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A Passing Trend? Or the future? Many of the major entertainment companies have started heavily investing in NFTs and virtual reality . Companies that back major groups like BTS, Blackpink, Twice are investing in digital trends to promote their groups. The reception of these digital trends has been mixed. For example, when the Boy band A. C. E released an NFT, fans were concerned with the environmental impact of the format. Recent uncertainties have also arisen with the safety and stabilities of NFTs and cryptocurrency. Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency had it’s price fall by more than 70% in value since its all-time high last November . Regardless of these worries, K-pop’s adoption of these technologies are on the upswing. Aespa , which features four real members and their respective online avatars, is working with visual artist and NFT queen Blake Kathryn, to launch a NFT collection in October. This month a digital platform was launched specifically for the K-Pop fandom. Collectibles on the site are kept secure through blockchain technologies like cryptocurrencies and NFTS. For its launch, fans of the top K-Pop groups, SEVENTEEN, fromis_9, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ENHYPEN and LE SSERAFIM, could get free digital collectibles. What are your thoughts? Do you think that these digital trends have lasting power for K-pop? Will this be the future of the entertainment industry?

AleXa , a veteran of Produce 48 and the winner of the American Song Contest, recently performed for hundreds of her fans at the Ferst Center of the Arts in Atlanta. Her infectious K-pop/EDM hooks could only be matched by the energy she displayed on stage. After a brief meet and greet session with some of her most dedicated AI Troopers and a perforamance by the Georgia Tech's K-pop cover dance team Seoulstice , AleXa showed off why she recently signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) -- her ability to connect with the audience was unparalleled. She often interacted directly with the crowd, either by jumping on stage and performing while walking through the crowd or by drawing a fan's future tattoo on a piece of poster board while laying down on the stage. Performing her hits such as Wonderland , Xtra , Vill ain and Bomb , she also debuted two songs from her unreleased comeback album, Back in Vogue . She also covered Doja Cat's Woman , much to the surprise of her audience. AleXa also confirmed her support of LGBTQ+ rights, proclaiming "Gay rights are human rights, too" while waving a Pride flag on stage. Near the end of the concert, she posed with the Pride flag for the stop's official group photo. After Atlanta, AleXa continued her first ever Meet and Greet tour of the United States, with additional stops in Chicago, Oklahoma City, Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Check out of some of our exclusive photos of her exciting performance! Dojeon Media received a complimentary media pass from Studio PAV to cover this concert. What did you think of our coverage of these live concerts? Tell us what other concerts you would like to see us cover!

BTS ’s Jungkook surprised ARMY the moment he arrived at Gimpo International Airport, heading to promote the '2022 World Cup' In Qatar! Let's take a look at what happened! On the morning of October 24th, Jungkook was spotted at the airport in Incheon leaving for Qatar. It didn't take long for Jungkook to announce to everyone that his eyesight was getting worse since he started wearing glasses everywhere, but he looked dashing in them! Sporting his casual charms, Jungkook greeted reporters and headed to his flight. Did you notice how Jungkook kept bowing from the moment he left the car utill he entered inside, showing so much respect to everyone. ● Check out the videos from the airport below: ARMYs were shocked to see Jungkook, too, was traveling. However, the maknae, is not going to join Jin. We wish him a safe journey, arrive safely and have a good time!

Recently released on October 21, Netflix's original film 20th Century Girl has all the ingredients needed for those of us who constantly remember our high school days! Set in the year 1999 20th Century Girl follows the first love and friendships of 17-year-old high school student Na Bo Ra ( Kim You Jung Lovers of the Red Sky 2021). Here are 10 nostalgic moments that take us back to the "good old days"! If you're too young to know what these are, here's a good lesson! 1. Pagers Who can forget these "only the cool kids have them" gadgets? Remember when someone got a "page" they had to go to a pay phone or a landline in order to make a call? Or if someone wanted to send a text message, you could read it on your pager, but it would be difficult to send a text back since a pager didn't have an alphanumeric keypad! Standing in line for the pay phone really brought back those memories! 2. VHS Rentals Back before the days of streaming platforms such as Netflix or Disney+ , there were VHS tape rental shops! Renting a movie usually costs $1 - $3 per night and had to be returned the next day. There was no such thing as downloading a movie. Remember the adult section of the shop? Teenagers used to sneak into those sections to take a look at the 18 and over movies. Seeing Bo Ra get flustered at sneaking an adult VHS tape to school made us reminisce about those days! 3. Cassette players Before CD players there were cassettes! These babies required some skill if you were to fast forward or rewind to your favorite song or section of a song. But boy were they durable! They could get wet in the rain or dropped multiple times and still would work like a charm! Did you make a playlist for your first crush? 4. Camcorders Before the digital revolution, there were VHS tapes and mini recording tapes that were put inside these huge gigantic square blocks of plastic technology. As the basis for 20th Century Girl, Bo Ra uses her school's camcorder to record Baek Hyun Jin ( Park Jung Woo ) for her best friend. Does anyone remember shooting their first mini-film for a school project? 5. Dance Dance Revolution Who doesn't know DDR? This arcade game basically revolutionized how teenagers hung out at the malls! Who remembers DDR battles between dance crews? 20th Century Girl really did a great job capturing the essence of the youth during those times! 6. Desktop Computers If you didn't know before laptops and mobile phones existed, there was a prehistoric dinosaur known as the personal computer aka the desktop computer. These puppies not only changed the way most people worked but also how humans were able to communicate with each other! The introduction of the internet really led the way to how messaging apps are structured today! Who still remembers their first AOL screen name? 7. Oversized Jerseys Remember when Ecco, Tommy Hilfiger, and Sean Jean were what all the cool kids were wearing? All of these brands had one thing in common, bigger was better! Oversized and baggy clothing was in and whoever could put the best fit together, had the most "swag". Are you digging into your closet yet? Maybe your high school clothes are in the back! 8. Bucket Hats A nod to urban culture made this fashion accessory one of the hottest trends during the late 90s and early 2000s. Rappers like LL Cool J and Eminem also sported Kangol bucket hats! Do you still have yours? 9. Scrunchies This hair accessory has stood the test of time. Even today, girls are seen using it to tie up their hair! But remember when girls used to not wear it on their head, but more on their wrists? It was definitely an "it" thing! 10. Casio digital watches For all the guys (and some girls) reading this, do you remember that if you didn't own a silver or gold digital watch, you weren't cool enough? This accessory was definitely a status symbol on campus! Although the watch strap has changed, the digital part hasn't changed much with smart watches these days! What do you think about our top ten nostalgic moments from 20th Century Girl ? Does it bring back memories? Did we leave anything out? Let us know how this movie made you feel! We want to hear what you think!

During BTS 's "Yet To Come" concert , Jin announced that he will be dropping a solo single "The Astronaut"! Here is the detailed release and sneak peek of the song! Check out the sneak peek of the song and music video! You can also check out the promotional schedule to make sure you don't miss any updates! Here is the single order details : Pre-order date: From 11 AM, Wednesday, October 19 , 2022 (KST) Release date: From 1 PM, Friday, October 28 , 2022 (KST) Let us know if you're excited about this single! Will you be purchasing a copy? Stay tuned for more information!

BLACKPINK 'S Lisa looked gorgeous and stunning at this year's Aurora Awards held on October 18 in Seoul at the Walkerhill Hotel Light Theater ! The event was hosted by Bvlgari , which Lisa is the global ambassador of! Many K-pop stars showed up to the event as well! Lisa was seen wearing Bvlgari's famous snake necklace design and had us wondering, "What do you think that cost?" It turns out that not only is Lisa the ambassador, but she was also the host of the event wearing some serious hardware! Check out the price tag for yourself! The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity is an annual humanitarian award recognizing outstanding individuals for their efforts in humanitarian work. It first took place in Armenia on April 14, 2016. The recipient of the awards receives $1,000,000. Other celebrities that attended the award show included Lee Soo Hyuk , Astro 's Moonbin , T-ara 's Hyomin , Bibi , and Lee Min Jung . Check out the red carpet video for the full celebrity list! Performances by Ravi and Prime Kings, Bibi, and Mamamoo also wowed the crowd! Bibi was awarded for her contributions to the music category. Actress Yoo Mi Lee was awarded for her film contributions. Our Thoughts It is refreshing to see other K-pop idols and K-celebs recognized for their contributions to humanity! Hallyu has definitely taken over the globe with partnerships with global brands such as Bvlgari and Vogue! What other K-celebs do you think should have won the award? Let us know!

Freshly off the discharge from mandatory military service and the release of their first studio album, The Rose wowed a near-capacity crowd last night at the Roadrunner in Boston, Massachusetts, USA for its HEAL TOGETHER World Tour. The group, consisting of leader Woosung (lead vocals, electric guitar), Dojoon (main vocals, keyboard, acoustic guitar), Hajoon (drums, sub-vocals) and Jaehyeong (bass, sub-vocals), told stories of their humble beginnings as busking crew on the streets of Seoul while blending in its own mix of indie pop rock. "We handed out candy on the streets of Hongdae before our first show," Woosung said during a break between sets, "People thought that we were club managers instead of a band! Only 20 people showed up to that first show and 15 of them were our friends. There's a lot more than 20 people here tonight though." "We handed out candy on the streets of Hongdae before our first show." The group played to its strengths, mixing soft electric and acoustic guitars with vocals from both Woosung and Dojoon. The set started slowly with mid-tempo songs Definition of Ugly is and Insomnia before picking up with She's in the Rain and Woosung's Modern Life . Other highlights included the group's first breakout song Sorry , an intimate rendition of Childhood and the head-bopping, catchy Yes . The show completed with the group's latest single Sour and Black Rose as an encore. The group is scheduled to tour until February 2023, hitting cities throughout the United States, South America and Europe. Check out some exclusive photos from the night's performance! Dojeon Media received a media pass from Transparent Arts to cover this show.

"You design your life. So why can't you design your death?" Shin Ha Kyun ( Beyond Evil 2021) and Han Ji Min ( Our Blues 2022) are perfect for their roles in TVING and Paramount+'s first co-produced Korean series! This 6-episode sci-fi romance series that premiered on October 14 is set to question one of life's major questions: How to move on after the death of a loved one? Here are three reasons why you should be watching Yonder ! Set in a metropolis in the near future, in 2032, Kim Jae Hyun ( Shin Ha Kyun ) and Cha Yi Hoo ( Han Ji Min ) had a happily married life together until Yi Hoo got heart cancer and died. Jae Hyun is unable to move on after her death and is still angry. One day, Jae Hyun receives an email from his deceased wife asking him to go to a place called "Yonder" to come and see her. Confused and intrigued, he goes to a building where a futuristic space, between life and death to meet her for the last time. 1. An original idea! Very different from many current K-dramas out there now, Yonder digs deeper into our human emotions and asks the question we all are thinking, "What happens after we pass away?" "How are our loved ones able to remember us?" Yonder attempts to explain how it is possible, through the use of science, to continue to live in the minds of our loved ones once they have passed. 2. Futuristic, yet realistic. Although set 10 years in the future, Yonder gives off a futuristic vibe, but not to Star Wars-extent. It is believable with all of the daily technology we have today but much better and more sophisticated. What do you guys think about this glass phone? Do you think mobile phone giants Samsung or Apple will be able to create something like this in 10 years? 3. Superb acting! Shin Ha Kyun and Han Ji Min excel in their roles as a married couple! Just three episodes in and the on-screen chemistry are off the charts! During the first episode, we see Yi Hoo passing away at their home. Jae Hyun is right beside her as she passes away, but the emotion he expresses during this difficult time when he has to make the decision to euthanize his wife is heartbreaking! We are excited to see more of these two wonderful actors engage on screen in the future! Let us know your thoughts about this series so far! How do you rate it? Comment below!

Should K-pop band members be exempt from Military Service? Let's find out when BTS might be able to return together as a group! Military conscription has become a hot topic since BTS band member Jin , will enlist in the military by the time he turns 30 years old ( December 4, 1992 ). He plans to enlist after his solo project rolls out in the next few weeks. Korean males aged 18 and 35 are required to serve in the Korean military. Today exemptions are only granted to athletes who win medals in the Olympic Games or classical musicians/dancers who have won international level competitions. Most South Korean men ages 18 to 28 serve for at least 18 months. In 2019, a revision was added to military service laws that allows internally recognized K-pop stars to defer their service until age 30. All seven members of BTS are expected to enroll in military service. The band will regroup “ around 2025 ” after they fulfill their obligations, according to Big Hit . With Jin ’s approaching deadline politicians are hotly debating the topic. What are your thoughts? Would it be fair for BTS members to be exempt from military service? What are the military service requirements in your country?

The largest South Korean messenger app KakaoTalk (카카오톡) faces political turmoil as this past weekend's largest server outage causes millions of people to be disconnected for over a day. On Saturday, October 15, millions of South Koreans experienced what could only be described as a "digital national disaster" as the country's largest messenger app, KakaoTalk was shut down due to a fire at its Pangyo data center near Gangnam. Kakao vice president, Yang Hyung Seo stated in a press conference, "The Pangyo data center is our main data facility that operates around 32,000 servers, but only one-third of them – 12,000 servers – has been restored." He went on to explain, "It usually takes less than 20 minutes to restore all of the servers, but the extent of server losses is just so massive," he added, declining to say how long it would take for KakaoTalk and other affiliated services to return to normal. By 5 pm that day, KakaoTalk users could only send text messages and not videos or photos. KakaoTalk dominates the messenger app market in South Korea with 45.6 million users out of the country's 52 million population, making it more than 90% of the population using the app. It's app also allows users to do online shopping, and banking, as well as cab hailing services. South Korean President Yoon Suk Youl said the government will respond to "revamp the system" considering the private company as the national infrastructure. He stated during a press conference, "Although Kakao is a network operated by a private company, it is virtually no different from a national communication network from the perspective of the people." The president will speak to the National Assembly to make sure incidents like this will not "inconvenience" people in the future. Our Thoughts KakaoTalk is certainly the most used messenger service in South Korea and it has good reason to be number one! With its user-friendly interface and constantly changing cute emojis that you can purchase, it makes it easy for friends, family, and co-workers to share pictures, videos, and documents. Additionally, with its voice and video calling capabilities, many Koreans prefer it to other messenger apps around the world. Have you used KakaoTalk before? Let us know your experiences! Source: 1

If you were in Busan this weekend, you couldn't have missed all the purple that filled the streets! K-pop superstars BTS proved to be the best ambassadors for Busan, if not, for the country of South Korea once again as they rocked their much-anticipated " Yet To Come " concert held at Asiad Main Stadium! SpoTV News, a local South Korean television outlet, tweeted "BTS's 'National Treasure' concert" stating that [BTS] is "the most-proud asset and cultural achievement of Korea". If you weren't at the concert, the crowd was definitely jumping with joy as fans raised light sticks and sang along to their favorite songs! The concert was not only to please fans, which many haven't been able to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions for three years but to also send a message to the world that "the best is yet to come." The group's leader, Rap Monster, said to the crowd during the concert, " Whatever happens, if the seven of us hope for the same and if you guys trust us, we will overcome everything and continue to be happy and hold concerts". " Whatever happens, if the seven of us hope for the same and if you guys trust us, we will overcome everything and continue to be happy and hold concerts". - Rap Monster, Busan concert "Yet To Come" proved more to be a nationwide festival rather than an ordinary concert for fans. A total of 50,000 in-person tickets and 10,000 remote real-time view seats were allotted for the concert. If fans were not able to obtain a ticket, numerous live-streaming platforms, such as the Naver NOW app, were available. "MIC Drop" proved to get the 50,000 audiences up and jumping and "Run BTS," the new song from the act's latest album " Proof " was unveiled live for the first time that night. The oldest member of BTS, Jimin (28), expressed his gratitude to fans for attending the concert, "It's my joy and honor to be meeting you like this, being able to invite you to my hometown gives me a strange feeling." Jungook also expressed his excitement, "Busan is my and Jimin's home city, and I'm thrilled and happy to be spending time with so many Armys in Busan," Jungkook said, referring to the group's global fanbase, Army. There were many buildings and locations to celebrate BTS in Busan! One of the areas, Gamcheon Culture Village in Saha-gu is a tourist destination in Busan popular for the mural paintings in every alley. There was even a mural of Jungook and Jimin! Make sure to check out our visit to Busan prior to the concert as we discuss our experience and other cool locations to check out in the city! Let us know if you were at the concert and what was your experience like! We would love to hear from you!

Here's the summary of J-Hope , Jimin , Jungkook , and Taehyung 's broadcast yesterday on Weverse for Jimin's birthday. After the BTS concert in Busan , some of BTS's members gathered to open a live broadcast on Weverse to talk about the concert. They also discussed what they might have done differently and they hope that it will not happen again at the next concert. Jungkook explained that he has recently been wearing glasses because his eyesight is getting worse, and Jungkook's mother made soup for Jimin's birthday! J-Hope: Guys anyway I feel so relieved that you guys watched the Busan concert Taehyung to Jimin: We're talking about nice things, let's not eat now Jungkook *grabs a bowl of ramen and eats* J-Hope: You can look forward to Jin Hyung's single Taehyung: First of all, Jin Hyung's single is so good! J-Hope: I heard the director through my headphones saying, "We won't go out in a Run performance, we'll stay on stage." Jungkook: We won't come off stage during IDOL Jimin: You can't tell them what we were going to do during the run! As we have to do next time! J-Hope: But didn't Namjoon reveal it? Jimin: He didn't give details Taehyung: Then next time, we'll do it at our next concert From BTS broadcast on Weverse. Taehyung: 70% of the comments ask to marry Yoongi 😂 (Yoongi marry me) Taehyung said he wanted to give concert tickets to ARMYs who couldn't attend, but if he dials an ARMY's number through Weverse and gives it to him, all ARMYs will contact them and their phone will be filled with messages/calls😭 Jungkook said he's been wearing glasses lately because his vision is getting worse Jimin: On my birthday, I went to my parent's house and they made seaweed soup for me Jungkook: I also went to my parent's house and had seaweed soup J-Hope: Why did you drink this soup? It is a common dish to celebrate one's birthday in Korea. From BTS broadcast on weverse. Jungkook: my mom made me soup because it was Jimin hyung's birthday J-Hope: Your mom is so cute Jimin: It was like, "Isn't it Jimin's birthday today? Then let's have some soup." Jimin: I open a broadcast every week, you have to join me next time! J-Hope: Won't you keep something immortal in your mind from your birthday? Jimin: Yes, today was very valuable, I congratulated and celebrated my birthday during a party and in my city too!! Jungkook: Oh I envy you Jimin: Guys don't worry too much, this isn't the last part of our lives Taehyung: Honestly, there is no such thing as a "last concert in life" Jimin: No? Taehyung: No! J-Hope: Guys, Taehyung is having a party when he's 70 too!! "An army question": how's Yontan? Taehyung: Yonatan is so cute these days Taehyung: ARMY I miss you J-Hope, Taehyung, Jimin, and Jungkook at the end of their broadcast on Weverse J-Hope: Uh-huh* - fast Jimin: I guess you just cursed? 🤨 J-Hope: No no I was wondering if you won't hurry, hurry up hurry up Jimin: ok ok 😆 J-Hope: 1 2 3 goodbye 👋👋 Let us know your thoughts! Were you at BTS's concert in Busan? Let us know your experience!