K-pop & Korean Entertainment: Music, Creators & Videos | NowHitz · 2

The 1990s menu on stage

'Fine Dining: Father's Table' folds a course-style kyeongyangsik meal into the performance. It is the cutlet of the parents' generation, and a curiosity for younger viewers.

Finedining Theater plans and produces the show, and the meal is provided by the venue, BANJUL.

Whose story is it?

The play follows a father who cooked kyeongyangsik for 30 years, told by his daughter, through his fierce and warm life. The audience follows his road and is served a meal along the way.

Kim Mi-ran wrote and directed. Kim Gwang-ho, Ahn Kyung-hee, Lee Seung-hyun, Baek Eun-kyung and Lee Hyung-dong star, with chef Kim Young-hak in a special appearance.

When, where, how much

It runs Wednesday, Oct. 21 to Tuesday, Oct. 27: weekdays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 1 and 6 p.m., Sundays at 5 p.m. Runtime is 100 minutes and the age limit is 7 and up.

The venue is BANJUL at 23 Samil-daero 17-gil, Jongno-gu. Tickets are KRW 69,000 for all seats, or KRW 55,200 with a parent.

Before you go

- Book through NOL Ticket or Naver Reservation. - The meal contains milk, cheese, wheat flour, butter, chicken stock, garlic, tomato, egg, pork and beef. If you have allergies or avoid meat, ask in advance. - The parent discount needs proof at ticket pickup; without it you pay the difference.

Oct. 26, 6 p.m.: album and MV together

The fifth mini album 'BREAK EVEN' and the title-track music video arrive on the 26th at 6 p.m. The theme is the 'break-even point' of a relationship, with neither loss nor profit.

The title track is about drawing the line yourself with someone whose habitual kindness gave the wrong impression. 'Super in Love', 'Pop' and 'More' are also named as tracks.

Angry, tidy, then ice cold

The concepts came in three waves. The 'BURNING' concept film, posted on HYBE LABELS on Sept. 28, is the angry one.

On the 6th came 'GLLIT' photos built around an 'admin night' of friends clearing a backlog of chores, and on the 12th the 'QUIET' version: white outfits and blank faces, the calm after realizing a crush was one-sided.

A whistle challenge and a homemade game

The challenge teaser released on the 5th features a finger-gun pose and a whistle motion. On the 8th a self-made mobile rhythm game, 'Break Whistle', opened.

Agency Belift Lab says more than 40,000 people worldwide played within four days.

Buzz before the comeback

The album ranked third on Spotify's pre-save Top 10, and one report put pre-saves above 270,000 in about two weeks (Sports Kyunghyang, Oct. 7).

Before the comeback, ILLIT plays an encore concert at Inspire Arena in Incheon on the 17th and 18th.

Before the drop

Album and MV land together on the 26th at 6 p.m. Until then, the BURNING concept film on HYBE LABELS sets the mood.

The whistle challenge is already live, and the moves look easy enough from the teaser.

Three awards, real money

The CGV Award carries KRW 10 million in release support. The K-Movie Award brings a KRW 20 million prize and a first-look option. The Songwon Vision Audience Award is decided by audience vote.

The film competed in the Vision-Korea section of the festival, which closed on the 15th.

A 16-year-old goes for center

The heroine is a 16-year-old who dreams of being the center of her school dance team. After an accident on a festival stage she drifts from her friends and worries that her disabled parents will be exposed.

Jung Ji-hye directs. Full Moon is her second feature.

The debut was no slouch either

Her 2024 debut Jeong-sun won the Grand Prize in the Korean Competition at the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival. At the 17th Rome International Film Festival it took the Jury Prize and Best Actress for Kim Geum-soon, and it was invited to the New Directors section of the 70th San Sebastián festival.

The second film keeps that streak going.

Made in Busan

Full Moon is a 2025 feature backed by the Busan Film Commission's production program for Busan-based companies, which put in KRW 300 million.

Commission chairman Kang Seong-gyu said he was glad of the result and promised continued support so locally based works can shine at home and abroad.

Who is playing

The 5 pm main concert features Chu Da-hye Charges, Nerd Connection, Kwon Jin-ah, Rooftop Moonlight, Paul Kim and the Kim Chang-wan Band, with GLL opening the pre-show.

The stage is Nodeul Island, whose waterfront space reopened in September.

Sept 30: gone in one minute

First-come booking sold out in one minute on Sept. 30. The "Seoul Sarang Donghaeng" seats, set aside for multi-child families, disadvantaged groups and international fans of K-culture, filled early too.

The city says standing admission may be possible in some open areas depending on site conditions.

No ticket? Still plenty to do

Civic programmes start at noon: an album exhibition with the Korean Music Awards, a listening zone, busking, a music talk show, a photo booth and a karaoke room, plus food trucks.

Can't make it? Watch the live stream on LIVE SEOUL (tv.seoul.go.kr).

Getting to Nodeul Island

On Line 9, take Exit 2 of Nodeul Station and walk about 700 m toward Hangang Bridge. From Yongsan Station (Line 1, Exit 1) or Sinyongsan Station (Line 4, Exit 3), take a bus to the Nodeul Island stop (03-340).

Parking is 69 spaces in the west lot and 21 in the east lot, at KRW 1,000 for 30 minutes then KRW 300 per 10 minutes, capped at KRW 15,000 a day. The island strongly recommends public transport; Ichon 3 public lot (172 spaces) is nearby.

Before you go

Civic programmes start at 12:00 and the main concert at 17:00. Questions go to 070-4272-7330, and rain-plan notices are posted on the official site.

A snippet from the studio

Agency P NATION posted a teaser video on its official social media on Oct. 15. It shows Crush and IU working together in a studio, and a snippet of the new song with both vocals plays at the end.

On Oct. 16 an image followed with the Korean title, "SEESAW Feat. IU" and the release date.

Seven years in, their first track

Their ties go back to 2019, when each appeared as a guest at the other's solo concert. In 2022 Crush was a guest on IU's music talk show "IU's Palette."

Until now they had shared only stages and screens; this is their first release together as a song.

Crush's first in 14 months

It is Crush's first new music in about a year and two months, since the EP "FANG" last August.

IU put out the two-track digital single "Unknown Planet" in September after postponing her sixth album for health reasons.

Before you press play

- It drops Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. KST. Japan shares that time, and it is 9 a.m. UTC. - Korean media call it "삐그덕"; English-language media use "Seesaw." - Details about the song itself, such as genre and credits, have not been released.

A title track with a disco-funk swagger

'12 o'clock' is a dance-rock track that reworks 1970s-80s disco and funk, with bouncy bass and crisp rhythm guitar. Beom-Ju (BUMZU) co-wrote and composed it.

The sampler video has a creature with serpent scales and peacock feathers circling the pair, which reporters read as a nod to the Ouroboros, the snake that bites its own tail.

Seven tracks, seven moods

Expect house on 'Like you', a bass-forward 'Outside' and R&B-soul on 'One plus one'. Joshua's solo 'Not personal' blends rock, funk groove and alt-pop, while Jeonghan's solo 'Coloring' opens dreamily before an addictive synth takes over.

The closer, 'No looking back', is a raw band sound driven by gritty electric guitar and bass.

What has already leaked out

Samplers for all seven songs went up at midnight on Oct. 9 on HYBE LABELS' YouTube channel and SEVENTEEN's social media. A roughly 12-second '12 o'clock' dance challenge followed on Oct. 12: one hand over an eye, a finger to the lips, nothing frantic.

A highlight medley arrived on Oct. 14, with one teaser each on Oct. 17 and 18.

The tour starts in Incheon

'JOURNEY INTO [DREAMING]' opens at Inspire Arena in Incheon from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. It then goes to Saitama's Belluna Dome (Nov. 21-22), Macau (Dec. 11-12), Taipei (Jan. 9-10, 2027), Busan's BEXCO (Jan. 30-31) and Hong Kong (Feb. 20-21).

Before you press play

- Release is Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. KST, with the music video going live at the same time. - Watch the Oct. 17 and 18 teasers first; they make the album's concept easier to read. - Ticket prices and sale dates are not in the reports. Check the official announcements.

When a daisy meets flower footprints

The theme is 'BLOOMING STEP': the flower footprints of the character Zoa and PEACEMINUSONE's signature daisy laid down on one path.

It marks ZO&FRIENDS' first anniversary and PEACEMINUSONE's 10th, and the space is staged so flowers seem to bloom with every step you take.

Zoa in a black hoodie

The star product is a Zoa keyring in a black hoodie, with a daisy on one sole and a flower footprint on the other.

The pouch keyring and the rug carry the PEACEMINUSONE logo rebuilt from white daisies and mint-coloured Zoa footprints.

The only one in the world

The photo spot is a one-of-a-kind Zoa figure made for this show. ZDNet Korea reports it is set with about 70,000 gems, and it can be seen only at the pop-up.

An IPX spokesperson said the aim was to reinterpret each icon 'in the other's language' and link them as one story.

Before you go

The pop-up is at K-Pop Square Hongdae, 141 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, open until October 25. Jamsil and Busan run the same pop-up in parallel.

Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo are planned next, so overseas fans who miss Seoul have a second shot. Opening hours and entry rules were not given in the coverage, so check the official accounts before you visit.

The premise cheats, and we love it

Yoon Yi-jun (Im Si-wan) is a third-generation Taekang Group heir, a brat with a bank account and the prime suspect in a murder. Detective Kang Jae-hee (Seol In-ah), with a special-forces background, applies for his male personal assistant opening to get close.

They meet as suspect and detective, then reunite as assistant and boss, each guarding a secret while working the same case. Thriller romance, with handcuffs.

What the two teasers show

In the suspect teaser, Kang cuffs Yoon, and he turns the cuffs so they bind both their wrists. A line follows: "the crime of making my heart race."

In the confession teaser, Yoon checks himself in a mirror and tries to confess. Kang cuts him off: "Don't confess. I'm a man right now." The posters come in two versions with the princess-carry reversed.

What the cast say

Im Si-wan summed up the pair with one word, 'pure,' and noted the tension of a murder suspect and the detective on his trail. Seol In-ah framed it as 'from suspicion to trust' and pointed to the role-reversal chemistry.

Kim Jung-hyun (lawyer Kim Si-hyun) and Yeon-woo (chairman's secretary Lee Hye-jeong) pitch their couple as the grown-up romance.

Where to watch

It airs on tvN Mondays and Tuesdays at 8:50 p.m. and streams on TVING in Korea. Global viewers can watch on Amazon Prime Video. Twelve episodes.

Moon Su-jung wrote it, Park Dan-hee directs, and Pitapat Studio produces. WikiTree reports it is based on the Kakao Page web novel and webtoon 'Why Don't You Know I'm a Woman'.

The numbers first

On Nielsen Korea's pay-platform household measure, the finale hit 6.2% nationwide and 6.5% in the Seoul area, peaking at 7.2% and 7.7%. It was No. 1 in its time slot, cable and general-programming channels included.

On TVING it held No. 1 in weekend subscription contribution for four weeks running, and in weekly subscription contribution too, still going strong in week five.

Why go to work with 1.3 billion won?

Team leader Gong Eun-tae (Lee Jun-hyuk) wins 1.3 billion won in the lottery and keeps turning up at the office anyway. Jostling with his Sales Team 5 colleagues, he learns that it is not the windfall but you yourself who changes your life.

Seo Hyun-woo's Yang Jun-ho and Oh Dae-hwan's Jeong Seon-hyeok grow into pillars of the team. It is based on a web novel by Seo In-ha.

The cast's goodbyes

Lee Jun-hyuk thanked viewers who stayed with Eun-tae to the end. Seo Hyun-woo said that in a fast-changing world, the conflict and warmth of human relationships seem to have no trends.

Oh Dae-hwan said he laughed a lot and was very happy on set, and is sorry it's over.

The director's casting call

Director Yoon Young-bin recalled seeing about 300 people in casting. He wanted Lee Jun-hyuk to hold the centre while the cast around him flew, and says that is exactly what happened.

The mood on set, with Yoon both writing and directing, is in TVING's official behind-the-scenes video for episodes 9-10 above.

Where to watch

The whole series is on TVING. Start at episode 1 for a binge, or peek at the behind-the-scenes video above to feel the finale's temperature first.

Cherry Filter and SE SO NEON first, YB and NELL next

Saturday brings Cherry Filter, SE SO NEON, Japan's ASH DA HERO and Singapore's Heaven Brought Me Hell. The final of the 'Indie Stance' new-artist contest, which decides the TOP 5, also happens that day.

Sunday is built around YB, NELL and Crying Nut, with Windy City and Delispice's Kim Min-gyu on the bill too.

KRW 50,000 a day, KRW 80,000 for both

On NOL Ticket a one-day pass is KRW 50,000 and a two-day pass KRW 80,000. Gyeonggi residents get 30% off, Suwon residents 50%, and eligible concession groups 50% (one companion included).

The two early-bird rounds sold out in 5 and 30 minutes. Online sales on NOL close tonight, Oct 16, at 23:59.

Overseas bands on the bill

Among the 26 acts are bands from Japan and Singapore, so Korean rock and overseas indie share the same lawn.

The site has a standing zone for the front and a picnic zone for mats.

Before you go

Both days run 10:30–22:00 at Seoho Grass Plaza (250-5 Seodun-dong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon). It is rated all ages, so kids are welcome.

Free shuttle buses link Suwon Station and Sungkyunkwan University Station. No parking information has been confirmed, so public transport is the safer plan.

From kana basics to the number two in the Government-General

Jin's Sato is Japanese but was raised in Korea, so much of his dialogue is in Japanese. He says he began with only hiragana and katakana.

In January he lived in Japan for two months, memorising the script about seven hours a day, and kept up online lessons with Japanese teachers. "If I didn't, I felt I couldn't keep up, so I practiced as much as I could," he said.

What Japanese viewers said

Right after the premiere, Japanese netizens wrote that his pronunciation and intonation were the best they had seen in a Korean drama. One said the lines were clear enough to follow without subtitles.

He reportedly worked on rhythm and period nuance, not just memorising lines.

A pickpocket takes on the Government-General

It is set in colonial-era Gyeongseong. Top pickpocket Lee Ga-kyung (Kim Yoo-jung) infiltrates the Government-General's office disguised as an interpreter trainee, and a 100-day espionage romance with elite interpreter Kim Tae-woong / Sato Hideo (Park Jin-young) follows.

Yoo In-sik and Kim Yoon-jin direct; Ryu Bo-ri wrote it. She describes it as a story where "a pickpocket girl the world looks down on shakes the Government-General at the top of that world."

7.6% in two episodes

Per Nielsen Korea (paid platforms), episode 2 averaged 7.6% nationwide with a peak of 8.5%, up 2.3 points from 5.3% for episode 1. It ranked first in its slot across cable and general channels.

In the Seoul metro area it averaged 8.3%, peaking at 9.4%.

How to catch up

It airs Saturdays and Sundays at 9:10 p.m. on tvN, with episode 3 on Saturday, Oct. 17. It also streams on TVING and Netflix.

To judge Jin's Japanese yourself, listen to the original audio.

Twisted bodies, a killing that crosses borders

Contorted corpses and cryptic messages keep turning up in Korea and Japan. Seoul Metropolitan Police detective Kim Seok (Son Suk-ku) and Tokyo Metropolitan Police detective Inose (Nagayama Eita) are forced to team up.

The trailer opens with the two rushing to a crime scene, and blood-written messages in Korean and Japanese fill the screen.

Han Jun-hee's eight episodes

Han Jun-hee, of 'D.P.', directs. He wrote it with Jo Yu-jin, adapting a Korean-Japanese manga of the same title. It is planned as eight episodes.

Kim Shin-rok plays Ri Yun-ok, a Zainichi Korean businesswoman, with Jung Jae-young and Choi Seong-eun in the cast. The dialogue moves between Korean and Japanese.

Busan saw it first

Episodes 1-3 had their world premiere in the On Screen section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival, with a red carpet on Oct. 6 and Q&As on Oct. 7 and 8.

"I always wanted to tell the story of two detectives," Han said, adding that the opening is somewhat witty but gets much more hard-boiled. Nagayama said he would be fine if it were his last work.

Before you press play

It streams worldwide on Friday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m. KST. Netflix Korea's official YouTube channel has the release-date announcement.

With two casts speaking their own languages, subtitles on is the easier way to watch.