Korea Now: Seoul Events, K-pop & Local Guide | NowHitz · 9

A cream bun in a castella-crumb coat

The star is the Sareureu Pumpkin Castella Cream Bread. Soft bread is coated in castella crumbs and filled with sweet pumpkin cream and dried pumpkin pieces (hobak-goji).

Castella crumbs stand in for the roasted-soybean dusting of injeolmi, and the dried pumpkin adds the chew.

The other four, in autumn colours

There is an Original Kouign-amann, baked crisp with butter and caramelised sugar, and a Black Sesame Kouign-amann that adds sesame on top.

The Honey Sweet Potato Fresh Donut is filled with sweet potato paste and finished with jocheong syrup. The Black Sesame Ganache Baguette is crisp outside, moist inside and filled with black sesame ganache.

Why pumpkin, sesame and sweet potato

CJ Foodville calls pumpkin, black sesame and sweet potato 'familiar flavours that stand for autumn' and says it wanted customers to enjoy them in Tous Les Jours' own style.

Four of the five lean on those three ingredients; the fifth is the butter kouign-amann. It is a nutty, toasty lineup.

Before you buy

The breads are sold at major Tous Les Jours stores nationwide, which is not the same as every branch. Check your nearest store or the Tous Les Jours website (tlj.co.kr) before making a trip.

The pumpkin bun sheds castella crumbs on everything, so grab a napkin 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.

It started as a throwaway line

On a YouTube video Minami said: "If you do this and go to Geoje, you'll get scolded by Geoje citizens. (Geoje yaho~)" The clip spread through short-form video.

It helped that RESCENE's leader Won-yi grew up in Geoje. The third-year group's song from two years earlier was also climbing the charts around then.

An ambassador without a big agency

Geoje appointed RESCENE as its ambassador on May 22. The members filmed a day trip to Mt. Noja, known for its observatory and cable car.

The Bangbanggokgok in Geoje video made with the city's official channel is still online, so you can follow the route.

Honorary citizens, after the floods

Heavy August rain hit Geoje hard. On Aug. 19 RESCENE's agency and others visited the city and delivered 50 million won; the fandom REMINE also raised funds.

On Sept. 9 the Geoje City Council approved honorary citizenship for all members, a first for entertainers. A city official said the group's and fans' warmth gave residents comfort and hope.

Before you go

Certificates are normally handed out on Citizens' Day in early October. This year's event was cancelled because of the floods and no new date is set.

If you are planning a Geoje trip, RESCENE's official YouTube video makes a friendly route guide. Check the city's notices for what is open before you leave.

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.

A custom, not a dish

The 2013 entry on UNESCO's Representative List is titled 'Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea'. It recognises neighbours and families making big batches together and sharing them to get through winter.

UNESCO places kimjang season in late autumn, with communities timing the work by weather forecasts. Methods differ by region.

From mother-in-law to daughter-in-law

According to UNESCO, the know-how is typically passed from a mother-in-law to a newly married daughter-in-law. Households buy shrimp and anchovies for fermenting in spring, sea salt in summer, and dry and grind red chilli in late summer.

Kimjang day is really the last day of a year-long project.

This year's basket: cabbage down, salted shrimp up

As of Oct. 8, napa cabbage retailed at 5,833 won a head, down 12.85% from a year earlier, per aT data. The Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) expects fall cabbage output of 1.222 million tonnes, up 19%.

Salted shrimp, by contrast, is 18,984 won per kg, up 23.43% and more than 15% above an average year. Radish had a weak start, and the agriculture ministry says its supply needs close management.

Are fewer people making kimjang?

KREI's household purchase-intention index for kimchi stands at 91.2; anything under 100 means falling demand. Cheap cabbage does not help much when the seasonings cost more.

From Oct. 12 to Nov. 30 the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service tests kimjang vegetables for pesticide residue, holding or destroying anything over the limit.

Andong gets the opening night

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups picked Andong as this year's opening city. On Oct. 29 the old downtown hosts an opening ceremony, K-pop performances and an exhibition-sale of standout small-business products.

The festival runs through Nov. 15, 18 days in all, with ten ministries and about 40,000 manufacturers, retailers and small businesses on board.

"Following the Korea-Japan summit, being chosen as the opening city of Korea's flagship consumption festival means a great deal to Andong," Mayor Kwon Ki-chang said.

A 20,000-won ticket that pays you back

The opening celebration concert is on Saturday, Oct. 31, on a special stage behind Andong Station. It runs about 150 minutes. Every zone costs 20,000 won, and the on-site ticket booth hands back 20,000 won in Andong Sarang gift certificates.

Those vouchers are spendable at local shops, so the ticket money stays in town.

How to book

Tickets are on NOL (Yanolja). Sales opened Oct. 8 at 9 a.m. and run until sold out, two tickets per ID.

On the day, collect a wristband at the ticket booth (14:00–17:20) and bring your booking record and a physical ID. Doors open at 16:00.

Deals across the country

70,000 lodging coupons for areas outside the Seoul region are being issued, and Andong adds cashback on its mobile Andong Sarang voucher. Reports also say free admission to national heritage sites is part of the festival.

The 'Sangsaeng' consumption lottery (Oct. 15–Nov. 15) rewards Digital Onnuri payments of 30,000 won or more, with double entries for spending outside the Seoul area.

Before you go

There is no parking at the venue and nearby lots are expected to fill early, so take public transport.

The booking page is Korean only and no performers have been announced. It does not say whether a foreign phone number works, so check before you buy.

Why Busan

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism picked Busan as the pilot region because it is the most-wanted destination outside Seoul for foreign visitors.

The idea is to bundle transport and attraction discounts into one pass so travelling beyond the capital feels easier.

Two passes, one price

Pass 1 is a one-day zone pass. Pass 2 is a period pass linked to the benefits of the KORAIL Pass 2-5 day tickets. Both cost 15,000 won.

Buy the zone pass and one-way regional rail and bus fares to Busan drop by up to 40%. Airport Railroad express fares are discounted too.

One attraction free

Pick one of 35 partner attractions and get in once for free. Another 50 partners, including experience facilities and cafes, offer discounts.

The physical card pays for public transport and, once loaded with won, works like a debit card.

Where to buy and collect

Buy online through the Klook or Hop&Hop apps and websites. Physical cards can be collected at Incheon, Gimpo and Gimhae airports and at Seoul and Busan stations, among other places.

Reports don't give the pilot's end date, the airport rail discount rate or the full partner list, so check the product page before you buy.

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.

Unmanned scouts opened the path

The demo began with scout drones and an unmanned reconnaissance vehicle entering the area first. Attack drones gave covering fire and others laid smoke over the enemy obstacles.

Into the minefield went the K-CEV combat engineer vehicle, scout drones and a four-legged robot. Troops followed behind the unmanned systems, covered by rifle-firing drones.

A laser that swats drones

The anti-air laser weapon Cheongwang shot down enemy drones, while the Biho hybrid air-defence gun and a vehicle-mounted anti-drone system handled simulated ones. Money Today reports the enemy drone was hit despite evasive manoeuvres.

K2 tanks and K21 fighting vehicles stayed in the picture. The unmanned systems run ahead of the old kit rather than replacing it.

"People command, unmanned systems lead"

Army policy chief Lee Kyung-jin said the force is people-centred now but will shift to unmanned systems at the core, with people commanding and controlling them. Nam Seung-hyun, deputy for military innovation, said robots could take over DMZ searches and GP/GOP guard posts.

Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Kyu-ha said the transformation needs the conviction and participation of the Army's members and the understanding and support of the public.

Why robots, why now

The backdrop is a shrinking population and a shrinking pool of conscripts, and the Army is pursuing mixed manned-unmanned units in response.

The Army plans to expand its Army TIGER+ pilot units to 14 types and to use the newly opened Pangyo AX hub to recreate the Yangpyeong and Mugeolli training grounds as digital twins for training AI.

Good to know

The demonstration was an Army event and no public viewing schedule has been announced. The 7-minute-31-second KFN report above, from the Defense Media Agency, shows the scene.

It began with a post-credits scene

'POST CREDIT SCENE : GIRL HERO', posted Oct. 6, borrows the end-credits trick of a superhero film. The six members are introduced as heroes, Jang Won-young asks "Did you check the schedule? Did you capture it well?" and Ahn Yu-jin insists the cookie in her hand makes this a "cookie video".

The video above is that first teaser.

Two drops: the 19th and the 26th

The title track 'Looks Can Kill' lands first on the 19th, with the mini album of the same name on the 26th. Reports say top contributors from Korea and abroad worked on it, and Gaeul, Rei and Liz are hinted to have taken part musically.

On the 19th there is also a Spotify event called DIVE ACADEMY, tied to the Hero Academy concept.

Oct. 11: hero training camp

On the 11th came the 'HERO TRAINING CENTER : HERO COMICS' video and comic-collage concept photos. The six train at the center while each member's powers and personality are put on show.

With a universe this built out, more teasers before release look likely.

The pre-release has usually won

TenAsia notes that 'Kitsch' (2023) and last year's 'REBEL HEART' both topped music charts before their albums even arrived, and 'BANG BANG' made a perfect all-kill on domestic charts.

IVE returns after the SHOW WHAT I AM world tour, which included Kyocera Dome and Tokyo Dome.

Before release day

The Oct. 19 track will be on IVE's official YouTube and streaming services the same day. Watch the two hero videos on the official channel first and the concept's in-jokes land much better.

Express to local: 1:1 becomes 2:1

The change covers 5:40 to 7:00 a.m. on the track heading from Gaehwa to Jungang Bohun Hospital. The express-to-local ratio moves from 1:1 to 2:1, so two expresses run and a local follows.

Morning service gains 8 trips.

Rush-hour service starts 50 minutes earlier

Concentrated morning service begins at 5:40 a.m. instead of 6:30. The evening window shifts from 4:30-7:00 p.m. to 4:00-6:30 p.m.

At Dongjak, headways between 7:00 and 8:30 a.m. get shorter: from 6 minutes 20 seconds to 6 minutes in one direction, and from 8 minutes 40 seconds to 13 minutes down to 6 minutes 20 seconds to 8 minutes in the other.

The crowding numbers

Seoul's figures for the 7-9 a.m. 30-minute average: down direction 192.5% falls to 172.1%, up direction 182.3% to 174.2%. In the evening (5:30-7:30 p.m.) down goes from 180.5% to 160.3% and up from 149.8% to 147.2%.

Seoul says it is like adding four train sets (24 cars), saving about 66 billion won in vehicle costs.

Buses get an express lane too

Four pilot routes: Express 150 (Dobong depot to City Hall Station), 370 (Gangdong depot to Chungjeongno Station), 470 (Sangam depot to City Hall Station) and 605 (Gangseo depot to Yeongdeungpo Station). Each runs three morning trips: a first run around 4:00-4:30 a.m., then 7:00 and 7:30.

They stop only at major downtown stops such as Jongno and City Hall, cutting stops by 45.8% against regular routes and travel time by about 10%. After the morning peak they go back to regular routes.

Before you ride

The start date is Nov. 16; October is prep time. Route details will be posted at stops, announced on board, and available through Seoul's TOPIS traffic system and navigation apps.

The video above is KBS News's Oct. 14 report.

Three of six tracks are units

The title track is Birthday Wish (긴 소원). Kerosene and RudE TaLK follow.

The other three are the album's big swing: Sing to the Moon by LILY and HAEWON, Hot 'n Unbothered by SULLYOON and BAE, and WHIP by JIWOO and KYUJIN. JYP Entertainment says members took part directly in making them.

More songs in their own words

Star News reports that the members hold writing credits on the unit songs and that KYUJIN also worked on composition. BAE is credited as a co-lyricist on RudE TaLK.

That is part of why fans are circling the date.

A preview with nothing but voices

On Oct. 11, a week before release, NMIXX posted an a cappella highlight medley on its official social channels. Six voices, no instruments, previewing the title track and tracks 2 and 3.

It is the group's usual comeback teaser, and the unit songs were left out. Those get their first airing on release day.

The fountain in the trailer

The trailer, posted Sept. 28 and 29, is pitched as the birth of six mysterious muses. The members gather at a glowing fountain, split into a butterfly forest (LILY, HAEWON), a dreamlike space (JIWOO, KYUJIN) and moonlight (SULLYOON, BAE), then rise out of the fountain covered in glitter.

It is the video above.

It does not stop at the release

The encore shows of the EPISODE 1: ZERO FRONTIER world tour run Nov. 27 to 29 at Inspire Arena in Incheon.

That is about a month after the album, so it is where the new songs get their first stage.

Before release day

The album drops Monday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. KST. JYP's official YouTube has the trailer and the highlight medley, and listening to both first makes the title track land faster.