News

How young conductors in Korea are fine-tuning their skills

2025/03/04 10:00

South Korea is home to many K-pop stars and artists now the country is on the hunt to cultivate and foster conductors who will lead the field of classical music. Our Song Yoo-jin tells us more. Inside this hall, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is full in rehearsal. But today, a new face leads the podium, under the watchful eye of a familiar one, music director Jaap van Zweden. The orchestra has opened its doors to rising conductors through the "2025 SPO Jaap van Zweden Conducting Fellowship." Here, the baton isn't just passed. It's being earned. "To be in front of an orchestra, and be with them, and work with them is a completely different experience than preparing this in a room where you are alone or just with a 피아니스트." The eight young conductors, selected through an open audition, worked closely with Korea's top orchestra for three days. "So 1, 2, 3, and then 4, 5, 6." Van Zweden focused on three key skills: mastering the smallest detail, knowing when and why to stop the orchestra, and most importantly, how to fix something that's gone wrong. "We always have to learn that the power is with the orchestra and not with us. We just bring out all the potential. Orchestra don't want authority by just being an authority, but they want to see the authority of knowledge, what you know about how to fix things." These young conductors have already built impressive careers, working with orchestras across Europe and the U.S. and training at top music schools. Yet, they seized this chance to grow, because in music, as in life, there's always more to learn. "It's really special that the maestro took the time to praise us. As young conductors, we need that encouragement. It gives us the confidence to push ourselves further. He doesn't overlook that." "Most masterclasses last for just a day. This program is on a whole other level. We spent an entire week working closely with the music director and rehearsing with the orchestra. Opportunities like this are invaluable." It's a priceless lesson, freely given, where a legend hands down everything they know, shaping the maestros of tomorrow. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

Oscars 2025: "Anora" sweeps five categories including Best Picture and Director

2025/03/03 18:00

Anora," the Palme d'Or winner at last year's Cannes Film Festival, took home "Best Picture" at the 97th annual Academy Awards held in Los Angeles. The film also swept four categories, including "Best Director" and "Best Actress." "Best Actor," the only category that Anora lost out in among the six it was nominated for went to Adrien Brody for "The Brutalist," marking his second Oscar win. And LISA of the girl group BLACKPINK performed at the Oscars for the first time as a K-pop artist, joining Doja Cat and RAYE for a medley of songs as part of a James Bond tribute.

[Arts & Culture] Meet Korea's conductors of tomorrow

2025/02/28 20:00

Friday means it's time for our Arts and Culture segment. Our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin joins us in the studio. Welcome! Great to be here! What do you have for us today? Korea has been hitting all the right notes in the classical music world, with stars like Lim Yun-chan and Cho Seong-jin taking the world stage. Now, the industry is setting the stage for a new generation of conductors to take the baton. I had a chance to see one of these efforts up close. Take a look. Inside this hall, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is full in rehearsal. But today, a new face leads the podium under the watchful eye of a familiar one, music director Jaap van Zweden. The orchestra has opened its doors to rising conductors through the "2025 SPO Jaap van Zweden Conducting Fellowship." Here, the baton isn't just passed. It's being earned. "To be in front of an orchestra, and be with them, and work with them is a completely different experience than preparing this in a room where you are alone or just with a pianist." The eight young conductors, selected through an open audition, worked closely with Korea's top orchestra for three days. "So 1, 2, 3, and then 4, 5, 6." Van Zweden focused on three key skills: mastering the smallest detail, knowing when and why to stop the orchestra, and most importantly, how to fix something that's gone wrong. "We always have to learn that the power is with the orchestra and not with us. We just bring out all the potential. Orchestra don't want authority by just being an authority, but they want to see the authority of knowledge, what you know about how to fix things." These young conductors have already built impressive careers, working with orchestras across Europe and the U.S. and training at top music schools. Yet, they seized this chance to grow because in music, as in life, there's always more to learn. "It's really special that the maestro took the time to praise us. As young conductors, we need that encouragement. It gives us the confidence to push ourselves further. He doesn't overlook that." "Most masterclasses last for just a day. This program is on a whole other level. We spent an entire week working closely with the music director and rehearsing with the orchestra. Opportunities like this are invaluable." It's a priceless lesson, freely given, where a legend hands down everything they know, shaping the maestros of tomorrow. Yoo-jin, the report mentioned that the top conducting fellows will be performing at the concert today. Who are the lucky ones? Three conductors have been selected. All were featured in my report: Harris Han, the youngest participant, born in 2000, assistant conductor of the Frost Symphony Orchestra; Park Keun-tae; and Song Min-gyu, in order of their appearance. Director Van Zweden said the orchestra members will vote on who they want to perform with the most. The concert just began at 8 PM Korea time at the LOTTE Concert Hall in Seoul. Each conductor is leading a different piece: Song Min-gyu is conducting Wagner, Park Keun-tae is taking on Mozart, and Harris Han is presenting Bartok. The fellows shared that the repertoire was challenging but allowed them to develop new skills. Congratulations to the three conductors and all the fellows on completing the program! Could you also tell us about the significance of programs like this? Absolutely. I spoke to a classical music expert, who said that this could broaden Korea's classical music scene, not just producing world-class musicians but a new generation of conductors. Take a listen. "The conducting scene in Korea is still relatively small, so opportunities like this, which do not come often, are a huge step forward. Intensive, personalized training is crucial because every conductor has unique strengths and weaknesses." And there's another exciting class by a world-renowned musician coming up. At the Tongyeong International Music Festival, taking place in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, pianist Lim Yun-chan, last year's Gramophone winner, and the Tongyeong Festival Orchestra will hold a concert exclusively for elementary, middle, and high school students in the city. This is part of the festival foundation's school concert program, which aims to expose students to performances by top-tier musicians, expand access to classical music, and nurture their artistic sensitivity. The concert is scheduled for March 28th. Yet another opportunity to learn from the best. Yoo-jin, thank you for your report today. My pleasure.

How young conductors in Korea are fine-tuning their skills

2025/02/28 17:00

Korea has been hitting all the right notes in the classical music world with stars like Lim Yun-chan and Cho Seong-jin taking the world stage. Now the industry is setting the stage for a new generation of conductors to take the baton. Our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin tells us how. Inside this hall, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is full in rehearsal. But today, a new face leads the podium, under the watchful eye of a familiar one, music director Jaap van Zweden. The orchestra has opened its doors to rising conductors through the "2025 SPO Jaap van Zweden Conducting Fellowship." Here, the baton isn't just passed. It's being earned. "To be in front of an orchestra, and be with them, and work with them is a completely different experience than preparing this in a room where you are alone or just with a pianist." The eight young conductors, selected through an open audition, worked closely with Korea's top orchestra for three days. "So 1, 2, 3, and then 4, 5, 6." Van Zweden focused on three key skills: mastering the smallest detail, knowing when and why to stop the orchestra, and most importantly, how to fix something that's gone wrong. "We always have to learn that the power is with the orchestra and not with us. We just bring out all the potential. Orchestra don't want authority by just being an authority, but they want to see the authority of knowledge, what you know about how to fix things." These young conductors have already built impressive careers, working with orchestras across Europe and the U.S. and training at top music schools. Yet, they seized this chance to grow, because in music, as in life, there's always more to learn. "It's really special that the maestro took the time to praise us. As young conductors, we need that encouragement. It gives us the confidence to push ourselves further. He doesn't overlook that." "Most masterclasses last for just a day. This program is on a whole other level. We spent an entire week working closely with the music director and rehearsing with the orchestra. Opportunities like this are invaluable." It's a priceless lesson, freely given, where a legend hands down everything they know, shaping the maestros of tomorrow. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

K-wave AI News

2025/02/28 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. A special event reenacting Korea's historic fight for independence from Japan will take place at the Independence Hall of Korea this Saturday in commemoration of March 1st. Titled 'The Cry of the Nation,' the event honors the March 1st Movement, one of the earliest and most significant nationwide independence movements against Japanese colonial rule. In addition to the main reenactment, the program will include a commemorative ceremony attended by 100 pre-registered families, a special aerial demonstration by the 'Black Eagles,' and a Taekwondo performance. Visitors can also enjoy a diverse lineup of performances, including a musical stage and a performance by the Korean Army band. Changgyeonggung Palace will be illuminated at night throughout this year, starting next month. The Korea Heritage Agency is hosting the "Changgyeonggung Moonlight Illumination Night Tour," which will run from March 7 to December 31. The program offers visitors a scenic night view of the palace, enhanced by state-of-the-art media art. First introduced at last year's Royal Culture Festival, the event will now be a regular feature, taking place daily at 7 PM, except on Mondays. The moonlight night tour is open to all palace visitors. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization, will launch the "Spring Travel Campaign" from next month through May to boost domestic tourism. Minister Yu In-chon kicked off the campaign on Thursday in Seoul, highlighting the collaborative efforts of the ministry and 관련 기관 to drive tourism growth. The campaign aims to counter the decline in domestic travel and increase both travel activity and spending by more than 1%. Some 500,000 travelers will be offered various tourism benefits, including discounts on travel expenses. Last year's campaign led to 235 million domestic trips in June, with travel spending reaching 13.5 trillion won, or around 9.2 billion U.S. dollars. That's all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.

[K-enter] G-Dragon world tour Korea concert tickets sold out

2025/02/28 14:00

Time for some K-entertainment news with Bella Kim. Today we start off with a ‘powerful’ artist. G-Dragon definitely showed off his power as tickets for his first world tour concert in Korea have already sold out. According his agency, Galaxy Corporation, G-Dragon’s World Tour “Übermensch in Korea” sold out both in-advance and general tickets, selling out 64-thousand seats in total. General reservation attracted 240-thousand simultaneous users, resembling a reservation war between fans. “Übermensch in Korea” is G-Dragon’s first concert in eight years since his world tour back in 2017. The concerts will be held on March 29th and 30th at Goyang Sports Complex. At the concerts, G-Dragon will perform his new songs from the latest album “Übermensch” and also some legendary songs that are still getting plenty of love. Let’s continue with our next story on another male artist. BTS member J-Hope is coming back with a love song. He will release his new digital single “Sweet Dreams” featuring Miguel next Friday, March 7th. The new single is a pop R&B serenade that contains the sincerity of J-Hope, who wants to love and also be loved. “Sweet Dreams” will feature R&B singer Miguel to give his sweet tone. Miguel won the “Best R&B Song” with “Adorn” at the GRAMMYs back in 2013. The new single will be pre-released at “J-Hope Tour ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ in Seoul” on Friday, which is today Korea time. Meanwhile, J-Hope will hold an offline fan event, “Sweet Dreamland” on March 7th, the day of the new single’s release. He will meet 613 fans in person, to match BTS’s debut date June 13th. Lastly, we move onto a girl group. Who are we talking about? We are going to talk about aespa. Aespa will perform at “SUMMER SONIC 2025.” “SUMMER SONIC” is the largest music festival in Japan, and attracts more than 200-thousand attendees every year. This year’s festival will take place on August 16th and 17th in Tokyo and Osaka. The group will join the lineup for the Tokyo performance, which will be held at ZOZO Marine Stadium & Makuhari Messe. Aespa officially debuted in Japan last year with their single “Hot Mess” and attracted over 93-thousand fans through a two-day concert at Tokyo Dome. The group will continue with their world tour, “2024-25 aespa LIVE TOUR – SYNK:PARALLEL LINE,” next month in London, Paris, Madrid and other European cities. Thank you Bella for today’s stories.

Katy Perry is heading to space on an all-women Blue Origin flight

2025/02/28 10:00

Pop star Katy Perry, known for hits like Firework, is set to embark on a space journey aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. She will be joined by Lauren Sanchez, fiancée of Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos, CBS anchor Gayle King, a former NASA rocket scientist, a civil rights activist, and a film producer. This mission marks the first all-women spaceflight since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova's solo journey in 1963. While an exact launch date has not been announced, the historic flight is scheduled to take place this spring.

World News 3: Oscar-winner Gene Hackman, wife and dog found dead at home

2025/02/28 10:00

Police investigating the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, said Thursday that preliminary autopsy results showed no signs of trauma or foul play. However, authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of death and have not ruled out the possibility of criminal involvement. The 95-year-old actor and his 65-year-old wife were found dead alongside their dog in their New Mexico home on Wednesday. Officials are waiting for further autopsy and toxicology reports, including tests for carbon monoxide exposure, while the investigation remains ongoing.

S. Korean movies see box office hike in January

2025/02/27 20:00

Local movies had a strong showing in January. According to the Korean Film Council on Thursday, the number of moviegoers opting to watch Korean films last month increased by 46-point-8 percent from a year ago, with about 6-point-8 million tickets sold. "Harbin" topped the box office with more than 2-million people watching the movie in January. The box office success was largely attributed to a series of blockbusters released during the Lunar New Year holidays, including "Hitman 2" and "Dark Nuns," also gaining popularity.

Korean content tops Netflix's non-English content chart

2025/02/27 20:00

Korean content continues to be popular abroad. Netflix stated on Thursday that Korean content such as movies, series, and variety shows topped the non-English content rankings for the second consecutive year in 2024. "Squid Game Season 2" was the most-watched series in the second half of last year, with approximately 87-million views. "Officer Black Belt," "Uprising," and "Mission: Cross" also proved popular.

K-wave AI News

2025/02/27 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. Asia's premier K-content festival, the 'Busan One Asia Festival' will kick off its three-day extravaganza on June 11 in the southern port city. Now in its 9th year, BOF has grown beyond a K-pop event into a global cultural exchange platform attracting young people worldwide. The flagship K-pop concert will be held indoors for the first time this year, at BEXCO, with an initial lineup featuring popular boybands WayV and NCT DREAM. The highly acclaimed 'Park Concert' will return this year as a free event at Hwamyeong Ecological Park. The festival will also showcase K-beauty, K-art, and K-food programs, offering attendees a deep dive into Korea's vibrant cultural landscape. A retirement ceremony for eight Jeju haenyeos, or female divers, has been held aboard a yacht in the island's waters, their lifelong workplace. Ranging in age from 79 to 95, their combined years of diving total 528. Kim Ok-sun, one of the retirees, tearfully reflected on her journey, saying that it's hard to describe all the hardships while working tirelessly to support her children. The ceremony is part of ongoing efforts to preserve the fading Jeju haenyeo culture. Haenyeo culture is recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and remains a strong symbol of female empowerment. The 28th 'Yeongdeok Snow Crab Festival' will take place from March 14 to 17 at Haeparang Park in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. Yeongdeok snow crabs are among the finest in Korea, known for their sweet, tender meat. This year's festival will offer a range of activities, including snow crab fishing and pot trapping experiences. It also features specialty dishes such as snow crab kimbap, snow crab tteokbokki, and sea cucumber bibimbap. Established in 1998 the event has grown steadily to become one of Korea's most celebrated food festivals. That's all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.

[Hallyu-People] Meet Philippine star-turned K-vlogger Kristel Fulgar

2025/02/27 14:00

With the growing interest in Korean culture, more and more foreigners are sharing their personal experiences in Korea on a range of platforms. Some, like Filipina content creator Kristel Fulgar promote Korean culture through vlogs capturing their daily life here. And Kristel is our guest for "Hallyu People" today, she joins us live in the studio. Hello Kristel! Welcome! 1) Kristel, you are an actress, singer, model and content creator, with a YouTube channel called "KrisTells Vlogs". The last time I checked you had 2.79 million subscribers. And that's not the only platform you are active in. Please tell us a bit about yourself. 2) A couple of years ago, you also received an award as an influencer here in Korea. Can you tell us more about it? 3) Back in the Philippines you are a well-known actress and singer. As a "child star" you gained the nickname "nation's little sister" When did you debut? And tell us about your songs, movies or TV shows. 4) How were you introduced to Korean culture in the Philippines and what do you especially like about the K-Wave? 5) And what made you move to Korea? 6) What has been the most rewarding part of running a vlog channel with Korean contents? 7) What would you recommend to your fans who are planning a visit to Korea? (Must-see attractions, must-try foods, must-do experiences etc.) 8) What are your plans for year 2025 and your ultimate goals in Korea?

[K-enter] Jisoo's "earthquake" tops World Digital Song Sales chart

2025/02/27 14:00

So Bella, let's start off with a story on BLACKPINK's Jisoo. Soa, did you take a listen to Jisoo's new song, "earthquake?" Well, this song is getting tremendous love as its topping a Billboard chart. According to Billboard's official website on Wednesday, Jisoo's title song "earthquake" from her latest mini-album "AMORTAGE" topped the "World Digital Song Sales" chart this week. On top of this feat, "earthquake" also ranked 47th on the Billboard "Global 200" chart and 22nd on Billboard Global 200 excluding the U.S. That's not all. It proved its global influence by ranking 20th on "LyricFind Global" as well. "earthquake" is catching the eyes and ears of global music fans with 36 million views on YouTube, 20 million streams on Spotify, and 800-thousand individual TikTok videos. Meanwhile, Jisoo starred in the recently released Coupang Play series "Newtopia" and her upcoming movie "Omniscient Reader: The Prophet" is also set to be released in July. In addition, she will hold the 2025 fan meeting tour "LIGHTS, LOVE, ACTION!" in seven Asian cities, including Manila, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Moving onto our next story about a Netflix series. What do you have for us Bella? "Squid Game" season 2 has been announced as the most-watched TV series on Netflix in the second half of 2024. According to Netflix's latest Engagement Report sharing what people watched from July to December 2024, the subscribers spent more than 94 billion hours on Netflix in the second half of last year, which is a 5% increase compared to the previous year. Now, what's very impressive is that "Squid Game" Season 2 premiered on December 26th of last year, but it dominated the second half of 2024 as Netflix's most-viewed series with 87 million views. So it topped the chart in just 6 days. Other Korean content also did well, including the film "Officer Black Belt," the drama "Love Next Door" and the reality TV show "Culinary Class Wars." And for our last story today, we'll talk about an upcoming film that stars one of the actors from "Squid Game." The actor Lee Byung-hun will come back to the screen with his upcoming film "The Match." The new film, set in the 1990s, is centered on the board game go, or "baduk" in Korean, and explores the mentor-disciple relationship and rivalry between the two of Korea's real-life go legends, Cho Hun-hyun and Lee Chang-ho. Lee Byung-hun will play Cho Hun-hyun, while Yoo Ah-in will step into the shoes of Lee Chang-ho. "The Match" will premiere in movie theaters on March 26th. Thank you Bella for today's stories. Now time to go over to our AI anchor Ari, who has festivals and ceremonies to report on. Ari, take it away!

Michelle Trachtenberg, Gossip Girl and Buffy actress, dies aged 39

2025/02/27 10:00

Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for her roles in Gossip Girl and other hit TV dramas, has died at the age of 39. She was found dead in her New York apartment on Wednesday morning, local time. The exact cause of death remains under investigation. According to police, no signs of foul play were detected, but Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant and may have suffered complications. Born in New York in 1985, Trachtenberg began her career as a child actress, and later gained widespread recognition for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl.

Sharing the beauty of Korean calligraphy

2025/02/26 17:00

Korean calligraphy that is the art of writing hangeul is now a national treasure and my colleague Ahn Sung-jin shares its appeal in this following report. Do take a look. A delicate brush stroke lands on the paper. These single strokes come together to create characters from the Korean alphabet Hangeul. This is known as Hangeul seoye, or Hangeul calligraphy. 94-year-old Jung Joo-hwan has dedicated more than 60 years of his life to practicing calligraphy, and is one of the first to practice the artform. "Hangeul was easy to learn and memorize. It's also very scientifically made. Look at the beauty of these characters." Calligraphy in Korea has used both Hanja, which are Chinese characters, and the Korean alphabet Hangeul. But last month, Hangeul seoye was designated as a national intangible cultural heritage recognizing its unique writing style using Korea's own alphabet as well as its unique font and brushwork. Jung runs his own academy where he passes on his knowledge of calligraphy. "I like letters, but I also started learning calligraphy to control my mind more peacefully and cultivate a sense of virtue, which I think has been helping." "An old saying says that calligraphy helps grow patience and trains the mind. Not only does this calligraphy demonstrate the beauty of the written characters but it also can develop one's own character." And calligrapher Lee Jung-hwa feels Hangeul is a better medium to convey meaningful messages. "The reason why I like Hangeul seoye is because I can convey emotions through characters that really represent our sound since it is the Korean alphabet. That's why moving forward I want to try everything I can using Hangeul seoye and find what I really can accomplish." The Korea Heritage Service said it will provide support for scholarly studies and initiatives aimed at promoting the transmission of cultural heritage. Seoye is an age-old tradition, and with efforts like these to promote it further, this calligraphy could play a key role in sharing not only the Korean writing system, but also its culture. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

K-wave AI News

2025/02/26 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. The culture ministry is stepping up efforts to promote inbound tourism by tapping into emerging markets. In partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization, it plans to expand global promotion centers from the current ten to twelve this year, adding one to serve Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and another in Türkiye. Since last year, Korea has been actively exploring new markets through promotion centers in countries without KTO overseas offices, including Sweden, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia. According to the latest data, the number of tourists from these countries grew by nearly 23% year-on-year in 2024. The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will host a concert series offering world-class classical performances for as little as 1,000 won, or just 70 U.S. cents. From April to December, the center will hold eight performances featuring a diverse range of classical music, including works by renowned composers such as Rachmaninoff and Rachmaninoff and Beethoven, as well as opera and classical film music. Ticket prices will range from 1,000 won to a maximum of 10,000 won. The series will kick off on April 1 with a concert titled "Meeting Young Artists." Korea's renowned Pianist Lim Yun-chan will hold a surprise recital next month at the Goyang Aram Nuri Music Hall. From March 23 to 25, he will perform Bach's Goldberg Variations, along with a new piece by Lee Hanurij titled "Round and Velvety-Smooth Blend." Lim's agency explained that the performance is a special gift for fans in Korea who have been eagerly awaiting his rendition of the Goldberg Variations. It is not part of a formal recital tour but rather a guerrilla-style performance. The proceeds from the concert will be donated to pediatric patients. That's all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.

A look at Thailand's soft power and the status of hallyu

2025/02/26 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 go over to Thailand, a popular travel destination for Koreans as well as Korean stars with Thailand being at the center of hallyu in Southeast Asia. We are now connected to Aiyaphat Wankawisant , a Thai K-culture influencer. Hello Aiyaphat, good to see you! Q1. Please introduce yourself briefly to some of our viewers who might not be familiar with you and tell us how you have been. Any exciting updates? Q2. Today, we want to delve into Thailand’s soft power, based on which, the country’s tourism is being ramped up even more. Do you recognize such efforts around you? Q3. Thailand’s tourism sector has reportedly recovered to 90% of its pre-pandemic level, with more than 35.5 million tourists having visited the country last year. Among them, Korean tourists accounted for a high proportion. Do you see many Korean visitors around you, and I heard that hallyu-related tourist spots are popular among them as well? Q4. Thai people also like to visit Korea. What are the most popular places for them right now? Q5. The Korean wave also plays an important role in Thailand’s soft power, and at the center of it is Blackpink’s Thai member Lisa. How big of an influence does she have? Q6. Going back to K-pop. What’s the latest in terms of the popularity of K-pop in Thailand? Also, is it due to the Thai members in Korean groups that we’re seeing this big interest in K-pop in Thailand? Q7. In a bid to bolster Thailand’s soft power, the country also seems to be actively promoting the “Thai Wave”, or "T-Wave." Do you see similarities between the Thai Wave and the Korean Wave?

[K-enter] G-Dragon comes back with his 3rd full-length album 'ÜBERMENSCH'...tops charts upon release.

2025/02/26 14:00

Time for our daily dose of K-enter with Walter Lee. Walter, let's start off with news on the "Übermensch" G-Dragon! Yes, its the long awaited full return of the king of K-pop, and nothing is slowing him down. "ÜBERMENSCH", the artist's third solo album which dropped on Tuesday was his first in 11 years since "Coup d'Etat" . "ÜBERMENSCH" includes eight tracks, including "TOO BAD feat. Anderson.Paak", and the pre-released songs "POWER" and "HOME SWEET HOME". Upon its release, "TOO BAD" topped the real-time charts of major domestic music streaming platforms, receiving a positive response. Meanwhile that world tour we talked about earlier will kick off on March 29 and March 30 at Goyang Sports Complex. Positive response indeed. "TOO BAD" is just "TOO GOOD". It was my immediate favorite on the album. Also, can't wait to hear how the world tour will go Next up another K-pop super star has some BIG news. When you think of the biggest awards shows, more than likely the Oscars would be on most people's lists. Well, history will be made for the world of K-pop at the 97th Academy Awards in March as BlackPink member Lisa will be the first K-pop singer to perform at the ceremony. Earlier this month, Lisa released a new song, "Born Again feat. Doja Cat and RAYE". The three artists are expected to perform the song live for the first time at the ceremony. The 97th Academy Awards will be held on March 2 (local time) in Los Angeles. It might be the year of BlackPink, so much accomplished already and still yet more to come. Let's stay on the topic of music today and talk about Spotify's "Global Impact List". On Tuesday, Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming platform, released its "Global Impact List", featuring the 30 most-streamed Korean songs overseas from July to December 2024. This chart ranks the most-played songs by Korean artists among Spotify users outside of Korea during the second half of last year. According to the list, half of the top 10 songs are solo tracks from BTS members. The song "Who" from Jimin's solo album "Muse" took the No. 1 spot on the 2024 Global Impact List. A total of five songs from "Muse" made it onto the chart, with "Be Mine" ranking at No. 5. Jin secured two spots in the top 10 with "Running Wild" at no. 6, the title track from his first solo album Happy, and "I Will Be There" at no. 8. V and Park Hyo-shin’s collaboration "Winter Ahead" also made it to no. 9. Meanwhile, according to Spotify’s 2024 Wrapped year-end campaign released in December last year, BTS was named the most-streamed Korean artist globally, amassing 3.9 billion streams. BTS has held the title of Spotify’s Most-Streamed K-Pop Artist for seven consecutive years since 2018. Great achievement. Thanks for that news Walter, don't go anywhere.

2024 global 'Hallyu' trends: K-pop dominates in Asia, Europe, Latin America; Korean food leads in North America

2025/02/25 17:00

K-pop is the most popular South Korea-related content in Asia Europe and Latin America while K-food topped the list in North America Africa and Oceania. This is according to the Culture Ministry's 2024 global analysis of the Korean wave made public on this Tuesday. Here in Asia over 35 percent of media coverage related to the Korean wave was centered on K-pop while in North America Korean food garnered most interest. Notably in the U.S. and Canada there was a tangible rise in online searches and social media remarks about kimchi spicy ramyeon and tteokbokki which was included in the Oxford dictionary last December.

[K-wave] Retro trend bridging generations with timeless vintage charm

2025/02/25 14:00

From 1980s game arcades to Korea’s classic “dabang” cafes, these nostalgic spots are attracting both the young and old, bridging generations with their timeless vintage charm. Our Han Da-eun zooms in on the growing retro trend. A retro café featuring a live trot singer and "ssanghwa tea" topped with egg yolk. This isn’t a K-drama set—it's the real deal. From the decades-old cash register to the vintage-patterned sofas, this café preserves the classic charm of Korea’s old-school “dabang.” Yet, most of its visitors are teenagers and young adults, reliving the nostalgia of their parents' generation. “I discovered this retro café through Insta Reels and had to see it for myself. It feels just like a scene straight out of a drama or movie.” “This place offers not only classic teas but also various fusion drinks that blend tradition with modern flavors." This "dabang" has been passed down through generations as a part of “Sewoon Sangga,” Korea’s once iconic electronics market. The cafe’s guiding principle is to preserve its original charm while enhancing convenience. "I was considering getting rid of it, but I just couldn’t bring myself to. I thought maybe I could try reviving it. You know, today’s younger generation is into 'newtro,' while our generation is into retro." The café has become a "holy site" for certain K-pop fans, with their idols visiting for YouTube shoots. Its popularity is now playing a key role in revitalizing the nearby commercial area, which had been struggling due to redevelopment. An 80s-style sign reading "Computer Games" leads into a bustling arcade. Each game costs just 100 won, or about seven cents. Visitors dive into their favorite childhood games, reliving nostalgic memories. "These games bring back so many childhood memories. My favorite used to be Street Fighter, as you can see right here." From the classic dancing game, “DDR” to “Tekken,” players shake the joystick to unwind and unwind. The arcade also features a "lady boss" character to manage the store and assist with the games, also connecting with customers through social media. "Many parents bring their kids and share the games they loved in their childhood." The nostalgic scene, recreating the neighborhood arcade from back in the day, has gained word-of-mouth popularity drawing thousands of visitors on weekends. These retro charms are seamlessly linking the past with the present, creating a unique bridge that connects generations through shared memories and new discoveries. Han Da-eun, Arirang News.