South Korean president Lee Jae Myung warned at a cabinet meeting this week that the issue is safety and urged heightened vigilance by the interior ministry and emergency services to prepare for every possibility. He described the concert as an important occasion to reaffirm the country's global cultural standing.
Korean culture has become a familiar presence in American life. K-pop dominates global charts, K-dramas have become staples on streaming platforms, Korean food has moved from specialty shops to neighborhood grocery stores, and K-beauty brands line retail shelves nationwide. As Korean culture reaches new audiences, Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared traces the artistic traditions that have shaped today's cultural momentum.
The animated movie KPop Demon Hunters swiftly captured the attention of viewers worldwide following its release in June 2025 ending the year as Netflix's most-watched film of all time. KPop Demon Hunters follows the story of the superstar K-pop girl group trio HUNTR/X made up of singers Mira, Zoey and Rumi and their battle to defend the world from a demon army.
Over the last several years, Netflix has positioned itself as one of the few video streaming services focused on making an impact in the music industry. From the surprise revival of older songs like Bush's "Running Up That Hill" and Metallica's "Master of Puppets" in shows like "Stranger Things," to streaming the most originally produced music documentaries, there's no doubt Netflix's audience is musically in tune.
Kayla and Bethany are no strangers to deep dives, and in this episode they're sharing everything they've learned about "Arirang," the centuries-old folk song sometimes referred to as the collective memory of the Korean people. The song can be traced all the way back to the 1700s; though the legend of its origin is disputed, multiple versions of the song have been passed down across centuries. Today, there are over 3,600 known variations and counting.
ILLIT's Not Cute Anymore came out a couple of months ago. It's an incredibly impressive pop song. It has this kind of, like, light, lithe, rocksteady vibe to it. I also hear it as a little bit of a pointed rebuke to how a lot of girl groups are framed in K-pop. Innocent. Sweet. And maybe it's a bit of a broadside in the ongoing K-pop war between NewJeans and their parent label, Hybe.