Korea Now: Seoul Events, K-pop & Local Guide | NowHitz · 7

It comes to you, driven by someone far away

The car is a Kia PV5 Passenger. When a user books through the dedicated app, a remote operator in a control center drives the empty vehicle over 4G/5G networks to the pickup spot.

From there the user drives. After parking at the destination and returning the car, the operator drives it back to the depot.

Only Pangyo office workers can ride

The pilot is B2B. Only employees of companies based in Second Pangyo Techno Valley can use it, and it runs to the end of the year, about three months.

Kia supplies the vehicles and leads the project, SUM builds the remote-driving solution and Mobius runs operations. The Korea Road Traffic Authority reviews traffic rules, with support from Gyeonggi-do, KT and others.

What if the signal drops?

Connectivity is the big worry with remote driving. Kia says it has a triple communication backup for weak or lost signals, remote-driver training, a multi-layer safety system and an emergency dispatch system.

A year and a half to get here

Kia received a regulatory sandbox exemption from the transport ministry in April last year and demonstrated PV5 remote driving on public roads in Jeju in November. In July it signed an MOU with KT and SUM to commercialize the technology, promising a service within the year.

The use cases floated then: send a car to your door, then let it move to another lot after you get out, easing urban parking crunches.

Kia says the pilot will test reliability and operational feasibility and gather data, with an expansion toward commercialization planned for 2027.

A hanok village with no ticket booth

It sits on the northern foot of Namsan, at 28 Toegye-ro 34-gil in Jung-gu. The Seoul Tourism Organization describes it as a place where five Joseon-era hanok from different parts of Seoul were moved and rebuilt. Admission is free.

The houses open Tuesday to Sunday: 09:00–21:00 from April to October, 09:00–20:00 from November to March, closed Mondays. The traditional garden is open 24 hours.

Every house has its own name tag

The five houses go by the neighborhood they came from and the person who lived there: the Yun family house from Okin-dong, Yun Taeyeong's shrine house from Jegi-dong, the Min family house from Gwanhun-dong, Chief Officer Kim Chunyeong's house from Samcheong-dong and Chief Carpenter Lee Seungeop's house from Samgak-dong.

Some courtyards keep a row of crocks in a corner. The layouts differ slightly, which makes walking all five a small treasure hunt.

Across the pond, and into 2394

In front of the Cheonwugak pavilion lies the square Cheonghakji pond with a small round island in the middle. The garden recreates the old Namsan valley, so trees and a stream share the view.

Inside the village is the time capsule buried on Nov. 29, 1994 to mark Seoul's 600th anniversary. About 600 items sit 15 m underground, and the planned opening date is Nov. 29, 2394.

This weekend, with high kicks

Seoul Namsangol Traditional Music Hall opened in 2007 as Korea's first venue built for traditional music performance, so gugak shows are part of the village.

Oct. 17–18 is the final weekend of the free Seoul Taekwondo Performance held at the village.

Before you go

Chungmuro Station (Lines 3 and 4), Exit 4, is about 307 m away. Foreign-language interpretation is available; for commentary inquiries call 02-2133-6269.

From April to October the houses are open 09:00–21:00, closed Mondays, so you can stop in during the day or in the evening.

9 p.m., then "next year"

Apple Korea took pre-orders from 9 p.m. on Friday the 16th on its website and in the Apple Store app. According to Herald Business, initial stock ran out on day one and the Korean order page showed a delivery date of Jan. 22. The US page said Jan. 25.

The official release date is the 23rd, so pre-order buyers wait about three months longer. Both colors, Star White and Night Sky, and every storage size are affected.

The price tag first

On Apple Korea's buy page, 256GB is ₩3.29 million, 512GB ₩3.59 million, 1TB ₩4.19 million and 2TB ₩5.09 million. ₩3.29 million is just the entry ticket; add storage and you are quickly in the ₩5 million range. The US starting price is $1,999.

Why so scarce? Herald Business, citing Nikkei Asia, reported that early output is only a few hundred units a day because of strict quality control.

Pocket when closed, tablet when open

By Apple's description, the inner display is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max's. Closed, the 13.6 cm outer screen holds 90% of the iPhone 18 Pro's screen area and still slips into a pocket. The chip is the A20 Pro, with a dual-battery design.

It uses Touch ID instead of Face ID and, at 254 g, is the heaviest iPhone yet. Korea is among the roughly 70 countries in the first launch wave.

Before you order

If your current phone is an iPhone 13 or later, Apple Trade In gives instant credit worth ₩280,000 to ₩1.67 million, depending on condition, year and configuration. In-store pickup can be reserved too.

Accessories launched alongside: the Folio with a built-in kickstand (navy blue, taupe) and a slim two-piece Case (sand, navy blue). Go by the delivery date shown on your order screen.

KRW 30,000 in receipts, front-row seat

Receipts from Seoul small businesses, from purchases made in October, add up: reach KRW 30,000 and you can sit in the front "Sangsaeng Zone". Several receipts can be combined.

You certify them at the on-site receipt booth on the day, once per person per day.

What is on stage tonight

Oct. 17 is the K-POP Cover Dance Festival World Final, with dance teams from 13 countries competing. The street dance show "Seoul Street Wave" takes over from there.

The night before belonged to a gugak show, "Pungnyu Seoul", and a pop concert, "Soul Seoul".

No receipt, still welcome

Admission is free. The receipt only decides whether you can use the front zone.

Seoul Shinmun hosts, with the support of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. A booth with products picked by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups stands alongside.

Why receipts?

Money spent at neighbourhood shops comes back as a prime seat. Min Su-hong, head of Seoul's Culture Headquarters, called night culture "an important factor that broadens citizens' leisure options and drives tourism and consumption, lifting the city's vitality".

Before you go

It starts at 6 pm on the special stage at Seoul Plaza. To sit in the front zone, bring your October receipts.

Welcome videos from the performing acts are on the event's official YouTube channel.

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.

How the 50 were picked

The city looked at the quality of drinks and desserts and the experience of the space. It also weighed popularity and how easy a place is for foreign tourists to reach.

The list debuted alongside the Seoul Mishik 100. It is exactly 50 shops.

Bakeries take nearly half

By main menu, bakery and patisserie shops dominate with 23 spots (46%). Coffee shops get 9, Korean desserts and hangwa 7, tea and dessert specialists 4 each, and bingsu and gelato 3.

Western pastry rules the menu: macarons, madeleines, mont blancs, tarts, eclairs and pies. Big bakeries share the list with small dessert bars.

Hangwa and bingsu picks

The seven Korean-dessert spots include Gangjeong Neomchineun Jip (walnut and pecan jeonggwa), Dongbyeongsangryeon (honey-grilled jeungpyeon), Hap Wonseojeom (juak) and 1994SEOUL (a seasonal tea-and-sweets course).

Bingsu is not only a summer thing here: Dangok is listed for its mascarpone injeolmi bingsu and Bubing for its red-bean bingsu.

Gangnam 17, Jongno 7

By district, Gangnam-gu leads with 17 (34%), followed by Yongsan-gu with 10, Jongno-gu with 7 and Jung-gu with 6. Seocho-gu and Mapo-gu have 4 each, Gangseo-gu and Seongbuk-gu 1 each.

Anguk is the easiest area to stitch together on foot. Onion Anguk (pandoro) and Amor Napoli Anguk (ciabatta) are on Gyedong-gil, and Osulloc Tea House Bukchon (tea course) is on Bukchon-ro. In Jung-gu, Taegeukdang made the cut for its monaka ice cream.

Before you go

- Main menus are those on sale as of Oct. 6. Seasons and stock can change them, so check first. - Taste of Seoul 2026 runs Oct. 23-29 at DDP and across the city, and presents both the 100 and the 50. - Opening hours and closing days differ by shop and are not part of the list.

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.

The numbers first

Big Hit Music said on the 16th that BTS has passed 10 billion Spotify streams so far this year, up 122% from 4.5 billion last year.

The three solo stars above got there first. BTS is the first group.

Half of it is 'ARIRANG'

The fifth studio album, released in March, has passed 5 billion streams on its own, the most for any album released this year on Spotify.

Daily plays jumped from about 23 million before release to about 130 million on release day. All 14 tracks took the top 14 spots on the Daily Top Songs Global chart, and the title track 'SWIM' drew about 14 million plays on day one, the best first day of any song released this year.

The wait: 3 years and 9 months

'ARIRANG' is the group's first full-group album in about 3 years and 9 months, after military service and solo projects. Ajunews reports it held No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for three straight weeks in April, a first for a K-pop album.

More news this week

On the 14th BTS was named Artist of the Year at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards Japan, with the ceremony set for the 29th at Tokyo Dome.

The group is currently playing three shows in Santiago, Chile, followed by three each in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Catching it in a cinema

- The Buenos Aires show airs live in cinemas worldwide on Oct. 24, and the Sao Paulo show on Oct. 30. - The 10 billion figure is the one Big Hit Music announced.

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.

What is on the shelf

Announced on Sept. 21 and on sale from the 23rd. Three 'K-Heritage Snacks': a nurungji snack made with Korean rice, a kimchi-flavored version, and mini rice yakgwa. A Jeju hallabong wafer filled with hallabong cream makes four.

Packaging that doubles as a souvenir

The packs reinterpret traditional Korean imagery in a modern design, with English, Chinese and Japanese on the front.

The wafer comes in a 10-piece pack, designed for snacking on the go or handing out as gifts.

Why nurungji and yakgwa now

Seven-Eleven's foreign-customer sales rose 59% year on year in January to August. eToday noted that Korean convenience stores have become a tourist stop for experiencing everyday Korea.

Kim Eun-ji, an MD on the PB team, said the company will keep finding Korean ingredients that suit foreign tourists' spending habits and launch differentiated K-food products.

Before you buy

- The announcement gives no price or list of stores. Check at your nearest Seven-Eleven. - Only the nurungji snack comes in a kimchi flavor. The yakgwa and wafer lean sweet. - For gifts, the 10-piece hallabong wafer is the easiest to hand out.

KRW 1 trillion, half a trillion from Myeongdong

Lotte said on Oct. 12 that foreign sales passed KRW 1 trillion this year. Economist Korea called it an industry first.

Lotte Town Myeongdong (Main Store, Avenuel and Young Plaza) alone made about KRW 520 billion.

A December launch, 250,000 cards later

The Lotte Tourist Membership launched at the Main Store last December. A passport is all you need, and the card brings discounts plus a transit-card function. Cumulative issuance is past 250,000, with more than 1,000 handed out a day at the Main Store.

People actually use it: over 90% of cardholders used it at Lotte affiliates or as a transit card.

The new card teams up with Check-in Seoul

A new card now pairs with Check-in Seoul, Lotte Card's prepaid card for foreign visitors. You get 5% off at Lotte Department Store, a 10% reward from Check-in Seoul on purchases of KRW 100,000 or more, 10% off at Lotte Duty Free and 7% at Lotte Mart. About 70 beauty, food and culture partners add perks, including a hanbok rental shop and D Museum.

Kiosks on the Main Store's ground floor

Issuance, top-ups and refunds happen at six unmanned kiosks in the Main Store, on B1, 1F and 9F. More may be added depending on use.

Main Store head Kang Woo-jin said the card is growing into a total service covering payment, transport and travel convenience.

Before you go

- Bring your passport; it is used for issuing the card. - The reports do not mention an issuance fee, so ask at the Main Store. - A Foreign Customer Concierge Lounge opens on the Main Store's 1F at the end of November, with tourist information and shopping services. - Korean Air discount vouchers for foreign customers on Europe and Southeast Asia routes run through year-end.

One night left

The city scheduled three autumn shows. Sept. 12 was 'K-Baseball, Seoul Night,' Oct. 9 was 'Joseon Fantasy,' and the finale is Oct. 31.

The Sept. 8 city notice lists the third theme only as 'to be announced.' You will find out on the night.

What the first two looked like

Round one was made for baseball fans, with LG Twins, Doosan Bears and Kiwoom Heroes taking part. Round two, 'Joseon Fantasy,' sent Hong Gil-dong, Jeon U-chi, Sim Cheong and Chunhyang across the sky, as the title of the city's own video puts it.

The official site describes shows of 1,200 to 2,000 drones alongside cultural performances.

7:30 p.m. start, a 15-minute main act

The evening runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. According to the city notice, the drone light show itself runs 8:30 to 8:45 p.m.

Cultural performances come before and after it. Arrive early for the stage acts, or just in time for the main show.

Getting there: Jayang Station, Exit 1

The city recommends Exit 1 of Jayang Station on Line 7; Exits 2 and 3 may be restricted. It also points visitors to the Noyu or Jayang entrances rather than the crowded Ttukseom entrance.

Parking lots 3 and 4 at Ttukseom Hangang Park may hold exits until 9:30 p.m. after the show, and the surrounding roads are no-parking enforcement zones.

Before you go

Admission is free and you simply show up. Rain or strong wind can delay or cancel the show, so check the official website and Instagram before leaving.

Public Wi-Fi in Han River parks is paused from noon to 9:30 p.m. on show days. Questions go to the Seoul Tourism Policy Division at 02-2133-2797.