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#bts #btswhitehouse #btsaanhpi Global wholesome international superstar boy band BTS will be traveling to the White House on Tuesday, May 31 Korean Standard Time (KST)! The group will be joining President Joe Biden to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes and to celebrate Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month. According to the White House on May 26, BTS is invited to discuss the recent incline in Asian discrimination and representation in the United States. "President Biden and BTS will also discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS' platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the globe." - Official White House Press Release We feel that BTS is the perfect Asian global ambassador for this discussion! Their clean and kind image has spread a lot of positivity during a time of pessimism towards Asians during the pandemic. BTS was invited by the United Nations to give a speech about hope and power to those in their teens and 20's to shape a better future during an internet streamed event that drew over 1 million viewers on September 20, 2021. The group also performed "Permission To Dance" inside the United Nations General Assembly Hall during that time. What are your thoughts about this amazing opportunity? Do you think BTS is the best representative of K-pop as well as the global ambassador for Asians in their respective communities? We want to hear from you!

#sonheungmin #totenhampurs #goldenboot Incheon -- Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung Min returned to Korea on May 24 victorious seen holding the much-coveted Golden Boot trophy for the most goals in the English Premier League. Son did not stop for an interview but showed off his newest achievement. The Golden Boot award goes to the player who scores the most goals in a season. This year, Son shared the award with Mo Salah (Liverpool F.C.) as they both scored 23 goals apiece. He is the first Asian player to lead the Premier League in scoring. The 29-year-old Son will be taking some time off from a long season and will prepare to train with the Korean national team starting on May 30th. This is refreshing to see Korean athletes competing at the highest level and winning awards in their respective sport. Did Son Heung Min open the door to younger Koreans who want to follow his footsteps? Will Koreans take athletes more seriously? Or will they continue to criticize them if they don't live up to expectations? Let us know your thoughts!

#blackpink #rollingstone #kpopnews Take a deep break. Okay! Blinks, here we go! After years of asking for it, Blackpink is finally on the cover of the popular magazine Rolling Stone! The June 2022 issue will feature four-member international pop sensation, notice they dropped K-pop, along with an in-depth more personal, and revealing interview! Blackpink on the cover of one of the most iconic pop culture magazines is not only groundbreaking in multiple ways but proves that Hallyu (Korean wave) is on the rise! Blackpink will be the first girl group featured on the magazine cover since Destiny's Child in 2001. Blackpink will also be the second all-Asian musical act to appear on the cover of the magazine, the first being BTS in May 2021. The photos were taken by Korean-born fashion photographer, Peter Ash Lee. The special edition box includes a copy of the June 2022 issue of Rolling Stone plus individual copies of the same issue with a solo cover of each member! The box set also includes four premium 5×7″ Blackpink photo prints shot by photographer Peter Ash Lee exclusively for Rolling Stone, and get a bonus Rolling Stone sticker sheet. The special set will be released in small quantities and is expect to sell out quickly! While the regular Blackpink group cover will be available on all newsstands, the individual covers will only be available in the box set. The special edition Rolling Stone box set is priced at $129 USD exclusively on the Rolling Stone shop. Pre-orders will begin the first week of August so hurry up! You can pre-order your box set here! This is huge in the Korean entertainment industry, especially for K-pop! Even if you're not a fan of K-pop, you have to appreciate the soft power South Korea has had for the past decade. Will it be as powerful as the United States in a few years? Let us know your thoughts below and whether you will buy one of these exclusive box sets!

#got7 #igot7 #nanana K-pop boy band Got7 is back with their new self-titled EP! Their new single MV 'NANANA' dropped on May 23 at 7 pm instead of its original release time at 6 pm and has garnered over 4 million views in 13 hours! The seven-member group is newly signed to Warner Music Korea since their contract with JYP Entertainment ended in February 2021. The members went their separate ways for a year and three months but were determined to come back together for a second time. “We feel very lucky that we’re able to make a comeback as a complete group of seven,” said Jay B. “We’d like to thank each member’s agency for cooperating and making this possible. We always said all seven of us would be back, but it’s like a dream that it has actually become a reality.” Member BamBam stated, "We wanted to keep our promise to fans. Unlike a lot of people’s misunderstandings, GOT7 did not disband, and we wanted to prove it. So we took a break in our individual activities and will focus on the team for now." The group's determination to get back together is a testament to how close the members are to each other and their goals even after the contract with their agency end. Each member in the group belongs to different management but all agencies have agreed to make the comeback work. The members expressed excitement in working on their own music. The band's new single 'NANANA' music and lyrics were written by Jay B. “Overall, this album shows a much richer variety of sounds,” Jay B said. “We used to prefer a very powerful style of music, but now, we’re able to enjoy chill, fun songs [like ‘Nanana’] just as much.” In terms of maintaining the band's brand and identity, it has become quite a lengthy process. The group was determined to obtain the copyright for the group's name from JYP Entertainment. “Trademark rights are such a tricky matter,” he said. “But [JYP’s] CEO Jung Wook gladly agreed to hand over the GOT7 trademark to us. Then I contacted a lawyer, who told me that it’s extremely rare case for a trademark to be handed over this amicably. I’d like to thank CEO Jung and producer Park Jin-young again. I collected all the necessary documents and signatures from members, and I realized it’s not easy at all. It made me humble and grateful toward the agency and employees who usually do these things for us.” The new album consists of a total of six songs, including 'NANANA', all of which were self-produced. The group also has rebranded a new logo and tagline, 'GOT7 is our name', in most of their social media posts. What do you think of their comeback? Are you excited to hear the rest of the album? Check it out here!

#theroundup #donlee #koreanmovie SEOUL -- There aren't too many Korean movies that can attract moviegoers to theaters, especially during the pandemic. According to Yonghap News, it is the "first time in over two years a Korean film has attracted more than 2 million people on a weekend since the political drama "The Man Standing Next" (2019) with 2.01 million on the last weekend of 2020. 'The Roundup' is the sequel to the 2017 hit comedy "The Outlaws" starring Don Lee (Eternals 2021) and Son Seok Koo (My Liberation Notes 2022). It is a story about Detective Ma Seok Do (Don Lee) traveling to Vietnam to extradite a Korean suspect but only to learn that there is a killer committing crimes against tourists for many years. Marvel's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" came in second with 328,000 people over the weekend with total movie attendance of 5.47 million and the American animated film "The Bad Guys" placed third with 35,000 moviegoers. Now that COVID restrictions have been lifted in many countries, which movies are you excited to go to next? Let us know!

#moneyheistkorea #netflix #dramareviews Riding on the success of the original hit series La Casa De Papel (Money Heist), Netflix has given Korea a shot at telling its own version of the criminal mastermind crew led by the Professor (Yoon Ji Tae Oldboy 2003). The first look of the action-packed thriller has been released and is scheduled to premiere on June 24. Many Money Heist fans are criticizing this series claiming that it is "just a remake of the original version", but Netflix has stated that this time will be a little different. In a plot twist, Korea is on the verge of reunification, and the Joint Security Area - the current Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) - is the basis of the location of the mint which is the focus of the story. The new mint represents a new unified currency and is the groundwork for a stable joint economy. 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). "I was intrigued by the premise of the remake because not only is it about the conflict between robbers and police, but also it adds new layers such as the tension, mistrust, and harmony between North and South Korea. [It is] a situation where thieves from North and South Korea join forces, and police from North and South join hands to stop their way, [adding] a Korean lens to the original IP." - Ryu Yong Jae (Writer for Money Heist Korea) The teaser highlights the iconic red jumpsuits and will switch to traditional Korean Hahoe (하회탈) masks were worn by Korean actors in the 12th century in rituals, ceremonies, and performances. Park Hae Soo, who plays Berlin in the upcoming drama, was sent an 'iconic' Dali mask from the original series by Spanish star, Pedro Alonso (the original Berlin). Here is a video of Park Hae Soo thanking Pedro Alonso. Korean fans are excited to see their rendition of the action-packed series. The original Money Heist was known for its superb storytelling and intricate details of each character. Korean drama has also rivaled the very best in storytelling and character development in the past several years. We can't wait to see what this series has to offer! Let us know your expectations and insights into this thrilling new series!

#EXO #Suho #Hallyu #StanfordUniversity #TaylorSwift #NYU For many of us who are fans of celebrities, it is an unforgettable experience to see our idols visit our schools or universities and give speeches on special occasions. Recently, singer-song writer Taylor Swift rendered a speech at graduation at New York University and received her honorary doctoral degree. How awesome is that! Just this 20th of May, Suho of the sensational South Korean-Chinese boy band, EXO was present at a Korean Studies conference at Stanford University, where he discussed the influence of "Hallyu" or Korean wave. Suho. Photo by nomnomkiyow. EXO. Photo by KpopStarz. Suho was one of the panelists at the 20th-anniversary program of Shorenstein APARC’s Korea program. With the experience of performing in 133 shows in 76 cities around the world, he spoke about the magnitude of influence of Hallyu. He finds it astonishing every time they see their fans sing along throughout the entire concert in Korean language in countries that are difficult to visit and far away from Korea such as Chile and Mexico. In his presentation, he also mentioned that he watches dance covers of their songs every day on YouTube and Tiktok. Fans not only copy the dance moves on point but as well as the styling and facial expression according to him. “On stage or even off stage, things I do or even words I say has an impact,” he said. A lot of their fans learn the Korean language and visit South Korea because they follow EXO, he then expounded. He described the K-culture as a global phenomenon that will continue to grow and evolve. The said conference was also attended by former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, and SM entertainment’s founder Lee Soo-man, Which celebrity do you dream to see in person?

#lesserafim #kimgaramscandal #koreaschoolbullying Source Music, the management company for up-and-coming girl group LE SSERAFIM, has made an official statement to fans via the group's official website on Weverse.com about the recent bullying scandal involving one of their members, Kim Garam. "Hello, this is Source Music. We would like to notify that LE SSERAFIM's scheduled appearance on KBS2's 'Music Bank' (on May 18 at 3 PM KST) and the group's scheduled video fan sign event (on May 18 at 8 PM KST) have been cancelled. We apologize to fans who waited for the events, and also ask those who were selected to attend the pre-recording for 'Music Bank' for their understanding. Additionally, the cancelled video fan sign event will be re-scheduled at a later date, and we will do our best to notify the fans who were selected for the event as soon as possible. Lastly, we assure you that the agency will release a formal position on the recent accusations against a member of LE SSERAFIM once all details are confirmed." Source Music also tweeted the update the group will not be participating in KBS2's 'Music Bank' and signing event on May 18, 2022, at the assigned times. On May 19, a legal representative of the alleged bullied victim released a lengthy statement claiming LE SSERAFIM member, Kim Garam, received formal penalization for the bullying of a classmate in 2018. According to a KoreanUpdates! tweet, Hybe, and Source Music are preparing a statement while compiling evidence. Many Koreans and overseas fans are debating how the management company is handling this scandal. Let us know how you feel and what you think should be done. Please also check out our other article about bullying in Korea here!

#psy #pnation #tnx PSY's company, PNation, is continuing its onslaught of hitmakers this year with the debut of its first boy band TNX. The six-member boy group performed its first single "Move" (비켜 ) from their mini-album "Way Up" during their debut showcase on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. The six members consisted of winners from the survival SBS show "Loud" (2021) and were selected by PSY personally. The band's leader, Choi Tae Hun stated, "It feels unreal to be standing here on this stage … as much as we’ve dreamt about this moment, we’ve worked hard for it. We’ll be doing our best every moment, so look out for us" during an interview during their debut night. TNX stands for "The New Six". The new single "Move" consists of major orchestra instrumentation with powerful beats. Along with some sexy and powerful dance moves, these boys are a force to be reckoned with. The band's Tuesday debut gave us a small glimpse of what PNation is expecting this group to bring. More power and energy with a diverse range of dancing and songs written by industry veterans. "The song (Move) was composed by singer-songwriter Penomeco and Yoo Gun Hyung, who is credited on a string of hits such as PSY's 'Gangnam Style,' and HyunA's 'I'm Not Cool' (2021)," Cheon Jun Hyeok, a member, explained. "It can be characterized by an addictive chorus and outspoken lyrics." PNation is also home to phenomenal singer/rapper Jessi and K-pop star HyunA. What do you think about TNX's debut? Do they have the potential to be the next BTS? Let us know your thoughts!

#girlsgeneration #snsd #snsd2022 K-pop sensation group, Girl's Generation, is back this August with all its members, according to SM Entertainment on Tuesday. The eight-member group will create a fully recorded album that will be the band's first release in five years. The new album will mark the group's 15th anniversary. Girl's Generation is scheduled to make reality show appearances after the album drop although the exact date has yet to be specified. The last album from the group, "Holiday Night" released in August 2017, was their sixth full-length album. Afterward, three of the eight members left the agency but the group did not disband. Girls' Generation debuted in 2007 with the track "Into the New World." An iconic girl group in the early 2010s, it produced hits such as "Gee" (2010), "Genie" (2010) and "The Boys" (2011). Its members are Taeyeon, Sunny, Yoona, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung and Seohyun. Let us know if you're excited about this new album! What are you expecting? Are we in for a SNSD reunion?

#koreanage #internationalage #koreanagesystem What separates Koreans from the rest of the world is that Koreans are automatically one year old the moment they are born. Once January 1st rolls around, Koreans become a year older regardless of their birthdays. Koreans count age based on years not days. For example, a child born in December is already age two by January. This century-old tradition, which reportedly started in China, is only practiced in South Korea today. For foreigners living in Korea or Koreans going abroad, giving their ages is quite a confusing experience. Korea's new president, Yoon Seok-Youl, stated as one of his first agendas is to abolish the Korean age system and stick to the international age system that most of the world is familiar with. This is to prevent confusion and "to bring South Korea in line with the rest of the world." (Forbes) Koreans interviewed by the popular YouTube channel, Asian Boss, have differing opinions on this topic based on their personal situations. There are many legal issues surrounding this since all Koreans will have to change their birthdays on official documents. Representative Lee Yong Ho from the People's Power Party explains why President Yoon wants Koreans to switch to the international system. "If we stick to the international age system, we will no longer see the social and economic costs associated with all the confusion and inconvenience arising from the age gap." - Representative Lee Yong Ho If the international age policy is mandated, male K-pop idols will be considered two years younger and their mandatory military service will be delayed by two years. Korean males are able to delay their service at age of 28 (Korean age), but with the international age policy in place, they are considered to be 26. Representative Lee Yong Ho stated that the committee will take careful steps to make the transition seamless and easier for Koreans. "There is a reason for the kind of compromise in such laws and we will consult with experts before we think about changing them too. There would be much less confusion if we could have the same idea of what it means to be how old we actually are." - Representative Lee Yong Ho The switch to the international age will happen sometime in 2023. We're looking forward to seeing if this really makes a big difference in Korean life. Let us know your thoughts about this situation! Are you excited that your favorite K-pop idol might be two years younger?

#productplacement #kdrama #kdramaproducts *Contains spoilers. The hit TvN show, Our Blues, is currently the number one watched drama in South Korea right now! With an Avengers-like cast, this drama is expected to draw many eyes and money from many sponsors. Here's the list of the number of product placements, so far, that we've seen! Phones: Samsung Galaxy S22 Samsung really seems to be pushing their new flagship phone, the Galaxy S22, in this drama. It seems that every character is using it! Bae Hyun Sung using the Samsung Galaxy S22. Via Netflix. The most blatant use of the Galaxy is during the scene where Min Seon-A (Shin Min-A) is taken to a horse farm by her childhood friend, Lee Dong-Seok (Lee Byung-Hun), and forced to record him riding a horse for her son. The scene then goes on showcasing the phone's new video recording technology and is also filmed from a first-person POV! Although it is pretty cool to see the new phone's video capturing capabilities, we feel that it was a little too much! In the next scene, Min Seon-A is reunited with her son and takes him to the aquarium where we witness more of the same! Cars: Chevrolet Product placement of cars in Korean dramas is pretty common. Usually, there will be only one brand that is featured in each drama, in this case, it is Chevrolet. Keeping with the theme of rugged outdoors Jeju style, Chevy showcased its new line of trucks and SUVs. Park Jung-Jun (Kim Woo-Bin) is the local ship captain who is also the town's all-around good guy. He helps those in need and tries to break up fights between the town's trouble makers, Jung In-Gwon (Park Ji-Hwan) and Bang Ho-Sik (Choi Young-Joon). Every macho guy needs a macho truck and Chevy delivered with its new 2022 Colorado. 2022 Chevrolet Colorado. Park Jung-Jun's love interest, Lee Yeong-Ok (Han Ji-Min), a haeneyo 해녀 or female diver, also drives a Chevy Traverse. She picks up the older female drivers every morning so that they can board the boat to catch mollusks, seaweed, and other sea life from the ocean to sell to local fish markets. 2022 Chevy Traverse. Choi Han-Su (Cha Seung-Won), a recently transferred bank manager from Seoul, goes back to his childhood roots and is reunited with long-lost friends. He is seen driving the new Chevy Malibu and even the car in front of him is a Chevy! 2022 Chevy Malibu. The Chevy theme throughout this drama is sometimes ridiculous at times since the characters are always on the road. There is even a scene where Lee Dong-Seok (Lee Byung-Hun) curses out the obvious Mercedes Benz he borrowed from his friend when he finds out that his childhood crush, Min Seon-A (Shin Min-A), doesn't share the same feelings as him! Food & Drink: Bibigo & Starbucks What is a Korean drama without food and drink? We're surprised that there aren't more food and drink products in this series, but there are a couple that we would like to point out, like a sore thumb! We noticed that while the characters were at each other's homes, the products were displayed quite nicely and the characters had a positive reaction when eating/drinking. Starbucks capsules. Bibigo Dumplings. If you haven't noticed, when the series first showed Shin Min-A, there were instant product placements everywhere. She's the PPL (Korean slang for product placement) queen! Makeup: Givenchy As soon as we're introduced to Shin Min-A's character, we're immediately taken to her sitting in front of the vanity mirror applying makeup by Givenchy! Accessories: Didier Dubot Surprisingly, Our Blues doesn't have many accessories displayed throughout the series. One noticeable brand that was consistent in several episodes was the Korean jewelry brand, Didier Dubot in which, of course, Shin Min-A is the spokesmodel! Overall, since this is currently the number drama in South Korea, we've come to expect there would be many products included. Let us know if this surprised you at all! What's your favorite product from this drama! Did we leave any out?