. Welcome! Good evening. What do you have for us today? During our first Arts and Culture segment of the year, I mentioned that 2025 would be a big year for K-pop. This year, all BTS members will complete their military service, BLACKPINK is getting ready to drop new music and hit the road for a world tour. But the excitement isn't just about the industry giants. A new wave of rookie K-pop groups is already turning heads, some even before their official debut. Let's take a closer look. These boys are among the rising stars breaking into the world of K-pop this year. 2025 is shaping up to be a dynamic year for the industry, with a fresh wave of rookie groups lined up. Three of K-pop's biggest entertainment agencies are preparing to debut highly anticipated new groups. First up is JYP Entertainment's KickFlip. Even before their official debut on January 20th, the boy group was named on Grammy.com's list of "Rookie K-pop Acts to Watch in 2025." And they are having a strong start, with their debut album "Flip It, Kick It!" topping two domestic music charts in the fourth week of January. "The group's vibe is really upbeat and lively. These days, people want boy groups to exude a bright, energetic presence, so in that sense, I think they nailed their image." Coming up next is SM's first girl group since Aepsa's debut five years ago: Hearts2Hearts. The eight-member group is ready to steal the hearts of K-pop fans when they officially debut on February 24th. "SM's identity under former producer Lee Soo-man has been less about relatable, down-to-earth K-pop groups, but more about crafting myth-like figures, who seem distinct from typical teens or young adults. But now, artists need to connect with their fans on a more personal and emotional level. The question is how well they can pull it off this time." Last but not least is YG Entertainment. "Our new group, tentatively named Next Monster is waiting for their debut. We're looking forward to introducing them to fans soon." The label's newest group remains a mystery, with little information out there, except for one thing: YG is set to unveil them this year. "There are quite a few trainees at YG preparing for their debut. We'll reveal more details, including the official debut date, at a later time." With fresh talent, bold sounds, and new stories to tell, these rising stars are ready to take the spotlight. Can't wait to see what this new generation of artists will bring to K-pop. Yoo-jin, let's now put our focus on the relatively established groups. I heard some of them have exciting news this week. You're right. I want to mention BLACKPINK's Rose, as she shattered her own record this week and set a new milestone for a K-pop female artist on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Rose's collaboration with American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars for "APT." ranked third on the chart this week. This is, once again, the highest any female K-pop artist has reached on this globally acclaimed weekly chart. The previous record was also set by "APT." placing fifth for the second week of January. The song made Rose the first K-pop female artist to break into the chart's top 10 last October, debuting at number eight on the chart. We'll see how far the song will go. When we talk about K-pop's appeal, it's not just about the music, it's the full experience. The visuals, the choreography, and the performances all come to life, especially at concerts. And I hear there's an exciting concert event for K-pop fans to look forward to. Can you tell us more? Absolutely. Over the past few years, we've seen a rise in concert films here in Korea, bringing the live experience to the big screen. The latest group to join this trend is the K-pop girl group Red Velvet. Their concert film "Red Velvet Happiness Diary: My Dear, Reve1uv In Cinemas" will premiere in theaters across Korea next Wednesday, February 5th. Ticket sales just opened today, and fans can relive the energy of Red Velvet's Seoul fan concert, which celebrated its 10th debut anniversary last year. Sounds exciting. Thank you Yoo-jin for your report today. As always, my pleasure.

'Squid Game' Season 3 to be released on June 27

2025/01/31 10:00

Netflix announced on Thursday, that it will release the third season of 'Squid Game' on June 27th. Calling it the "final season," Netflix released teasers. The third season was filmed consecutively with season 2, which consisted of just seven episodes. The final one will be released just six months after the release of the second, while the second season was screened over three years after the first. Netflix said earlier this month that season 2 will be one of the most-watched original series seasons, with the number of views in the fourth quarter of last year standing at 1-hundred-65-point-7 million.

[Short-form] Korea’s signature holiday dishes and how to burn off associated calories

2025/01/31 14:00

Korea’s signature holiday dishes and how to burn off associated calories It's the golden Lunar New Year season! Check out Korea’s festive flavors and healthy ways to burn off those extra calories.

[Features_reporter] How to make Tteokguk, one of S. Korea's traditional Lunar New Year dishes

2025/01/31 14:00

Seollal, Korea's Lunar New Year, wouldn't be complete without tteokguk, or rice cake soup. While many Koreans are still digesting a bowl or two they had over the extended Lunar New Year holiday our News Features reporter Ahn Sung-jin introduces us to this warm comforting dish, that's more than just a meal. "Korean lunar new year, also known as Seollal, is one of the country's major holidays. Traditionally Koreans would gather together, play folk games and perform ancestral rites and when Koreans think of Seollal, there's one thing that comes to mind." Then what is tteokguk that everyone is talking about? Tteokguk which literally combines the word tteok -rice cake-and guk -soup-is a typical traditional dish eaten during the Lunar New Year holiday. The owners of this rice cake mill have been making their own tteok for more than 50 years. It's especially during these holidays that orders for garaetteok, a long strip of rice cake dough, and the main ingredient in the tteokguk surges. First rice, which has been soaked, is ground twice to soften it before it is steamed. After that it's all mashed together to create long strips of garaetteok. The long strip represents people's desires to have good fortune. Once the rice cake hardens for a day or two, it is then cut into oval pieces that resemble the shape of coins once used in Korea, the yeopjeon. The exact origin of eating tteokguk on Lunar New Year's day is unclear, but it is believed to give good luck for the year. A traditional saying even goes that you haven't become a year older until you've had a bowl of tteokguk. Eating tteokguk during Seollal still remains a tradition, even if buying handmade tteok to make your own tteokguk is becoming less common. "For us it's mostly regular customers that have been coming for a long time. Not a whole lot of new customers because it's not common to eat this much tteok. People now normally just buy small packages." Tteokguk is not only a symbolic dish of Korea's Lunar New Year, but it also provides a glimpse into the hidden meanings behind the ingredients. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

[K-enter] "Squid Game" Season 3 to Premiere in June 2025

2025/01/31 14:00

So, starting off with K-Enter news, Bella, the date I was talking about has got to do with the third and final season of "Squid Game"? It seems like just yesterday that we got excited about "Squid Game" season 2. Well, get ready for another new season. The third and final season of "Squid Game" will premiere on June 27th. That's only six months after season 2, which was released in December last year. The reason for a relatively shorter term between the two seasons is because season 3 was filmed along with season 2. Netflix also revealed five still photos from the third season. The new season will take off from Gi-hun's failed confrontation with the Front Man and the despair that he faces after the participants' rebellion against the game's hosts. Meanwhile, the second season of "Squid Game" is currently the most watched Non-English Netflix series. Let's all mark our calendars and see how "Squid Game" ends. And for our next story we will talk about numerous records set by K-pop artists. Jung Kook set another new record on the U.S. Billboard chart. According to the latest chart released by Billboard on January 28th, Jung kook's solo single "Seven," released in July 2023, has been in the "Global" chart for a total of 80 weeks. This made Jung Kook the longest-running K-pop solo artist on the chart. "Seven" rose 14 spots to No.101 on the Billboard's "Global 200" chart. Another BTS member, Jimin, is also performing well on Billboard's main album and song chart. His second solo album "MUSE" ranked 77th on the main album chart "Billboard 200" and the title song "Who" ranked 25th on the main song chart "Hot 100." Although the album was introduced back in July last year, it's seen a rise in the chart compared to the previous weeks. And now, we have a female artist who also set not one, but two new records? Rosé achieved remarkable success with her hit single "APT." featuring Bruno Mars. It climbed to 3rd place on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the highest position ever reached by a female K-pop artist. Notably, "APT." has maintained a remarkable streak of 14 consecutive weeks on the chart. "APT." also reached 1 billion streams on Spotify. Rosé celebrated the milestone on her SNS accounts and Bruno Mars also joined in as he re-posted Rosé's stories. The single surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify on January 26th, which was 100 days after its release. This made it the fastest song by a K-pop act to hit a billion streams in Spotify's history, breaking the previous record held by BTS Jung Kook with his single "Seven." Thank you Bella for today's stories. Time now to go over to our AI anchor Ari for other culture-related news.

Inside Korea's one-of-a-kind train station

2025/01/28 18:00

For those traveling to meet their loved ones this Seollal holiday, taking the train is a popular choice. If you happen to pass through Seoul Station and you're waiting for your train, there's a place just a short walk away that you might want to check out. Our Song Yoo-jin tells us more. If you've ever passed through Seoul Station, the busiest train hub in Korea, you might have noticed this building right next door. It's a station too, but not for trains. "The Culture Station Seoul 284 is the old Seoul Station building that opened in 1925. This area ended operations as a railway station in 2003 but reopened in 2011 as a space for exhibitions, performances, and workshops." Step inside, and you'll travel through time. The rooms of the century-old station have become exhibition halls. Currently, Culture Station Seoul 284 is offering two cultural journeys. On the first floor, you can hop aboard 'Craft Journey, all over the place, everywhere.' This exhibition showcases 68 pieces by 29 artisans from across Korea, using metal, ceramics, wood, textiles, bamboo and straw. "It was fascinating to see traditional crafts interpreted in modern ways. I used to take trains from this station as a kid, before the new one was built. It's so unique to experience exhibitions in a historical building like this, instead of a typical museum or gallery." Upstairs, in what was once 'The Grill,' Korea's first Western-style restaurant, you'll find the 'Enchanting Lines, Dignified Waves' exhibition. Four Hanbok brands have reimagined the traditional Korean dress, blending their unique styles while preserving its timeless elegance. "I was impressed by how the designers gave the Hanbok a modern twist. This place feels so inviting with its rich culture and history. The exhibitions feel even more elegant and unique because the space still carries the charm of the old Seoul Station." This former train station may no longer connect cities, but it's now a hub that connects people to culture and history, with no ticket required. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

Rosé breaks own K-pop female artist record as "APT." climbs to No. 3 on Billboard Hot 100

2025/01/28 18:00

BLACKPINK's Rosé has broken her own record as the highest-charting K-pop female artist ever on the Billboard charts. Billboard announced on Monday local time that Rosé's hit song with Bruno Mars, "APT.", climbed to number three on the Billboard Hot 100, 14 weeks after its release in October last year. With this achievement, she has shattered her previous record of number five, which had been the highest-charting position ever achieved by a female K-pop artist. "APT." has also made history as the first K-pop track to reach number one on Billboard's Pop Airplay chart, which ranks the week's most popular songs based on radio airplay.

Inside Korea's one-of-a-kind train station

2025/01/28 12:00

For those traveling to meet their loved ones this Seollal holiday, taking the train is a popular choice. If you happen to pass through Seoul Station and you're waiting for your train, there's a place just a short walk away that you might want to check out. Our Song Yoo-jin tells us more. If you've ever passed through Seoul Station, the busiest train hub in Korea, you might have noticed this building right next door. It's a station too, but not for trains. "The Culture Station Seoul 284 is the old Seoul Station building that opened in 1925. This area ended operations as a railway station in 2003 but reopened in 2011 as a space for exhibitions, performances, and workshops." Step inside, and you'll travel through time. The rooms of the century-old station have become exhibition halls. Currently, Culture Station Seoul 284 is offering two cultural journeys. On the first floor, you can hop aboard 'Craft Journey, all over the place, everywhere.' This exhibition showcases 68 pieces by 29 artisans from across Korea, using metal, ceramics, wood, textiles, bamboo and straw. "It was fascinating to see traditional crafts interpreted in modern ways. I used to take trains from this station as a kid, before the new one was built. It's so unique to experience exhibitions in a historical building like this, instead of a typical museum or gallery." Upstairs, in what was once 'The Grill,' Korea's first Western-style restaurant, you'll find the 'Enchanting Lines, Dignified Waves' exhibition. Four Hanbok brands have reimagined the traditional Korean dress, blending their unique styles while preserving its timeless elegance. "I was impressed by how the designers gave the Hanbok a modern twist. This place feels so inviting with its rich culture and history. The exhibitions feel even more elegant and unique because the space still carries the charm of the old Seoul Station." This former train station may no longer connect cities, but it's now a hub that connects people to culture and history, with no ticket required. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

[K-enter] Actor Byeon Woo-seok Donates Merchandise Proceeds to Pediatric Patients

2025/01/24 14:00

Time for some K-entertainment news with Bella Kim. Today, we start off with a heartwarming story. Actor Byeon Woo-seok has donated the proceeds from his birthday merchandise sales to Korea Pediatric Cancer-Foundation. The sale of the goods started last October and his agency VARO Entertainment announced that all proceeds will be donated to children suffering from childhood cancer, leukemia, and rare and incurable diseases. The exact amount is not revealed. Byeon Woo-seok actually donated 300 million won, which is roughly 210-thousand U.S. dollars, for pediatric patients to Severance Hospital in Seoul just last year. Meanwhile, he confirmed his next project for an MBC drama tentatively titled “21st Century King’s Wife”. We have another donation story, but this time by a K-pop boy group member? BTS' Jin donated 100 million won (about 70,000 U.S. dollars) to Korea University Medical Center to support terminally ill patients in developing countries. The donation will be used for Korea University Medical Center’s international medical support program, aimed at providing treatment to those suffering from financial hardships and lack of treatment. Jin stated “I hope this brings a small hope to those who are suffering and unable to receive treatment in medical blind spots.” He added that he wants to help more lives with his global fans. Jin was discharged from mandatory military service last June and recently released his solo album, “Happy.” And speaking of Jin, we’ll end off with another story on some other BTS members? BTS Jimin has achieved a historic milestone on the US Billboard charts. According to the latest Billboard charts released on Wednesday, Jimin’s second solo album, “MUSE” is still on the Billboard 200 chart at No.118. This is his 26th consecutive week on the chart, which makes him the longest-charting K-pop solo artist on this chart. Despite the fact that the album was released in July last year, it is still No.3 on the World Albums chart and its title track, “Who,” is ranked No.41 on the Hot 100. We also have some more exciting news for Jimin along with Jung Kook? Jimin and Jung Kook were nominated for various categories of the “2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards” in the United States. On Wednesday, iHeartRadio Music Awards announced the list of nominees for this year’s awards. Jimin was nominated for “K-pop Artist of the Year” and his song “Who” was nominated for “Best Lyrics” and “K-pop Song of the Year.” Notably, Jimin is the first Korean artist to be nominated for the “Best Lyrics” category. Also, a travelogue taken by Jimin and Jung Kook “Are You Sure?!” was considered as a competition for “Favorite On Screen.” The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a music awards ceremony hosted, since 2014, by iHeartRadio, an American online radio station. It awards the most played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and applications every year. This year’s awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on March 17th and will be broadcast live on the FOX channel in the United States. Thank you Bella for today’s stories.

K-pop marketing strategies behind new releases

2025/01/24 14:00

It’s been another week with new releases in the K-pop world, with a variety of songs catching the eyes and ears of fans. Today, we want to analyze some of the marketing strategies behind K-pop idols’ song releases. We’ll do that with the expert in this field Jeff Benjamin, a contributor to Billboard, Forbes, Rolling Stone and more. Hello Jeff! Q1. Let’s first start with WHO released WHAT in the past week. Q1-1. What’s your first impression of ‘KickFlip’? What do you think are their strengths? Q2. Girl group IVE have wrapped up their 11-month world tour and their song ‘REBEL HEART’ has been topping charts around the world. They will also return with a mini-album on Feb. 3rd. What's your take on the song and your expectations for the album? Q3. Now let’s go deeper into the "pre-release" strategy . It’s become the norm for K-pop stars to have a single released first, followed by an album release. How effective is this marketing strategy? And is there something different to it compared to releases elsewhere in the world? Q4. Interestingly, we're also seeing longer teaser and promotion periods, but shorter and shorter active periods. What’s behind this change? Q5. What are other mentionable marketing trends in the K-pop industry? Q6. Amid these strategies, are there any factors that may need improvement in your view?

[K-enter] Actor Byeon Woo-seok Donates Merchandise Proceeds to Pediatric Patients

2025/01/24 14:00

Time for some K-entertainment news with Bella Kim. Today, we start off with a heartwarming story. Actor Byeon Woo-seok has donated the proceeds from his birthday merchandise sales to Korea Pediatric Cancer-Foundation. The sale of the goods started last October and his agency VARO Entertainment announced that all proceeds will be donated to children suffering from childhood cancer, leukemia, and rare and incurable diseases. The exact amount is not revealed. Byeon Woo-seok actually donated 300 million won, which is roughly 210-thousand U.S. dollars, for pediatric patients to Severance Hospital in Seoul just last year. Meanwhile, he confirmed his next project for an MBC drama tentatively titled “21st Century King’s Wife”. We have another donation story, but this time by a K-pop boy group member? BTS' Jin donated 100 million won (about 70,000 U.S. dollars) to Korea University Medical Center to support terminally ill patients in developing countries. The donation will be used for Korea University Medical Center’s international medical support program, aimed at providing treatment to those suffering from financial hardships and lack of treatment. Jin stated “I hope this brings a small hope to those who are suffering and unable to receive treatment in medical blind spots.” He added that he wants to help more lives with his global fans. Jin was discharged from mandatory military service last June and recently released his solo album, “Happy.” And speaking of Jin, we’ll end off with another story on some other BTS members? BTS Jimin has achieved a historic milestone on the US Billboard charts. According to the latest Billboard charts released on Wednesday, Jimin’s second solo album, “MUSE” is still on the Billboard 200 chart at No.118. This is his 26th consecutive week on the chart, which makes him the longest-charting K-pop solo artist on this chart. Despite the fact that the album was released in July last year, it is still No.3 on the World Albums chart and its title track, “Who,” is ranked No.41 on the Hot 100. We also have some more exciting news for Jimin along with Jung Kook? Jimin and Jung Kook were nominated for various categories of the “2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards” in the United States. On Wednesday, iHeartRadio Music Awards announced the list of nominees for this year’s awards. Jimin was nominated for “K-pop Artist of the Year” and his song “Who” was nominated for “Best Lyrics” and “K-pop Song of the Year.” Notably, Jimin is the first Korean artist to be nominated for the “Best Lyrics” category. Also, a travelogue taken by Jimin and Jung Kook “Are You Sure?!” was considered as a competition for “Favorite On Screen.” The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a music awards ceremony hosted, since 2014, by iHeartRadio, an American online radio station. It awards the most played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and applications every year. This year’s awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on March 17th and will be broadcast live on the FOX channel in the United States. Thank you Bella for today’s stories.

Corpse flower blooms in Sydney for the first time in 15 years

2025/01/24 10:00

Finally to Australia, where Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden saw the blooming of a "corpse flower," or Putricia, for the first time in 15 years on Thursday. The rare flower, which is native to Sumatra, Indonesia, is known for its pungent odor, often compared to rotting flesh. The occasion attracted over 20,000 visitors, as the flower's bloom is a significant event, due to its rarity and brief 24-hour lifespan. Visitors endured lines exceeding two hours to witness the rare spectacle, and some described the scent as being like a dead animal.

[K-enter] BLACKPINK Jennie Comes Back with First Full-Length Album

2025/01/23 14:00

Time for some K-entertainment news with Bella Kim. Bella, today we’ll start off with some exciting news related to one of the members of BLACKPINK. Who are we talking about? We are going to talk about BLACKPINK member, Jennie. Jennie will make a comeback on March 7th with her very first full-length album, “Ruby.” Jennie has been working on the new album with many big-name artists, such as Dua Lipa, Childish Gambino and French Kiwi Juice(FKJ). The album will feature 15 songs in total, including her latest single, “Mantra,” released last October. “Mantra” has topped iTunes’ Top Songs chart in 47 countries and also made history as the first song by a female K-pop solo artist to reach No.1 on iTunes’ Top Songs chart in the U.S.. The single also appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks. It's also been announced that Jennie will perform at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 13th and 20th. Next, we have latest on the NewJeans-ADOR legal dispute? NewJeans members shared a detailed update regarding their legal dispute with ADOR through a letter posted on their Instagram account on Wednesday. In the letter, the group revealed that ADOR had filed a lawsuit seeking confirmation of the validity of their exclusive contracts and had also applied for an injunction to prevent the members from signing advertising contracts. The group received the related legal documents and had appointed the law firm Sejong to represent them. NewJeans members continued to express disappointment in how ADOR and HYBE had failed to protect and support them during their activities and detailed the obstacles they faced with the two agencies. The group also said that HYBE and ADOR used “underhanded tactics” to divide the members. As a result, they strongly stated that they will fight for the truth and will never return to HYBE and ADOR as they had already lost faith in them. And for our last story, we’ll move onto a new Netflix series that’s soon to be released? Netflix has officially announced that “When Life Gives You Tangerines” will be released globally on March 7th. The series is created by renowned director Kim Won-suk, versatile screenwriter Lim Sang-choon, and will features a stellar cast, including IU, who also goes by her name Lee Ji-eun as an actress, Park Bo-gum, Park Hae-joon, and Moon So-ri. “When Life Gives You Tangerines” follows the adventures of Ae-sun, “the remarkable rebel,” and Gwan-sik, whose nickname means “unyielding iron.” As the background of the drama is set in Jeju Island, the series’ Korean title is in Jeju dialect, translating to “thank you for your hard work.” The trailer for the series was also revealed. It features lively, refreshing music and the scenic beauty of Jeju Island, complete with canola fields, persimmon trees, and the sea. “When Life Gives You Tangerines” promises to bring warmth to your spring days with its authentic, relatable stories that reflect the different stages of life throughout the seasons. Thank you Bella for today’s stories.

How is S. Korea's webtoon industry fostering new talents?

2025/01/22 17:00

The K-webtoon industry has been noting tangible advances for the sixth year in a row and keeping that in mind we explore the efforts underway to ensure greater growth. As usual our Ahn Sung-jin was out and about. 25-year-old Jeon Sung-hyun aspires to be a famous webtoon artist, not just in Korea, but around the world. "Not only did I start drawing webtoons because I like them, but, and this may be deep, I like how I can express philosophical or deep story lines. It's not just fun comics like the old days, but it can be something more meaningful than that." He's taking a leave of absence from his other studies to devote himself to webtoons and he's not the only one. "In 2024, compared to the year before, registered students increased by 25 percent. One thing we emphasize is real experience. We have signed MOUs with various webtoon studios so students could immediately gain hands on experience as well." The hardest step for emerging artists is probably making their debut on a major webtoon platform. But luckily, there are talentspotters like Flory who search out stories that connect with readers. "My job entails everything related to these webtoon creators from finding and contacting them to producing and marketing their content, and it is important that we continue to work on discovering and showcasing new artists." According to the Culture Ministry and Korea Creative Content Agency, South Korea's webtoon industry saw an operating profit of more than 2 trillion Korean won or 1-point-4 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 --up by nearly 20 percent from the year before. South Korea's webtoon industry continues to see a steady influx of learners. Who knows, maybe this time next year, students like Jeon Sung-hyun will be making his debut on a webtoon platform. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

[K-Correspondent] Korean tastes that are captivating Australia

2025/01/22 14:00

Once a week we connect live to a correspondent overseas who fills us in on K-culture news in their country. Today, we will find out about the latest in the K-food craze in Australia. While Korean-style fried chicken and barbecue landed in Australia a while back, K-food meal kits are getting plenty of love these days. To talk more about this, we are now connected to our K-Correspondent in Australia, content creator Jiny Maeng! Q1. Hello Jiny, we’ve met before through Arirang TV, but it's your first time on 'The Kulture Wave'. Could you introduce yourself to our viewers please? Q1-1. (I’m also a content creator from Australia. I’m very interested in YouTube contents ) Which of your videos have been going viral the most and received the best responses? Q2. How popular is the Korean wave in Australia right now? I heard K-contents including Squid Game season 2 have been a big hit recently? Q3. Let’s now talk about K-food, our main topic today. Korean stir-fried glass noodles japchae are among the favorite K-food dishes in Australia right now? Q3-2. When you compare japchae to other Asian noodles such as in countries like Japan and China, what are the appealing factors of Korean noodles to foreigners? Q4. As an Aussie myself, I noticed Korean food items in Australia years ago, but it seems like nowadays there are so many different types of K-meal kits available at local grocery stores. Which ones are particularly popular these days? Q5. Could you recommend any Australian foods that go well with Korean dishes? Q6. What dishes would you like to see become meal kits in the future? Thank you very much Jiny for connecting with us today. Also, good luck with the 2025 AACTA ("Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award") as you've been nominated for the Digital Creator category, as far as I know. Thank you Walter as always. I'll see you most likely after the Lunar New Year holidays!

[K-Enter] Hong Sang-Soo's new film enters the Berlin Film Festival

2025/01/22 14:00

Time for our daily dose of K-entertainment with Walter Lee. Today we have a segment full of K-contents. Let's start with movie news. Yes, plenty of news from film festivals and press conferences today. Let's start with Hong Sang-soo. Director Hong Sang-soo's film "What does that nature say to you?" has been invited to the 75th Berlin Film Festival, which will take place in Germany's capital next month. The Berlin Film Festival's executive committee announced 19 films invited to the competition section at a press conference on Tuesday (local time). The film tells the story of Dong-hwa, a poet in his 30s, who unexpectedly visits the home of his lover, Jun-hee. In previous years, Hong has received five awards at the Berlin Film Festival, beginning with "On the Beach at Night Alone" in 2017, when actress and his partner Kim Min-hee won the "Silver Bear for Best Actress", and most recently "The Novelist's Film" in 2022 won the "Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize". Meanwhile, Kim and Hong are reportedly expecting a child this spring. That's why there are speculations on whether Hong's partner Kim Min-hee will join Hong at the Berlin International Film Festival or not. Let's move on to another movie, one that you introduced us to before? The crime thriller "Nocturnal" or "Broken" in Korean, starring Ha Jung-woo and Kim Nam-gil, has been sold to 158 countries for screening. "Nocturnal" has been pre-sold to countries, including Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, and Spain, signalling it's popularity with audiences worldwide. It has also been invited to the non-competitive official section of the Glasgow Film Festival, one of the UK's leading film festivals. The Glasgow Film Festival, which will run from February 26 to March 9, has previously invited Korean films such as "Sleep", "The Man Standing Next", and "Voice of Silence". This year, "Nocturnal" is the only Korean film selected. "Nocturnal" is scheduled for release on February 5. Great to see Korean movies gain more and more popularity around the world. And from the big screens to the smaller screen, what's our final story Walter? The production press conference for the Netflix drama "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call" was held on Tuesday, and was attended by director Lee Do-yoon and cast members Ju Ji-hoon, Choo Young-woo, and Ha Young. Ju, who plays the protagonist Baek Kang-hyuk, an expert trauma doctor who takes on the challenge of reviving a dysfunctional trauma team. When talking about working on the drama, Ju said, "I worked hard to ensure the fantasy-like story didn't feel overly unrealistic." Adding "During the preparation process, I spent hours in intense discussions with the director and production team, sometimes up to seven hours per session." "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call" will be released worldwide on Netflix on January 24. Thanks for that entertainment news Walter. Now we move onto our AI anchor Ari for more culture news.

[Features reporter] How is S. Korea's webtoon industry fostering new talents?

2025/01/22 14:00

Sung-jin, we're going to look at a sector today that's maybe not as popular as K-pop and K-dramas abroad but one that is growing continuously. On my way to work I saw lots of people in the subway scrolling through these Have you guys heard of Kang Full and "The Light Shop" or Kim poong and "The History of Fools"? These are some notable webtoon artists and their works. Today I want to talk about the webtoon industry and how it's looking to foster talents. 25-year-old Jeon Sung-hyun aspires to be a famous webtoon artist, not just in Korea, but around the world. "Not only did I start drawing webtoons because I like them, but, and this may be deep, I like how I can express philosophical or deep story lines. It's not just fun comics like the old days, but it can be something more meaningful than that." He's taking a leave of absence from his other studies to devote himself to webtoons and he's not the only one. "In 2024, compared to the year before, registered students increased by 25 percent. One thing we emphasize is real experience. We have signed MOUs with various webtoon studios so students could immediately gain hands on experience as well." The hardest step for emerging artists is probably making their debut on a major webtoon platform. But luckily, there are talentspotters like Flory who search out stories that connect with readers. "My job entails everything related to these webtoon creators from finding and contacting them to producing and marketing their content, and it is important that we continue to work on discovering and showcasing new artists." According to the Culture Ministry and Korea Creative Content Agency, South Korea’s webtoon industry saw an operating profit of more than 2 trillion Korean won or 1-point-4 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 up by nearly 20 percent from the year before. South Korea's webtoon industry continues to see a steady influx of learners. Who knows, maybe this time next year, students like Jeon Sung-hyun will be making his debut on a webtoon platform. Sung-jin, I was very interested in your coverage today, because I happen to have covered webtoons exactly 10 years ago. And seeing the industry having grown this much is very fulfilling to see. Walter do you like to read webtoons? Then Sung-jin, since you’ve visited all these places related to the webtoon industry, any pieces you can recommend and why exactly are these webtoons so popular? To be honest, I don’t read webtoons too often so I had to do some research and get recommendations from my friends! I want to share a bit more about Kang Full's pieces So other than "The Light Shop", another well-known webtoon is "Moving" as well as "Pure Love Comics" or "Apartment." I did watch the recent drama adaptation of "The Light Shop" though, which is about a shop for those who are in between life and the afterlife. For a lot of those in their 30s and 40s, he seems really popular. When I talked to industry experts, it seems like some of the major features that guided the success of webtoons are vertical scrolling and background music as well as 3D backgrounds. And Sung-jin, you've mentioned it's a growing industry. Surely the government must be providing some support to further develop the industry? Right, so the government invests in the content industry every year. That includes games, animation, webtoons and others. This year it will invest three percent more than last year in the sector. Looking just at the webtoon sector, the government will be investing an additional 8-point-4 billion won or 5-point-85 million U.S. dollars this year. But despite these efforts we do see a recurring problem in this industry ? Exactly, as I mentioned during my report, webtoons are part of the intellectual property realm, which is why a very inherent problem comes to surface -the fact that they can easily be stolen. What I mean by this is regardless of the copyright that each of these webtoons holds, they have been distributed illegally to different countries, which obviously harms the original creator. Another issue similar to this is that despite the growing industry itself, individual creators still have their difficulties. "Because most webtoons are released once a week, there is so much to work on. Though finding ways to improve pay would be best, with a limited amount of time, these webtoon artists have been seeking other ways to make their working environment sustainable like simplifying background details." Ultimately, to make the webtoon sector more sustainable, there needs to be policies to help individual artists. Great to know all aspects of the webtoon industry, Even it's hidden ones. Thank you Sung-jin for today's report. My pleasure as always.

Annual U.K. toy fair

2025/01/22 10:00

In London, the 71st annual Toy Fair is underway at the Olympia exhibition hall. The fair runs until January 23 and showcases toys from over 250 exhibitors including Spin Master, The LEGO Group, and Gibsons. This year's exhibition includes themes such as the booming kidult category catering to adults who collect or play with toys. The kidult market accounted for 25% of U.K. toy sales in 2024. The fair also highlighted an increase in affordable "pocket money" toys, which accounted for nearly 30% of U.K. toy sales last year.

[K-wave] Robert Pattinson visits Korea for first time to promote upcoming "Mickey 17"

2025/01/21 14:00

Award-winning Korean director Bong Joon-ho's first film in six years, "Mickey 17," is up for release next month. Before its official premiere, Bong and the lead actor, Robert Pattinson are on a promotional tour here in Korea. Here's our News Features reporter Park Kun-woo with the main takeaways from that event. The first Korean director to win an Oscar, Bong Joon-ho, is set to return to the big screen with his new film, "Mickey 17." With just about a month to go until its premiere, global promotions have kicked off this week, starting in Bong's home country. "Hollywood star Robert Pattinson, starring as Mickey, the main character of Mickey 17, is in Korea for the first time to meet fans. He and director Bong Joon-ho are holding a press conference at this cinema, and we're about to go meet them. Follow me." "Annyeonghaseyo. I always wanted to come. And just really really excited to show you guys the movie." He also shared why he wanted to appear in Bong's movie. "Bong manages, with a sense of humor, a very very prominent and such a huge movie. We turned up on set and it looked like a giant Star Wars-looking thing. (Bong is probably one of the) four or five directors in world working now that has that kind of appeal I think to every single actor in the world." Bong stressed that he had aimed to make a sci-fi movie with a strong human touch. "It's a sci-fi film full of the scent of humanity. Humans are printed out like documents from a printer, which in itself is very dehumanizing. You feel how miserable this character is. But despite that, you see how he overcomes his struggles." He added he tried to set the movie in the near future to make it more tangible for people. "You couldn't even have imagined talking with Chat GPT in the previous decade. The events in the movie may seem like science fiction, but they could happen to you soon." Fans waiting for the movie's release also waited from the early morning to see their favorite movie star and director. "Young girls who watched "Twilight" must have liked him. I have been waiting from the early morning cause I was happy to see him at last in Korea. Everybody will be waiting for the upcoming movie." Amid high anticipation, "Mickey 17" is set to screen at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival next month ahead of its theater premieres. With its premiere in Korea on February 28th ahead of other countries, one question remains: Will the new movie create another global sensation? Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.