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#southkorearocketlaunch #southkoreaspace #southkoreasatellitelaunch GOHEUNG, South Jeolla Province -- South Korea has opened a new chapter in writing its own space era as it was able to launch its first rocket into space on Tuesday, June 21st at 4 pm. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute in Goheung, South Jeolla Province was able to launch the 200 metric ton homegrown rocket, the Nuri rocket (KSLV-II), after eight months of improving technical problems that caused the early shutdown of the third-stage rocket engine. Nuri comes from the Korean word for "world". The three-stage rocket was able to reach its target orbit of 700 kilometers. This marked South Korea as the seventh nation in the world to develop and launch a satellite greater than 1 ton. The successful launch has given hope to the rest of the nation with dreams of landing a lunar module on the moon by 2031. Check out the launch video! According to the KARI, rocket Nuri blasted off at 4 p.m., as scheduled, after a 10-minute countdown. The first stage of the rocket separated from the rest of the rocket 2 minutes and 3 seconds after the launch. KARI’s Antarctic Sejong ground station received confirmation from the satellite at around 4:42 p.m., showing that the satellite was in a stable position. The station is located at King George Island, one of the largest South Shetland Islands, lying 120 kilometers off the coast of Antarctica. At around 8-9 p.m., the satellite was to send beacon signals that help the station verify whether it is still on track and facing the sun. At around 3 a.m. Wednesday, KARI‘s Daejeon ground station was to receive data including the exact timeline of the separation process of the rocket and its orbit data. The government-led project of developing the three-stage, liquid-fueled carrier rocket, weighing 200 tons and standing 46.2 meters tall, took 12 years. The total budget cost the project 1.9 trillion won ($15.1 billion). More than 300 South Korean companies participated in the supply of rocket components. South Korea plans to carry out the Nuri Acceleration Project, from 2023 to 2027, which will send four additional rockets to space to boost the reliability of the Nuri space rocket and promote private enterprises that develop satellite projectiles. The government has secured a budget of around 680 billion won, according to Goh Jung Hwan, director of KARI’s KSLV-II (Nuri) research and development directorate. This is an amazing feat by South Korea! It shows that not only is South Korea capable of exporting soft culture, but its technology is up to par with the top nations in the world! Let us know your thoughts on this momentous occasion! Would you want to travel into space?

#에스파 #aespa #kwangya The visually stunning girl group, Aespa, is breaking all kinds of entertainment barriers with its newest animated series 'Next Level' which aired on June 20th on their YouTube channel. The new video features their new single, 'Next Level', and promotes their 2nd Mini Album "Girls", scheduled to be released on July 8th. The new video features Aespa as their virtual avatars, which they have been performing constantly on stage. Taking on characteristics of Marvel's Cinematic Universe (MCU), the managing company, SM Entertainment, has created SM Culture Universe (SMCU), a virtual world with K-pop idols. With their debut on November 17, 2020, with "Black Mamba", Aespa's first episode was seen battling the villain of the SMCU. In the second episode or second single, fans believe the group is growing stronger in preparation to confront the villain. Check out episode 2 here! After watching the episode, many fans have claimed that it has a deeper meaning and that the SMCU takes a closer look at the trials and tribulations of being a K-pop idol. We feel that SM Entertainment is breaking all barriers with this group, both visually and emotionally. If this is the future of the music industry, the western hemisphere has a lot to do in order to catch up! What are your thoughts about Aespa's most recent episode? Are we looking into things too deeply? Let us know your thoughts!

#superjunior #smtown #elf Dubbed "Kings of the Hallyu Wave", boy band SuperJunior is poised to release its 11th studio full-length album this summer! A teaser video for their new album, "The Road: Keep on Going", has been uploaded to many of the members' social media accounts. The album is scheduled to be released on July 12 and will be followed by the second volume and the complete combined version later in the year, the band's agency, Label SJ said. Check it out! It will be the group's first full-length album since March 2021 when they released "The Renaissance". The band also released a special single "The Road: Winter for Spring" in February. Check out their comeback live video here: "This is a comeback album where you can feel both of Super Junior's own mature feelings and absolute charisma". - Label SJ Super Junior plans to kick off a world tour in Seoul from July 15-17 to mark the album's release. Are you excited about this group's comeback? What are your thoughts about this new album?

#alchemyofsouls #kdramareview #환혼 A fun romantic fantasy drama with lots of action! A very good-looking cast with some quirky entertaining scenes! *Contains spoilers. 4.7/5 Stars (So far!) tvN's new drama series features a dangerous assassin, Naksu (Ko Yoon Jung Law School 2021), whose soul gets accidentally trapped inside the body of a physically weak Mu Deok (Jung So Min My Roomates Is A Gumiho 2021). Mu Deok is sold to servitude to the noble Jang household where she meets Jang Wook (Lee Jae Wook Move To Heaven 2021) as his servant. Eventually, Mu Deok teaches Jang Wook how to fight. A drama about soul switching and mages based in a fictional country, Daeho, Alchemy of Souls is a fun-filled, action-packed drama that has us sitting on the edge of our seats. After the first episode, we are already obsessed with Jung So Min's charismatic acting and the amount of K-pop-looking actors have got us hooked! Check out the trailer! Alchemy of Souls clinched the top spot nationwide after its first episode dropped on Saturday, June 18 with a 5.205% rating according to Nielsen Korea. You can catch new episodes every Saturday and Sunday on tvN or on Netflix. Let us know if this drama has you excited! What do you think?

#antidiscrimination #lgbtq #kdrama South Korean direct-to-consumer online streaming platform Wavve will be launching the country's first-ever LGBTQ+ romance reality show in July. According to a press release to Newsen, they will be launching two reality programs centered around the LGBTQ+ community starting in July. The two shows, titled Merry Queer and Stranger’s Love, will both show relationships of those who do not identify as heterosexual. Merry Queer will focus on coming-out individuals and the challenges that they have to face as they publicly announce their relationships to the community. Stranger's Love will be the first reality show for men seeking other men. These men will move into the homes of other men to find a relationship. We will introduce Merry Queer, the first coming-out romance reality in Korea, and Stranger’s Love, a reality for male relationships, in July. It will not only be fresh but also be extremely fun, we are going to discuss and showcase social issues that we want the viewers to seriously think about and sympathize with. - Wavve Wavve was first launched on September 18, 2019. The company was founded as a joint venture between South Korea's telecommunications giant SK Telecom and Korea's top three broadcast networks: KBS, MBC, and SBS. South Korea has been under scrutiny for the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act which is still under review. The UN and global community have been recommending repeatedly that South Korea enact a comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Act to end all forms of discrimination for over a decade. Unfortunately, currently, South Korea still does not have an anti-discrimination act for marginalized communities which are constantly exposed to various forms of hatred and discrimination. The South Korean National Assembly keeps on delaying the enactment of the law. Four drafts have already been submitted during the Moon Jae In administration. According to a survey by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea in 2020, 82% of respondents acknowledged that discrimination in South Korean society was serious and 88.5% were in favor of enacting a comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Act as a way to resolve this problem. Another survey of November 2021 showed that 70% of South Korean people also agreed. Currently, the most famous openly gay South Korean celebrity is Hong Seok Cheon. He has repeatedly spoken out through various interviews and tv programs about how he has been mistreated and being banned from TV broadcasts since coming out. Since publicly announcing his sexuality, he was banned from TV for three years and received multiple death threats from the public leading him to shut himself at home and contemplate suicide. Since then, he has taken his celebrity as a platform to inform the public about homosexuality and even has been a guest on Jessi's "Showterview"! Check it out! South Korea has always been known as a very conservative society. Through K-pop and global exports, South Koreans have become more accepting and open-minded on various other subjects, but this topic still remains sensitive for most people. What are your thoughts about this issue? Let us know your opinions!

#BTS #HIATUS It is sad to know for many BTS fanatics that the group will be on a temporary break. Just like people who spend grueling hours working, the group too also needs to take some time off. According to BTS, they will use their break to pursue solo projects and for personal growth. The group made the announcement through a video during "Festa dinner", their ninth year anniversary. So far, J-Hope is expected to be the first one to pursue solo projects among the members of the BTS. No doubt, BTS fans are waiting for J-Hope to drop his solo music, which was announced by HYBE Labels through a statement. Certainly, fans are waiting for BTS to pursue projects as a group in the future again, despite the announcement that was just made recently. Here's the original BTS Festa that was broadcasted! We're looking forward to BTS's next chapter! We wish them all the best! Were you inspired to have some time off upon reading this? Let us know how would you spend your time off!

#squidgame #reallifesquidgame #netflixrealityshow Now you can be part of the global Netflix sensation 'Squid Game'! On June 14, Netflix announced that the hit series will be made into a real-life competition show! Named "Squid Game: The Challenge" the real-life survival reality show will start production in the UK early next year. "Squid Game: The Challenge" will be considered to be "the biggest reality competition series ever created" and will feature 456 contestants battling out for a cash prize of $4.56 million! According to a press release put out by Netflix on Tuesday, the staggering sum will be the largest cash prize ever offered on reality television. Netflix's biggest show, which premiered in September 2021, is a story about two childhood friends, played by Lee Jung Jae and Park Hae Soo, who meet each other years later as adults at different ends of the financial spectrum. They are invited to play a mysterious survival game with a cash prize of 45.6 billion Korean won (approximately $40 million), but find out there is something more valuable on the line. "Squid Game" is now streaming on Netflix. "Squid Game: The Challenge" just dropped an announcement video! Check it out! Casting is currently only open to English-language speakers over the age of 21. The contest will feature 10 episodes and production is scheduled to take place over four weeks. Do you have what it takes to enter the contest? Enter the contest here!

#psy #psythathat #psyconcert Netizens are rushing to their keyboards and typing in their concerns for Psy's most anticipated series of water summer concerts. As the temperature in South Korea starts to rise and COVID protocols are relaxing, more and more K-pop idols are holding outdoor summer concerts for their fans. Psy's upcoming concert series requires 300 tons (67,200 gallons) of drinking water per show. The singer announced on June 3, that the Summer Swag concert series is known for splashing water on fans during the show. The first concert will be in on July 9 at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium. Tickets will begin selling on Thursday June 16. Although fans are ecstatic about attending concerts after almost three years of hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, netizens are drawing concerns about the waste of drinking water amid South Korea's ongoing drought situation. This video showing the singer performing at Korea University several weeks ago has drawn local criticism from social media and local news. Global conservation is now a hot topic in South Korea. The government as well as many startups have been focusing on recyclables and renewable ways to create a more sustainable future. From fashion, and usable materials, to lifestyle and living, Korean companies and brands have started to create apps that support a more sustainable lifestyle. You can read more about some up-and-coming Korean brands that are supporting this movement here. Should Psy take out the water show that he is so well-known for? Should there be another method or way to entertain fans? Let us know your thoughts about this serious environmental issue!

#gidle #kpop #여자아이들 Girl group (G)I-DLE will begin their 16-city "Just Me" 2022 tour, starting in Seoul, on June 18. The show in Seoul will be held for two days, June 18 and June 19. A month later, the group will travel to the United States where they will have an 8 city-stop, starting in Los Angeles. After a short stint in South America, the group will then travel back to Asia at the end of August with a show in Jakarta. The visually stunning (G)I-DLE five-member group was scheduled for its original tour in 2020 but due to the COVID pandemic, it was halted. Originally a sextet, Soojin left the group in August 2021 due to a bullying scandal. This is not the first that a management company has decided to release an idol due to bullying. Le Sserafim's Kim Garam has also recently been in the spotlight because of bullying. As recently as June 14, ATBO's Yang Donghwa is involved in school bullying allegations. Known for their visuals, (G)I-DLE posted a cool tour announcement video to check out! For (G)I-DLE fans (Neverland) in Spanish-speaking countries, here's a dance cover for 'TOMBOY' by New Sense from Mexico! This is the chance for South American and Mexican fans to enjoy K-pop in their home countries! Let us know if you'll be trying to get tickets! What do you think about the tour dates and cities?

#koreancinema #screenx #koreatech With less stringent COVID protocols entering the summer, South Korea's largest multiplex cinema chain, CGV, will showcase its flagship ScreenX and 4DX technologies as its frontline formats of strategy. "ScreenX is a multi-projection cinematic platform that provides 270-degree panoramic images to audiences by expanding the display onto the theater's side walls. The 4DX format allows films to be decorated with various practical effects, including motion seats, water and scents." (Yonhap News) CGV recently opened a new ScreenX theater at its Yeongdeungpo branch this past weekend, equipped with a 69-meter (226 feet) wide screen and six projectors. The company also stated that live streaming non-film content such as music concerts, theater, and online gaming is also available using the new ScreenX theater. South Korean movie theaters are known for their unusual sitting arrangements, namely "couple seats" where couples can enjoy a movie in a more intimate space with enclosed seating. CGV said, "it will build more private, independent movie suites, such as sky boxes, as an increasing number of people prefer to feel at home while watching movies." (Yonhap News) "We can say ticket sales of ScreenX and 4DX theaters pulled off steady growth during the pandemic, while the global and Korean film industry struggled with a sharp drop in overall revenues," CGV said. "As people enjoyed entertainment content easily and comfortably at home through online streaming services, they want something different at theaters." (Yonhap News) The combined revenue of ScreenX and 4DX theaters fell slightly from $363 million in 2019 to $331 million in 2021, although only five films were simultaneously released for the two formats last year, according to CGV. "The rising demand for high-tech screens and private theaters will grow further in the future and provide fresh momentum to movie theaters, which have to prepare for the end of the pandemic," a CGV official said. Globally, CGV operates 350 ScreenX theaters and 783 4DX theaters in 106 countries, including the United States, France, Britain and Japan, as of June 2022. How about this type of movie-going experience? Would you be willing to pay a premium for this? Let us know!

#ourblues #우리들의블루스 #kdramareview The top show of the season, 'Our Blues', capped off a historic run and ended with its highest viewership ratings this past weekend with 14.597% nationwide good for first place! The show has garnered first place every episode throughout the 20-episode season. An amazing feat! This star-studded cast included Lee Byung Hun, Shin Min Ah, and Kim Woo Bin and is poised to win some awards, we believe. 'Our Blues' shed light on so many cultural and social issues many South Koreans face today and we would like to get the discussion rolling. Which issues stood out to you? How do South Koreans handle these issues compared to your country? We would love to hear from you! We are sad to see this wonderful show come to an end. There were so many stories left to tell. Which story did you enjoy the most? Let us know your thoughts about this series!

#whyher #seohyunjin #hwanginyoup *Contains spoilers The recently popular coldhearted lawyer Oh Soo Jae (Seo Hyun Jin Black Dog 2019-2020), the youngest partner of South Korea's best law firm, TK Law Firm, who gets caught up in an unexpected case is demoted to an adjunct professor position at Seojung University law school has seen viewership numbers soar after its second weekend! The popular lawyer drama started off at a mediocre 6.0% rating on its debut on June 3 but has risen to 10.1% nationwide in its fourth episode this past weekend, according to Nielsen Korea. The end of the third episode has everyone talking and in shock! Netizens have been debating the age difference between Oh Soo Jae (37), an accomplished lawyer, and law school student Gong Chan, 31 (Hwang In Yeop The Sound Of Magic 2022). Of course, these are their real ages although no one really knows the age of their characters. This type of taboo subject, especially in South Korea, has left everyone scratching their heads if this is socially acceptable. Check out the trailer here! Here's a snippet of a scene from episode 4! What are your thoughts about this questionable dynamic? Is this acceptable in your country? Many people argue that it might not be the age gap, but more of the social hierarchy. Let us know what you think!