Issue 4. It’s Going To Be A Peachy K-Summer… And We Don’t Mean The Fruit 🍑 – Kpopmap

K-Pop

☁ NCT WISH Have Made The Ultimate Merch Wishlist For K-Pop Fans

Kay 🥑NCTzens are rejoicing and their wallets are crying happy tears at the latest K-Pop merch released by NCT WISH. Not only have they dropped the designs of their merch for their upcoming “SCHOOL of WISH” fanmeeting tour but pre-orders have also started for their NCT WISH Official Merchandise [Special WISH Goods] to commemorate their single album. For NCT WISH’s merch, cute and fluffy are the themes of the day and everyone should get shopping away!

🎤 Blitzers Reach The Semi-final Round Of “Britain’s Got Talent”

Dyllan 🐼Making their debut in May 2021, Blitzers continue to make themselves known in the K-Pop industry. But perhaps they’ve just received their big break in the most unexpected way – by reaching the semifinals of “Britain’s Got Talent”. They made history as the first K-Pop idol group to be invited by the program and by the end of their performance, were acknowledged by both the judges and audience in front of them. As this could signal a huge milestone for Blitzers’ career, netizens are excited to follow their journey on “Britain’s Got Talent”.

🌇 The City Of Los Angeles Is A BRIIZE?

Ishani 🎀That’s definitely one way to interpret this. Following the viral popularity of RIIZE’s ‘Get A Guitar’, the music video for which was shot in L.A. and featured attractions like the 6th Street Bridge and the Los Angeles Theatre, the Los Angeles City Council awarded a certificate of appreciation to the boy group. RIIZE has been building a connection with LA in various ways, such as appearing at ‘KCON LA 2023,’ being selected for the LA Tourism Board’s largest-ever global advertising campaign ‘Now Playing in LA’ as the background music, and holding their first fan concert tour at the Peacock Theater. We’re eager to see how RIIZE’s ongoing partnership with L.A. continues.

🎙️ Stray Kids Does It Again And Enters The Billboard Hot 100 For The Second Time

Dyllan 🐼Stray Kids have dropped multiple chart-topping hits, and they do it, yet again, with their most recent single. In a collaboration with world-renowned artist, Charlie Puth, they released the song ‘Lose My Breath’ on May 10th, receiving immense praise from fans and critics alike. And the good news continues to roll in, as it was revealed earlier this week that the track entered the Billboard Hot 100, making it Stray Kids’ second song to do so. The all English track is dreamy and ethereal and showcases a different charm to the boy group. But they still manage to retain their unique artistic color that made STAY fall in love with them in the first place.

💃 K-Pop World Audition Draws More Foreign Participants Than Korean!

Ishani 🎀The Cheonan K-Culture Expo is holding a K-Pop World Audition. However, this audition is not for the chance to debut as a K-Pop idol but to decide the winners of a K-Pop song and dance competition for the prize of 10 million won ($7,400). 406 teams of 1,026 people participated in the audition through online application by submitting performance videos. Among them, there were 790 foreign participants and 236 Korean participants. If this doesn’t show the extent to which K-Pop is now a global phenomenon, we don’t know what will!

K-Drama & K-Movie

🙏 Fans Wait For Suzy & Kim WooBin For Probably Next Netflix Hit … But Without Tears (Please!)

Laure 🌼After their tearjerker “Uncontrollably Fond” (2016), top actor duo Suzy & Kim WooBin are ready to move fans’ hearts with their new drama. This week, their first picture together for their upcoming Netflix drama “Everything Will Come True” was released, and they became a hot topic of conversation. The drama is written by the famous and well-known writer Kim EunSook, who worked on “Goblin”, “Descendants of the Sun”, “The King: Eternal Monarch”, “The Glory”, and much more. Their previous drama together left a lot of K-Drama fans with trauma, so we are all hoping to see a happy ending for them this time.

🎥 “I, The Executioner” Receives Over 5 Minutes Of Standing Ovation At Its Cannes Film Festival Global Premiere

Dyllan 🐼The Korean film industry continues to succeed on an international scale with the global premiere of “I, The Executioner”. Starting filming in 2022, the finished product is finally being shown to the public, starting at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. While initially nervous, director Ryoo SeungWan and the rest of the cast expressed their gratitude towards the extremely positive reception of the film. As the ending credits rolled, the crowd came together in unison and provided “I, The Executioner” over 5 minutes of standing ovation. Slated to release in the second half of the year, this joyful news raises expectations that “I, The Executioner” could very well become a blockbuster hit once it reaches theaters nationwide.

🏃‍♀️ Watch “Lovely Runner” At The Theatres & Get Your Own SolJae Merch!

Ishani 🎀The unrivaled popularity of “Lovely Runner” has reached a whole new peak. The final episode of the K-Drama, set to be released next week, will be screened in theatres in South Korea! Tickets to the screen greetings were sold out in seconds! That’s not all. Fans can now get their hands on official “Lovely Runner” merchandise from the “Lovely Runner” pop-up store that has opened at The Hyundai Seoul department store in Yeouido. Such craze for a K-Drama is truly unprecedented and will be hard to top.

📈 N.Flying’s Lee SeungHyub Rising Along Same Birthday Brother Byeon WooSeok From “Lovely Runner”

Laure 🌼 “Lovely Runner” is the hit drama of the moment. Byeon WooSeok and Kim HyeYoon are getting the main spotlight, but N.Flying’s Lee SeungHyub and Song GeonHee are also gaining a lot of fans. All the actors have been significantly increasing in popularity, and their Instagram followers are rising. On online communities, many mentioned that they became interested in Lee SeungHyub and his real band N.Flying (not ECLIPSE) while watching the drama. His Instagram followers significantly increased with the drama, just like Byeon WooSeok, who shares the same birthday: October 31 (one in 1991 and the other in 1992). Make sure to listen to N.Flying’s songs if you are new to them.

K-Beauty

🍑 It’s Going To Be A Peachy Summer… And We Don’t Mean The Fruit

Kay 🥑Peach blush, peach eyeshadow, lipstick with peach tones – Koreans are loving all things peach this summer and especially peach fuzz on their cheeks! Many K-Pop idols have been rocking prominent peachy cheeks as of late, with names like Red Velvet’s YeRi, ILLIT, OH MY GIRL’s MiMi, and more in the mix. IVE’s Jang WonYoung especially went viral for her all-peach stage look that was giving ‘living fairytale’.

🧬 Collagen Banking: This Preventative Skincare Trend Has Entered The K-Beauty Group Chat

Kay 🥑You’ve heard the expression, “Prevention is better than cure,” right? Well, collagen banking is the latest preventative skincare trend in the K-Beauty realm. It involves building up collagen reserves in your skin from an early age to prevent the inevitable collagen decline that happens naturally as you age. The steps involve wearing sunscreen every day, using antioxidant serums, adding collagen to your general skincare routine, and even taking collagen supplements. When should you get started? Preferably yesterday, but it’s not too late to start today either!

K-Fashion

😍 Visual Icons Jung HaeIn, Girls’ Generation’s YoonA, Han SoHee & EXO’s Lay Shine At Cannes

Ishani 🎀In addition to Hwang JungMin and Jung HaeIn, the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival was attended by Girls’ Generation’s YoonA, Han SoHee, and EXO’s Lay for the premiere of Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga”. YoonA and EXO’s Lay attended the event as brand ambassadors for the jewelry brand Qeelin whereas Han SoHee was present as a brand ambassador for Boucheron. YoonA was wearing a dress by Filipino designer Monique Lhuillier, Han SoHee was wearing Danielle Frankel, and Lay was wearing Qeelin. As for Jung HaeIn, he was dressed in all Dior for Cannes. Needless to say, Cannes witnessed the peak of visuals with these celebrities in attendance.

K-Travel

🏥 Medical Tourists Mostly Look For …, That Is More Than Plastic Surgery

Laure 🌼Medical tourism in Korea has set a new record with 606,000 medical tourists in 2023, 2.4 times more than in 2022. Contrary to what some might think, plastic surgery was only second with 16.8% of the total. Dermatology clinics had the most patients, with 239,000 (35.2%). Korean skincare and techniques are popular and well-known, attracting many tourists. It seems like this trend is not ready to slow down.

🇰🇷 A Day In The Life Of The Joseon Dynasty Thanks To VR Technology

Kay 🥑Are you a fan of historical K-Dramas? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step foot into the interesting world of the Joseon Dynasty yourself? Well, the National Palace Museum is making that possible with a special VR exhibition!

Through this exhibition, visitors are able to virtually take part in some of the crucial moments and practices of the Joseon Dynasty such as King JeongJo’s mother Lady HyeGyeongGung’s 60th birthday celebration, military drills, archery, and fireworks events. Talk about transcending the confines of time and space!

📚 The Road To The First Korean Literature Museum Begins

Dyllan 🐼Do you enjoy reading novels from Korean authors? Well you’re in luck – the construction for the country’s very first national Korean literature museum has begun. The museum will come fully equipped to educate its visitors all about Korean literature, an outdoor garden to unwind and relax, as well as a multipurpose auditorium, among other facilities. In the future, it also aims to hold a Korean literature festival to promote literary programs, exciting many about the potential impact the museum might have.

K-Food

🍗 Frozen Chicken Becomes People’s Preferred Choice As Prices For Chicken Franchises Increase

Dyllan 🐼Korea is well known for its delicious fried chicken, a delicacy that has given birth to the iconic pairing of chimaek (chicken and beer). Although a staple meal, with chicken franchises like Genesis BBQ raising its prices, people are starting to go for frozen chicken instead. Cooking chicken at home has become a cheaper alternative for households, as it can often cost up to 30,000 won (around 22 USD) for a single delivery – and that’s not counting the delivery fee. So if you’re going to Korea for the fried chicken, you might want to check the price before ordering.

🍌 Coffee With Banana Milk, Who Knew This Convenient Store Cheap Combination Would Be This Loved?

Laure 🌼On Korean social media, you can’t miss the popular and cheap drink that has been seen on all the timelines. It is a combination of three items you can find in every convenience store: an ice cup, a coffee sachet, and banana milk (yes, the famous Korean one). Mix them all in no time and you will get a refreshing and cheap drink. This has been a hit as Koreans love Americano, and this combination gives it a sweet twist.

K-Society

🏠 Forget About Dating Apps, Apartment Blocks Are The New Matchmaking Hotspot

Kay 🥑When it comes to finding lifetime partners post-pandemic, most Koreans have turned to dating apps (especially those focused on marriage) and matchmaking agencies to find their forever love. However, even these prospects seem slim to some as they still face issues ranging from incompatibility to parental disapproval due to a number of factors (usually involving not being happy with their child’s potential partner’s background or status).

As such, K-Parents have taken matters into their own hands… Struggling to find a partner in Korea? Simply move into some of the finer (read ‘more expensive’) apartment buildings in Korea. K-Parents have created gatherings, solely for marriage matchmaking, restricted to the tenants of their respective apartment buildings. They believe that this way, their children can find partners who ‘match their worth’.

🐶 Cute Dogs Transform Into Neighborhood Superheroes & Stars With Dog Patrol Team

Laure 🌼Don’t be surprised because cute dogs are also smart and courageous! In Korean neighborhoods, dogs are part of the Dog Patrol Team to help the community with their pet owners. They patrol their neighborhoods carefully together to report issues or rescue drunk people. Do you want your dog to be part of the team? It will have to pass a skill test first! Twenty-two districts in Seoul are using the Dog Patrol Team, and nine in Busan. The dogs that are part of the patrol team are popular in their neighborhoods.

👏 South Korea Celebrates “Coming Of Age” Day As Young Adults Step Into Adulthood

Ishani 🎀In South Korea, the transition to adulthood is considered one of the 4 major events in one’s life. On this day, special events and ceremonies are held across the nation to celebrate young people turning 20 years old. It is celebrated on the third Monday of May every year since 1973. People celebrating their coming of age usually wear hanbok to honor traditions and participate in ceremonies, after which they celebrate with friends.

⚖️ The Verdict Is Officially In… Eyebrow Tattoos Are Still In But Still Illegal

Kay 🥑One of the almost essential K-Beauty treatments that many Koreans and foreigners who live in or visit Korea enjoy getting is none other than the eyebrow tattoo. Who doesn’t love to save time on their makeup in the morning? Eyebrow tattoos shape and fill in your brows so that they look full and made up every day without any effort. However, there is one problem… Korean law still classifies them as tattoos.

Tattooists (of all kinds) have been up at arms with Korean lawmakers who state that tattooing is illegal because it is considered a medical procedure, therefore tattoos can only be performed by doctors. A recent verdict has once again sparked protest as eyebrow tattoos (a cosmetic procedure) were not allowed exemption from this law.