#korean-cultural-exports

#korean-cultural-exports

The Korean wave or hallyu that brought the country's culture to the world has now well and truly engulfed Latin America.

South Korea imports about 45 percent of its naphtha, a critical petrochemical feedstock, with roughly 77 percent of those imports historically arriving from the Middle East. That supply line is now, for all practical purposes, severed.

The Saja Boys Breakfast Meal features a Spicy Saja McMuffin topped with a peppery Spicy Saja Sauce, crispy hash browns, and a choice of soft drink, inspired by the group's leader Jinu.

The King's Warden has rewritten box-office benchmarks, earning over £70m to become the top-grossing film in the country's history, according to The Korea Herald.

Netflix's smash-hit, Oscar-nominated animated film KPop Demon Hunters is returning for a sequel, with the fictional Korean girl group HUNTR/X coming back to lay down pop hits and smash evil boybands (and/or other demons). Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans will once again direct their first project in an exclusive multiyear writing and directing partnership with Netflix.

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.

Seongsu-dong is Seoul's creative hub, where old warehouses and factories have been transformed into design studios, cafés, and showrooms. Often referred to as 'the Brooklyn of Seoul,' the industrial infrastructure, pop-up scene, and design-led façades make it a photo-friendly destination favored by many design-loving visitors.

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.

The announcement doesn't show any of the sets in full, but it does have a brief tease of what looks like a model of Derpy, the demon tiger and pseudo-mascot of the movie, knocking down a potted plant made up of Legos. Fans will know that one of Derpy's quirks is that he knocks down plants like a regular cat, but becomes fixated on trying (and, without thumbs, failing) to set them back up.

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.

BTS is finally heading back out on the road. These K-Pop superstars have announced their long-awaited return to the global stage with their 2026-27 world tour, which currently spans 34 regions and 79 shows. The BTS tour, which kicks off on the band's home turf in South Korea on April 9, also includes a Bay Area stand. BTS performs May 16-17 at Stanford Stadium - which is a huge booking for a venue that has just recently gotten into the concert business.