The break is totally over. 아리랑 고개를 드디어 넘어간다! From city skies to cinemas to amusement rides, BTS is once again taking over. They’ve launched Netflix titles, a sold-out world tour, even an instant noodle brand—it’s hard to keep up. But in late March came the big moment that cut through all the noise: the…
A karaoke room in Manhattan, a suitcase full of gel sticks, and the surprisingly serious science behind Korea’s thirty-year war on the hangover Late to the Soju Pre Game Ritual My friends Sue and Sonny had just landed in NY from a trip to Seoul, their suitcases loaded with the usual haul: sheet masks, gochugaru,…
There is a quality to cherry blossom season in Korea that resists being photographed. You can capture a single tree against a palace wall, or the pink tunnel of Gyeonghwa Station in Jinhae, but no image quite holds the feeling of standing under a canopy of petals in a warm afternoon wind, watching them drift…
It’s a great week to be Korean. Last year, two Korean directors’ works became the most-watched series and most-watched movie on Netflix. Last Sunday, March 15, following two Golden Globes and a Grammy, “KPop Demon Hunters” swept all of its two Oscar nominations. “They’re goin’ up, up, up—this is their moment. ✨,” the Oscars wrote.…
(Feature image: WALASSE TING, Red Horse) A Year at Full Gallop Every twelve years, the Horse trots back into the Korean (or Chinese) zodiac, mane flying, nostrils flared, radiating that particular blend of vitality and don’t-fence-me-in swagger. The Horse is the zodiac’s kinetic extrovert: restless, charismatic, allergic to confinement. It prefers motion to meditation, pursuit…
Single’s Inferno Season 5 (2026) has emerged as the most‑watched and successful chapter in the franchise’s history. According to Netflix’s global viewing metrics, Season 5 climbed to #2 on the Netflix Global Top 10 Non‑English TV list, achieving 4.6 million views and 23.6 million hours viewed in a single week — a record performance unmatched by earlier seasons. It…
In January 2026, the Oxford English Dictionary added eight Korean words that English speakers have been using often enough to leave a clear record in print and media. The Oxford English Dictionary adds entries only after sustained use in English texts. What these eight terms share is evidence. They show up in newspapers, scripts, menus,…
When Son Heung-min arrived in Los Angeles in mid-2025, the response was immediate and overwhelming. Within weeks of his transfer to LAFC, his No. 7 jersey sold out across retailers, triggering major stock shortages for both the club and Adidas. Sales reportedly surged past 1.5 million units, making Son’s jersey the best-selling of any athlete…
In a recent piece on Made in Korea, The Korea Times offered a blunt and perfectly accurate observation: “Hyun Bin is outrageously handsome.” The series knows this, of course, and uses his mesmerizing good looks as a driving force in this wildly entertaining thriller. Built on action and intrigue, Made in Korea is a slick…
For many people, opera still feels like a closed world. Formal. Expensive. Intimidating. In actuality, there is no dress code, tickets start at $35, and there are subtitles shown at every seat! Opera is one of the most demanding art forms in the world, requiring the work of countless artists and professionals to bring a…