#lgbtq #equalrights #equality After almost 3 years of canceling the Pride Parade due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea is finally coming back to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community! This Saturday everyone in Seoul had a chance to join the Pride Parade and a lot of other activities dedicated to educating and acknowledging the LGBTQ+ community in South Korea. Even though it seems like the standard notion of masculinity doesn’t exactly apply to Korea, since a lot of men choose to stick to a softer expression of masculinity: taking care of their looks, easily expressing affection, and other emotions that are usually deemed feminine in the Western world, - the issue of LGBTQ+ rights is still far from being solved. Just the election of the new president Yoon Seok-youl , who questioned the necessity of having a Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and raised concerns over same-sex marriages , can reverse the progress that has been accomplished up until now. However, the new generation gives us hope. And who better to set an example and positively influence today’s youth than the people admired by millions - K-pop idols. Quite a few K-pop idols have publicly supported the LGBTQ+ community during their live streams, through their songs or activities. Here are some honorable mentions of idols who have been showing support for the LGBTQ+ community throughout the years! Rose ( BlackPink ) - having such a massive following, it was merely a question of when the girls will voice their opinion on the LGBTQ+ community. And they did not disappoint the public! BlackPink are pretty vocal about its support towards the LGBTQ+, which they express by always holding Pride Flags during the concert, or supporting their fans who decide to come out to them! Jo Kwon ( 2AM ) has been known among K-pop fans and in the industry for always bringing down gender barriers: he would wear high gills during his promotions, put on clothes that are not considered "male", and recently has even taken part in a musical " Everybody's talking about Jamie ". He played a role of a teenager who aspires to be a drag queen and endures bullying and judgment from his peers! Amber Liu has a pretty big following among the LGBTQ+ community and she always stated how grateful she was for their support! Having not only queer fans but also a lot of friends who identify as LGBTQ+ community members, she feels incredibly passionate about queer visibility and rights. There are a couple of music videos from her career that are dedicated to expressing support for LGBTQ+, but the Lifeline has particularly struck a chord with us! Red Velvet and Sunmi are also known for holding pride flags during their concerts quite often, or supporting their LGBTQ+ fanbase! Besides that, a lot of groups have constantly shown support to their fans on fan signs, phone calls, or live streams. Whenever the fans would come during those interactions or talk about their experience, a lot of idols would encourage them and praise them for staying true to themselves ( BTS , AleXa , NCT , EXO , Mamamoo ). So, we hope that having your favorite idols support who you truly are will help in the dire times and bring a smile to your faces!

#equality #equalrights #lgbtq June is the international Gay pride month which boasts parades, concerts, performances, parties, and events for all ages across the LGBT community . Usually, a parade starts off a chain of events for an entire month. But in South Korea, they have only just begun their official celebrations in mid-July. Troubles began when late last year, the leading LGBT organization for Pride, Seoul Queer Culture Festival, was denied non-profit status due to complaints of indecent exposure and intimate parts being on display at the festival. The organization fought these claims, which are mirrored by the very anti-LGBT groups that protest the event, and were eventually granted permission to host the event on July 16th. This festival is not only a parade around downtown Seoul, but also a series of performances, speeches, and a general celebration of pride not commonly seen in the conservative city. Usually, the LGBT community is sheltered in its neighborhood of Itaewon, a former military outpost area emerging as a bustling hip area, where judgment is much harder to come by. They have carved out a niche there with several gay bars, drag shows, and gathering spaces where they can be comfortable in their own skin. This festival gives them the chance to show their true selves in front of a wider audience as well as inspire others to do so as well. The US Embassy has heard of the organization's struggles and its ambassador is set to speak on the 16th as a show of goodwill. Let us know your thoughts about this serious issue South Korea is dealing with!

#extraordinaryattorneywoo #kdrama #이상한변호사우영우 The little channel that could, cable channel ENA, has created a Korean legal drama that has become a global phenomenon! Extraordinary Attorney Woo starring Park Eun Bin is continuing to outdo itself after every episode! In the most recent Nielsen Korea ratings, the hit series set a record high, 9.569%, good for first nationally with its sixth episode on July 14! On July 14, JTBC News reported that Extraordinary Attorney Woo has been receiving proposals for a remake, particularly in the United States. A representative from the production company behind the drama stated that they are "currently reviewing the proposal offer from the United States." We can't stop laughing at the amazing friendship between Woo Young Woo and her best friend, Dong Geu Ra Mi ( Joo Hyun Young )! Extraordinary Lawyer Woo tells a story about a young woman, Woo Young Woo (Park Eun Bin The King's Affection 2021), diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) . Woo Young Woo is a genius and never forgets what she sees, but lacks social skills and empathy. She braves the prejudice and irrationality due to her disorder as a new trainee lawyer at a top law firm. As she navigates office politics, she befriends co-workers and gains their trust with her own unique style as she works on solving her own cases from a unique perspective. We can't wait for the next episode! We're also curious if there is a remake, who will play the role of Woo Young Woo? Let us know if this drama is popular in your country and who you think would make an amazing Woo Young Woo!

#squidgame #netflix #leejungjae Almost a year after its conclusion, Netflix's Squid Game continues to make history! On July 12, the Emmy Awards officially announced this year's nominees. 'Squid Game' was nominated for an incredible record of 14 nominations for the 2022 Emmy Awards! The Netflix survival thriller drama was nominated for top drama series on Tuesday. The hit series is the first non-English language drama to be nominated for an Emmy. It will be going against the popular U.S. shows Better Call Saul , Euphoria , Ozark , Severance , Stranger Things , Succession , and Yellowjackets . Check out this short news clip of all the nominees! Moreover, five cast members of Squid Game were nominated for acting awards, making them the first native Koreans to be nominated for their respective categories. Lee Jung Jae is running for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. His leading role as a desperate father trying to make things right for his family in the drama has given the drama such a "human" feel and something everyone can relate to. Jung Ho Yeon has been nominated for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Park Hae Soo an d Oh Young Soo are both in the running for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and Lee Yoo Mi is up for Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Director Hwang Dong Hyuk has also become the first native Korean to earn Emmy nominations for directing and writing, getting nominations for both Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Other awards for which Squid Game has been nominated this year include Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More), Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour), Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series, Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music, Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode, and Outstanding Stunt Performance. Congratulations to everyone that was nominated and all the hard-working crew members that made this wonderful show happen! Let us know are you excited to hear this news! This is great for Korean dramas and the future of the Korean entertainment industry!

#blackpink #pubg #thevirtualconcert Blackpink is back! The superstar quartet announced on July 12 that they will be returning to the stage! The virtual stage, that is! The group will be collaborating with mobile game giant PUBG Mobile with their first in-game concert called THE VIRTUAL ! The virtual concert will happen across two weekends this month - July 23 and 24 and July 30 and 31 (North America: July 22 and 23; July 29 and 30). The concert will be held using PUBG Mobile's 3D avatar and sound technology along with the performance stage! Are you looking forward to this amazing news? It will be the first of its kind and we're all looking forward to how Blackpink will wow us! With the combination of avatars and K-pop idols, do you think this is the new trend in music?

SM Entertainment is one of the biggest entertainment companies in South Korea. They have been debuting and managing idols for over 20 years. They have given rise to the biggest names in K-pop such as NCT, aespa , and EXO to name a few. Due to their massive collection of artists, they used to regularly have a huge concert called SMTOWN LIVE. SMTOWN or SM Family is the name for all of the artists under the company's umbrella, and so the name is also used for their collaboration concerts. These massive shows would take place all over the world and would sell out in minutes as each fandom fought for a chance to see their artists live. Due to COVID-19, these concerts have been halted for over 3 years. Digital and hologram concerts have taken their place, but even these were on a smaller scale with some exclusively at their theater at the COEX mall. These concerts lacked the complete SMTOWN LIVE experience without the large crowds of fans with their light sticks and the swoons of fans watching different idol groups interact on stage. SMTOWN LIVE concerts also sported skits and special performances that fans would eagerly anticipate. So, when SM Entertainment announced earlier this year that the concert series is coming back, people were excited, to say the least. And today, they finally announced the line-up and it's packed with artists. Aespa , EXO , Girls Generation , Kangta, Red Velvet , BoA, and NCT are just some of the artists performing on August 30 in Suwon. This is the first off-line concert of this size in a long-time, so we are heavily anticipating the turn-out. Let us know who you are most excited to see below!

With South Korea opening up and steadily recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, social life and entertainment opportunities are re-appearing all over Seoul. One of the things that you can anticipate coming to Seoul is 'busking' - street performances, which usually take place just 5 minutes away from Hongdae Subway station - the heart of nightlife and a hotspot for any young person in Seoul. If you walk around Hongdae from 6 pm on, you will be able to see the spectacular performances of dancing or singing groups that arguably look just as professional as real K-pop groups. Usually, you would see girl and boy groups covering K-pop choreographies, or some groups singing beloved K-dramas OSTs. And they gather quite an impressive audience - sometimes it’s even hard to get around the area without waiting in a line of devoted fans and casual onlookers. Hongdae busking spots are so popular that even some of the renowned K-pop groups and singers have actually performed there themselves (for instance, G-IDLE ): However, performing in Hongdae is not as easy, as the majority of people would imagine. For the western audience, street performances might seem like a seamless gig that anyone with some spare time and a bit of skill can do. In South Korea, though, it is a bit more complicated: you have to compete for the performance spot and time a month ahead, and due to the fierce competition your chances of securing the spot might be better off if you join an already established group if you are a newbie. Be it due to the rising interest in experiencing K-pop culture first-hand, the intensity of the more mainstream K-pop scene, or just the outstanding creative potential of South Korean residents, busking has been getting bigger every year. At this point, a lot of groups that are performing in Hongdae also go to hold concerts in China, Japan, and even Europe! Even some of the K-pop idols have started off by performing as buskers first (for instance, Kim Dong Han ): But of course, not all of the busking performers are chasing after the stardom dream of someday debuting in a K-pop group: some of them just enjoy the small but extremely dynamic and unpredictable scene of Hongdae streets. And some of the groups have been performing around Hongdae for years at this point, and it shows in their performances! So, busking for Korean performers serves as a means of income - people would usually tip at the end of the performances; a chance to build their fanbase and a name for themselves in the entertainment industry; an opportunity to gain some valuable experience in reforming in front of the public. But whatever the reason is, busking definitely adds a unique atmosphere to Hongdae and lightens its streets every night with flawless performances! What would you choose: go to one professional K-pop concert or watch a great number of diverse groups in one place for free? Let us know if you have been to a busking performance yourself or if you would like to go at some point!

#Aespa #AirportStyle Aside from the looks that celebrities we admire pull off on the red carpets and big events it is their off-duty, street style, and airport looks that we keep an eye for. Copying celebrities' traveling looks is one of the most sought-after style trends by their fans which is more relatable and achievable. On July 10, Aespa returned to South Korea after they kicked off “Good Morning America” summer concert. Aespa members were seen performing in a casual style with different vibes. The leader, Karina appeared in a monochrome style. Karina wore a black long shirt paired with striped pants. The monochrome look is even more perfect with black and white sneakers. Winter was the only one to appear in shorts. Winter wore an oversized brown checker-like print hoodie. She wore white sneakers that matched her casual style. Giselle sported a black-gray plaid shirt paired with bright yellow pants. Giselle couldn’t look swagger by wearing a black bucket hat. Ningning wore an oversize white shirt paired with dark washed jeans. Her look screams a mysterious vibe by adding a black baseball cap. Meanwhile, Aespa has just officially made a comeback with the release of their second mini-album, "Girls". This became Aespa's first comeback this year and managed to break the record of becoming the first female idol to successfully get 1.6 million pre-ordered albums throughout history. Have you found your airport style peg among the Aespa members? Let us know which member resonates to your style more!

#anna #baesuzy #annakdrama Coupang Play's hit thriller drama Anna wrapped up its final episodes 5 and 6 on Friday, July 8 with one of the most shocking endings of the year! The story about a young woman who lives the life of a successful wealthy daughter of a businessman and marries a potential political candidate ended with quite a twist! Here's what we think! Bae Suzy is superb in 'Anna' (Coupang Play) *Contains spoilers. 4.5/5 Stars Bae Suzy's character, Anna or Yoo Mi, eventually gets what she desires. A wealthy husband, a wonderful life, and a more-or-less meaningful career. It all comes crashing down in the final two episodes as Anna's best friend from college, Han Ji Won (Park Ye Young Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha 2021), who works for one of the most respected newspapers in Korea, starts digging up her past. Park Ye Young plays Han Ji Won in Anna (Coupang Play) On top of that, Anna's husband, Choi Ji Hoon (Kim Joon Han The King's Letters 2019), starts becoming one of the top political mayoral candidates and finds out about Anna's past. He uses this information to suppress Anna and control her actions. Anna starts her resentment towards him as she slowly finds out the person he really is, a corrupt businessman and power-hungry politician. Kim Joon Han as Anna's husband Choi Ji Hoon (Coupang Play) Anna finds out that her husband was the one who killed Lee Hyun Joo, or the real Anna (Jung Eun Chae Pachinko 2022), and tries to cover it up by claiming it was a suicide. All these problems start to snowball until the final episode, which took our breath away! After winning the mayoral race, Anna and Choi Ji Hoon fly to San Francisco. While driving in the middle of the desert, Anna finds out that Ji Hoon's actual intentions are to send her to a psychiatric facility and doesn't intend to send her back to Korea. At that moment, a deer shows up out of nowhere (we're not sure if deer actually live in deserts, but what the hey, right?) and Ji Hoon swerves the car to avoid hitting it. Anna takes this opportunity to make her escape by pulling the car's emergency brake and crashing the car into a pole. Ji Hoon is trapped in the driver's seat, and Anna, while wearing a seatbelt, suffers minor injuries and walks away. We're taken back to the first episode where Anna lights up her purse and throws the bag into the car. Now we realize that her husband is actually in it! Wow, we didn't see this coming! Anna decided that there was no other option to free herself from her situation since her friend was pressuring her to tell the truth and her husband had taken control over her life. In the ending scene, we see Anna living in a secluded area in North America by herself. It has been over a year since the death of her husband and she seems to be living a normal life. Anna 2022 (Coupang Play) Our Thoughts This drama showed so much potential in character development, and the drama built up the storyline in the first half of the series. Since this series was only for six episodes, we felt that the ending was a little too rushed. We would've liked to see Anna struggle with the pressure from her friend to tell the truth more, and why her husband decided to take an impromptu trip to San Francisco right after winning the election. The death of the real Anna should've been told a little more in detail, and we felt the drama skipped it too fast. Overall, it was a good drama, and the acting by Bae Suzy has definitely matured! We recommend watching it because it still kept us on the edge of our seats. Check out this behind-the-scenes making of Suzy trying to ski for the drama! Let us know your thoughts about this drama! Do you agree with our thoughts?

Former K-pop idol and leading K-Hip Hop and R&B star Jay Park is set to come back with a brand new song. This new single is called "Need to Know" and is set to be released on Tuesday, July, 12th. Park released a few teaser images on Instagram earlier this week, but he released the teaser video early Friday morning which you can check out below! While Park has released a steady amount of singles this year, this marks his second solo single. He released a popular pop duet with IU called "Ganadara" earlier this year that has amassed over 19M views on Youtube. And his first single this year was a rap-focused single called "To Life" whose lyrics focused on his growth and success in recent years. Park started his career as a member of JYP's 2PM over 10 years and emerged in the K-Pop industry to become a Hip-Hop and R&B powerhouse. After founding his AOMG record label a couple of years ago, he constantly releases new music as well as manages a new artisan Soju business, Won Soju . His latest release seems to be an R&B single produced by his long-time B-Boy friend, producer, and colleague Cha Cha Malone . This is their second collaboration this year after "To Life", though this makes to be an R&B venture based on the teasers. Will this song be the song of the summer? Let us know what you think below!

#parkeunbin #allurekorea #extraordinaryattorneywoo Only in its second week of airing, 'Extraordinary Lawyer Woo' has captured the attention of South Korea coming in 2nd in Nielsen Korea ratings at 4.032% nationwide following the third episode on July 6. After the first two episodes, which aired on June 29 and June 30 respectively, viewership ratings have exploded over this drama. Park Eun Bin , stars as Lawyer Woo Young Woo , a young woman diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) , who works at a top law firm. She is a genius that cannot forget what she sees and lacks social skills and empathy. Korean viewers have been flocking to online cafes expressing their awe at Park Eun Bin's acting skills as she plays the autistic genius. During an interview with Allure Korea, Park Eun Bin breaks down why she chose the role and how she was able to play an autistic person. In the interview, Park Eun Bin is asked by fans if she got inspiration from an autistic person or whether she was able to create her own character. She responded that she didn't want to copy someone else and decided to create her own character by studying the criteria of how an autistic person generally acts. Furthermore, another question asked Eun Bin how she chose this role and she responded that since she was busy with other roles, she wanted to pick a role that she wanted to play well. She also stated that she wanted to choose a character who was easy to play as an everyday character compared to another role where the character suffered daily. Finally, Park Eun Bin was also asked how she wanted to play her character, Woo Young Woo, where she responded that she wanted her character to be "cute and loving". We noticed during the interview, Park Eun Bin showed a little bit of her character in Woo Young Woo with some cute expressions! She definitely created her own character which many fans have fallen in love with! Check out this behind-the-scenes video! Extraordinary Lawyer Woo can be streamed right now on Netflix! Let us know your thoughts on this amazing drama! What do you love about her character?

#jessi #pnation #kpopnews Global Superstar, Jessi , parts ways with P NATION after three years under contract with the entertainment company. P NATION announced, on July 3, Jessi would be leaving the company after the expiration of her contract. Jessi was the first artist to sign with the company in 2019 and fans are taken aback at her departure. The agency released the following statement: Hello. This is P NATION. First of all, we express deep gratitude to everyone who has sent much love and interest to Jessi. We inform you that our exclusive contract with Jessi recently expired. Being with P NATION since the beginning until now as P NATION’s first artist, Jessi has secured her position as an artist who is loved by more fans through her warm passion and endless efforts. That process and her achievements became positive and enjoyable sources of motivation for every member of P NATION. We will continue to cheer on Jessi’s future path as an artist, and we will continuously support her diverse activities. We thank the many fans who cherish Jessi, and we ask that you continue to send warm encouragement and support. Thank you. Many fans have been speculating the reason for Jessi's departure from the budding agency and she took to Instagram to clear up any misconceptions on the matter. The singer stated that she "hasn't rested since 2005" and "needed time to collect her thoughts and breathe". Her departure from the agency was not on bad terms and she loves P NATION "for life." We are a bit surprised that Jessi has decided to part ways with P NATION when the agency has a promising future with rising stars Dawn and Heize . We understand that Jessi needs some time off and wish her the very best in the future! Let us know your thoughts on this matter and if you support her decision!