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#waterbomb2022 #seoulwaterfestival #seoulconcerts A heat advisory has been in place for most of South Korea since Sunday, July 3. Monsoon season started last week with torrential downpours that left roads flooded and the Han river at sky-high levels. But even when the rain paused, the heat and humidity remained. How are the youth of the city keeping cool? Rather than staying in cool cafes or at home with the A/C on blast, they are flocking to water music festivals. Fresh out of the restrictions from the last two years due to COVID-19, artists are eager to perform and make up for their on-stage absences. Their fans are eager to see them as well, leading to one of the most packed festival line-ups of many years past. While these festivals have received controversy for wasting water admit Korea's previous drought, Waterbomb Seoul kicked off its festival amidst the rain showers and criticism. This star-studded festival had over 20k fans who battled the heat with water guns, immense water shows, and amazing performances. Performers ranged from K-pop acts like Kai, Jessi, and Winner to K-Hip Hop artists such as Jay Park, Simon Dominic, and DPR Live. All attendees and performers were equally soaked as they battled on teams to get more soaked and enjoy the summer fun despite the heat. This festival was such a success and yet Waterbomb is only getting started as its sister festivals in Suwon, Daegu, Busan, and Incheon are sure to draw similar crowds later this summer. This coming weekend, July 9-10, is S2O, or the Songkran Music Festival, which features similar water gun fights, musical acts, and fun. This festival has an EDM music focus with international artists like DAYWALKER, Breathe Carolina, and MAKJ as well as local artists like Juncoco and Aster. It is sure to bring a similarly large crowd as people fight the heat wave. The summer fun doesn't end there. There is also the Shinchon Water Festival from July 30-31 and the Jeongnamjin Jangheung Water Festival from July 30- August 7. If you are interested in cooling off at one of these festivals, be sure to get your tickets soon! They're selling out fast as everyone races to beat the heat. Which one of these festivals would you be most excited about seeing? Leave a comment below and let us know!

#nevergiveup #kdramareview #goopilsoowasneverthere The unlikely bromance between a 40-year-old breadwinner who owns a chicken shop, Goo Pil Soo (Kwak Do Won Good Doctor 2013), and a 20-something genius, Jeong Seok (Yoon Doo Joon Let's Eat 3 2018) has us reeling in our chairs! *Contains spoilers. 4.3/5 Stars (So far!) Goo Pil Soo, a former martial arts champion, runs a chicken shop in a small neighborhood after being let go by a large company. His beautiful wife, Nam Sung Mi (Han Go Eun Undercover 2021), works as a department store shoe saleswoman. Together, they try to live their best life to support their only son, Gu Joon Pyo (Jung Dong Won Goosebumps 2021) who dreams of going to New Zealand to meet his overseas crush, who he met online. Jeong Seok is entrenched in his own problems as his former friends and co-founders of his start-up leave him to start their own company and he is wrapped up in his father's debt, which he has to pay back to a mysterious rich grandmother, Cheon Man Geum (Park Won Suk Poseidon 2011). These two unlikely duos bump into each other through a mission given to them by Cheon Man Geum as they both move into her mansion on the hills and start an unlikely relationship. Based on relatable, yet sometimes outrageous daydreaming scenarios, Never Give Up brings to light the recent social and educational problems many young Koreans have to go through now. This drama also shines a light on the difficulty for small business owners to get a loan and the troubles a start-up has to face during this technological booming time. At the same time, this drama gives us hope and warmth that even different generations can understand and come together through comedy and understanding. We highly recommend this drama for those who want a different slice of life type of drama that is both entertaining and educational about social issues happening in South Korea today! You can watch this drama currently streaming on Netflix! Have you watched this drama yet? If so, what do you think?

#aespa #lifestooshort #에스파 Rising K-pop girl group, Aespa, just dropped a special video for their new single "Life's Too Short". The group, known for their visually stunning music videos and performances, released a more natural side of themselves traveling to California to perform at the Coachella music festival back in April. The new video is a combination of a lyric video with a vlog style of the girls' daily travel life and having fun! The behind-the-scenes shots with shopping mixed in are a breath of fresh air as we dive into the fun personalities of the girls. The scrapbook-style video is quite different from their usual computer-generated music video scenes. The YouTube music video for "Life's Too Short" has garnered over 37 million views since its release on June 24. It is the first English single off of the group's second mini-album Girls on June 24 to begin their global partnership with American label Warner Records. The meteoric rise of K-pop as a global brand is now locked in for the future as bands such as Aespa are creating English music for their global fans. What do you think of K-pop groups singing all in English? Are they still considered to be K-pop or just pop?

#extraordinarylawyerwoo #kdramareview #lawyerdrama *Contains spoilers. 4.4/5 Stars (So far!) South Korea has struck again with a humorous, cute, quirky new lawyer drama Extraordinary Lawyer Woo! The Netflix and ENA series premiered on June 29 and June 30 with relatively low viewership ratings, but bounced back to 1.805% nationally, good for 4th place, according to Nielsen Korea. Extraordinary Lawyer Woo tells a story about a young woman, Woo Young Woo (Park Eun Bin The King's Affection 2021), diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Woo Young Woo is a genius and never forgets what she sees, but lacks social skills and empathy. She braves the prejudice and irrationality due to her disorder as a new trainee lawyer at a top law firm. As she navigates office politics, she befriends co-workers and gains their trust with her own unique style as she works on solving her own cases from a unique perspective. Our Perspective We find this drama to be very entertaining and at times, emotional, as we experience the discrimination and trials of a working professional who is mentally handicapped. Park Eun Bin has done an incredible amount of research and practice as she prepared for this role as an autistic person! The cute and quirky scenes in this drama are hilarious, most notably, the revolving door scene at Woo Young Woo's office building! We want to bring to light South Korea's battle with the physically and mentally disabled marginalized community. In such a highly competitive country with few natural resources, like South Korea, personal development and skill are necessary to get an edge over the competition and to survive. South Koreans place extreme importance on education and technical skills. Along with social standing and family background, this is what gives a person an advantage in society. Therefore, when the disabled are often overlooked, it causes a rift in a society that respects the elderly but looks the other way in the treatment of those born less fortunate. The Koreans times recently made a very informative documentary about this very issue. Our team at Dojeon Media is so excited that this drama gives power and understanding to those with disabilities and shines a light on how people should treat and accept those who are different from themselves! Let us know your thoughts about this drama! How do you feel about the treatment of the disabled in South Korea?

#Cardigan #KoreanCelebrities #RainySeasonStyle Cardigan is definitely a wardrobe staple in this rainy season. Aside from that it is weather appropriate, it can also upgrade your overall look. If you want to feel cozy and look dashing in this cloudburst season, check out these Korean celebrities approved way of rocking this contemporary piece. Seulgi of Red Velvet Look at those flowers and mushrooms embroidered in Seulgi's cardigan! Gloomy weather can't stop you from rocking a colorful and cute cardigan. If you have cardigans with prints go ahead and style them and pair them with blue denim jeans like Seulgi or you can opt for a skirt or shorts. Printed or embroidered cardigans can absolutely be an outfit statement. Jennie Kim of BLACKPINK Wanna look sophisticated in a tweed cardigan?, take some style cues from Jennie. From stage performance looks to street style, the Chanel ambassadress is often seen in a tweed cardigan. To give the look a laidback vibe, she paired her Chanel tweed cardigan with light wash denim jeans. IU Is vibrant color not your cup of tea? Fret not, because the neutral color palette is your best friend! Neutral colors can not only be versatile but they can make you look urbane and chic too! IU definitely pulled off this look effortlessly. Jisoo of BLACKPINK You probably searched for keywords like preppy fashion. Jisoo never disappoints us with the versatility of her style and shows us that preppy style is timeless. Casual looks layered with a long cardigan do elevate the OOTD. Jisoo styled her neutral-colored long cardigan with a striped top and tennis skirt to give it a youthful feel. Have you found your celebrity style inspo? Let us know which celebrity matches your fashion taste!

#baesuzy #숮이 #annadrama *Contains spoilers. 4.8/5 Stars (So far!) In their most anticipated summer series Anna, Coupang Play has rolled out a hit! Coupang Play, ranked third in South Korea's domestic streaming market in terms of users, has expanded by creating its own hit series! We have been drawn to the drama already, as Suzy cements her role as a real actress after two episodes. In a promotional interview, Suzy stated that her role as Anna was the most difficult one so far in her short acting career, being able to juggle two different character personalities as an emotionally deficient and psychologically damaged character in Yoo Mi/Anna. Right from the start, we were drawn to Suzy's character, Yoo Mi, as she is struggling at her school with a taboo relationship with her art teacher. From there, her life spirals out of control as she is transferred to another high school, where the lies begin. She pretends she is from a well-off family with good connections, but in reality, her father runs a tailor shop and her mom suffers from dementia and cannot speak. She finds a job as a maid for a wealthy family and assumes the identity of the family's spoiled daughter, the real Anna Lee, played by Jung Eun Chae (Pachinko 2022). As Anna lies herself into the perfect daughter of a wealthy family and works her way up the social ladder through her job as a teacher at a prestigious academy, she transforms herself into the perfect daughter born into the perfect family who studied at an Ivy League college. Through connections, Anna finds herself with a marriage proposal from a wealthy tech bachelor, Ji Hoon (Kim Joon Han Hospital Playlist 2020). Coupang has been over-promoting this series on the streets of Seoul as promotional posters are found everywhere! Check out this awesome behind-the-scenes photoshoot of Suzy! Anna seems to be turning out to be very promising and we can't wait for the next episode to drop! The series airs every Friday at 8 pm KST on Coupang Play. You can check out the show with English subtitles here! Let us know your thoughts about this series and comment on Bae Suzy's acting skills!

#jackinthebox #jhope #more BTS's J-Hope dropped new concept photos for his upcoming single "More" from his much anticipated solo album "Jack In The Box"! The official teaser video dropped on June 30 at midnight KST. "More" will be released Friday, July 1 at 1 pm KST. The single will be included in his upcoming album. Check out this teaser for "Jack In The Box", scheduled to drop on July 15 at 1 pm KST! Here are the official concept pictures for J-Hope's anticipated single! (All photos are credited to Big Hit Music) This is awesome for all BTS fans as we get to experience what each member wants to do during their break from group activities! We'll get to see what drives each member to their creative extent and share in their happy moments! Let us know if you're excited about this release! What are you looking forward to most?

#moneyheistkorea #netflixdrama #kdramareview *Contains spoilers. 4.7/5 Stars (So far!) Much like the original version, Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area has been highly anticipated by Money Heist fans and is finally streaming on Netflix. What do we think of this remake of the Spanish version of La Casa De Papel? We break down our reasons why you should still watch it! Variety of characters + North vs. South Korea Although the Korean version of the remake contains the same eclectic group of characters, their backgrounds and stories are a bit different. Berlin, for example, grew up in a North Korean camp where he was abused by other older workers as a child. This makes this version of the story a little more intriguing. If you like Korean culture and history, then watch on! The mix of North Koreans and South Koreans in the Joint Economic Area is something quite interesting to watch. There is a constant struggle between the South Korean capitalists vs. the North Korean communists' mindset throughout the series. Characters constantly are butting heads with each other due to their upbringing, and this causes some spicy cultural flavor to arise! Korean culture sprinkled in. Netflix always does an amazing job of combining local culture with global taste. Although most fans have seen the original and are expecting the same type of story, Netflix throws a curveball and decides to change slight differences in culture, for example, food! Throughout the series, the characters are seen eating traditional Korean food, either at the site of the heist or at home. If you are a fan of K-dramas, then you know what I mean! Koreans love sharing their food with the world! Should you watch it? Even for long-time fans, Money Heist: Korea is still worth the stream! The clash of different character backgrounds with a splash of Korean culture and food is a breath of fresh air from the original. Although the story and basis are still the same, we feel that the remake still has some value for long-time fans to enjoy! For new fans, you're in for a treat! There are still many Korean fans who have not seen the series yet and after telling them the background story, they immediately decided to jump on Netflix and start streaming! Check out this fun video about what the cast has to say to each other! What are your thoughts about this highly-anticipated remake? Will you watch it? If you did, what did you like or dislike?

#lalisa #btsv #parkbogum Hallyu has officially taken over the global fashion scene! Blackpink's Lisa, BTS's V, and actor Park Bo Gum were all seen at the Celine men's Spring-Summer 2023 collection show during Paris' Men's Fashion Week. The trio attended the show on June 26 as representatives of South Korea. It was reported that BTS's V aka Kim Tae Hyung and actor Park Bo Gum were personally invited by Celine's creative director, Hedi Slimane. Blackpink's Lisa, as we all know, was named Celine's global ambassador in 2020. BTS' V wore a sequined polo neck tee which he paired with leather pants and a red leather jacket that he left open. He flaunted his love for OTT jewelry with a tasseled neckpiece, which man fans claimed: "ruined his look". He wore his soft wavy locks and opted for a natural look. Lisa never fails to amaze as she was spotted with a backless and sleeveless turtleneck top, alongside black shorts. Her bag, boots, and belt, all adopted black hues, creating a ton sur ton look. In addition, Lisa also wore a Western makeup style and layered platinum hair, making her super eye-catching. Park Bo Gum opted to go with the same necklace as his best friend, V, as the actor chose a turtleneck, long blazer, and leather pants all in black. However, many critics stated that his outfit "wasn't groundbreaking enough". It was a sight to behold as the trio attracted an unprecedented crowd, never seen as many fans attended a Celine fashion show. Check out Lisa posing for pictures! What did you think about this event? Thai fans, are you proud of Lisa becoming such a global superstar? Let us know your thoughts!

#mangwonmarket #koreatrends #seouleats If you're traveling to South Korea in 2022 and are curious to what are the latest taste bud trends of one of the trendiest countries in the world, look no further than Mangwon Market (망원시장) in Seoul! South Korea is a country where tradition meets trendy and unique! Mangwon Market, which is still considered a traditional market boasts some of the most unique eats in town! We break down some of our favorites! Read on! Just a short walk from Mangwon Station (Line 6 Seoul Subway) and you will enter a portal into what is traditionally "Korean" with elders lining the smallest of streets selling their vegetables and other cheap goods. For Asian-style market, Mangwon is considered to be pretty clean and doesn't smell much, like other markets. Walking through the only indoor street of the market, you can smell a variety of delicious fried goodness from donuts to the "real KFC", Korean fried chicken! Of course, we stopped for some rice battered donuts before heading to lunch. If you love carbs (I mean, who doesn't?) then lunch will be an amazing experience! We decided to go to a Kal-guksu 칼국수 (handmade, knife-cut wheat flour soup noodles) restaurant. Kal-guksu is traditionally a seasonal food, mostly consumed in the summer months. We ordered two of each of their famous noodle dishes, Son Kal-guksu 손칼국수 (long noodles) and Son Sujebi 손수제비 (hand-pulled dough soup), sort of like a Korean pasta soup dish. Each bowl was 4,500 Korean won ($3.45 USD)! I'd say that is an excellent deal for lunch! With a side of homemade kimchi, it was a filling meal! The exterior of the noodles provided a soft crunch with a nice chewy texture in the middle, like how a perfect noodle should taste! After a hearty lunch, we definitely had to stop by two of Mangwon Market's most famous foods, Korean-style meatballs 떡갈비 (minced beef grilled patties or balls), and deep-fried stuffed jalapeños! Koreans definitely take their foods seriously as you probably should get to the market pretty early in the morning, if you're planning on going on the weekend. Luckily, it was a Friday, so there weren't as many people, but we still had to wait for 15 to 20 minutes once we ordered their famous meatballs. These babies are no joke. They are hand-formed and placed right on the hot grill in front of all the customers. I could see everyone's mouths water as they were forced to stand right in front of the grill master! Each pack of meatballs comes with five baseball-sized balls, two spicy and three regular (I prefer the regular since you can taste it with the spicy white wasabi sauce it comes with). The meatballs are mixed with a variety of veggies and carrots and they are absolutely to die for! Right before we exited for dessert, we had to stop by and grab deep-friend stuffed jalapeños! Right when we walked up to the restaurant, we could tell we would have to wait in line for about 15 minutes. The server was taking everyone's orders and by the time it was our turn, there weren't any open seats so we decided to take it to go. When it comes to fried foods in South Korea, they are usually paired with alcohol. So standing in front of the restaurant was a library-sized shelf full of traditional Korean liquor that the restaurant suggests being paired with the variety of fried foods they offer! This restaurant offers three stuffed jalapeños for 9,900 won ($7.64 USD). Each jalapeño was double the length of my wife's finger! The crispy exterior was a delight to bite into and when I got to the filling, my mouth was salivating! There was a mixture of ground pork with seasoned vegetables and paired with an onion soy sauce, was a taste of heaven! Right before we left the market, we had to stop by one of Seoul's hottest bakeries, which happened to be right across the street. The bakery, aptly named, Ugly Bakery, provided the necessary sweetness to our meals! Although the line wasn't particularly long today, I would recommend going as early as possible during the weekends since the queue goes down the street during those times. There are numerous types of desserts, breads, and sandwiches so we decided to get some we haven't tried before. I would say their Shu cream breads were definitely a must-try. Mangwon Market is definitely a must-visit if you're in Seoul! It is right next to Hongdae, which is the hipster art area for K-pop and K-drama paraphernalia. Although there are numerous shops and restaurants in the area, we highly recommend trying out some of the foods mentioned above! If you've been there, let us know which are your favorites! If you can't wait to go, which foods are you most excited to try?

#moneyheistkorea #yoonjitae #kdrama The highly anticipated Korean remake of the successful Spanish hit series La Casa De Papel (Money Heist) is soon to air! The first episode is set to air on Netflix Friday, June 24 at 12 am Pacific Time (4 pm KST). Led by its own version of the criminal mastermind, The Professor (Yoon Ji Tae Oldboy 2003), the new Money Heist crew will need to overcome a joint task force led by a South Korean negotiation specialist and a North Korean agent. The 12-episode crime series is directed by Kim Hong Sun (L.U.C.A.: The Beginning 2021) and brings together a star-studded cast including Kim Yun Jin (Lost 2010) and Park Hae Soo (Squid Game 2021). If you're biting your fingernails, like us, here is a preview clip of the show, sorry, but it's in Korean! Here's also some behind-the-scenes making of the series from a uniquely Korean perspective! If you've ever been to Korea, you'll recognize many of these locations have been altered to fit the new reality of the show! Hopefully, these two videos can get rid of the Money Heist itch bug that has us all waiting to see what will happen! Let us know how you feel about this series and are you also waiting eagerly to watch it!

#baesuzy #annadrama #coupangplay Singer-turned actress Bae Suzy (Start Up 2020) stars in her new role in Coupang Play's highly anticipated drama Anna which is scheduled to premiere Friday, June 24. This drama has been highly received as a "must watch" for many K-drama fans and we break down why you should as well! Based on a web series, the 8-episode psychological thriller is centered around Yoo Mi, an ordinary working-class woman who tells a simple lie that spirals out of control and leads her to live a totally different high-end luxury life. Also accompanying Bae Suzy will be Jung Eun Chae who starred in Apple TV+'s Pachinko and Kim Jun Han (Prison Playbook 2017). This role in Anna will test Bae Suzy's acting abilities as she will take on two opposite roles. She has shown tremendous improvement ever since her acting debut in Dream High (2010). Suzy has improved in every drama she has been in ever since. Will she be able to pull off this complex role? Check out this intense trailer! Due to the complex role of playing Yoo Mi and Anna, Bae Suzy decided to challenge herself as an actress to play an emotionally deficient and psychologically damaged character in Yoo Mi. Watch this short interview as Suzy explains why she decided to take on this challenging role! After reading and watching the trailer and interview, how do you think Bae Suzy will do? We think that this drama will be absolutely amazing and we can't wait to watch it! Let us know your thoughts!