[LIVE] The Kulture Wave (2025-12-02)

I found the act of writing these characters to be incredibly beautiful in itself So I thought it would be nice to turn the moment of using this into an act of art and if I originally wrote my handwriting like this on the desk As if standing against a wall like dancing That's how we decided to try turning handwriting into a performance piece which is how this all began Even foreign visitors seemed to find it beautiful without necessarily understanding its meaning Among many memories my time in Qatar stands out especially Someone was watching and started crying Those moments might just be what keeps driving me forward in this way Going abroad somehow makes me feel even more patriotic That's why I want to go global It could be a performance or perhaps an educational experience Writing in Korean like this is in fact a rare act these days even though people hardly write by hand anymore I actually believe that precisely in times like these such work will become even more valuable I think it would be really great if I could play such a role K-Culture is sweeping the globe K-pop K-drama K-movie K-food even K-beauty Korean cultural content is winning ever-growing fans around the world It's truly the golden age of K-culture But with this growing interest comes an increase in misinformation about Korea There's so much inaccurate information out there Even AI can sometimes get it wrong So we must set things straight and correct all the misinformation Here's the plan The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea Bank and Arirang TV present the Get Korea Right Project Our goal is to deliver precise information on key terms that immediately come to mind when thinking about Korea Flagrant errors and false claims that distort history It's time to set the record straight Sharing Korea's authentic history and culture while elevating the national brand Let's get started with Get Korea Right Are you ready to join Hello Riding on the Korean Wave Welcome to Tuesday's edition of The Culture Wave I'm Kwon Soa in Seoul Join us as we explore Korea's culture from every angle Today focusing on K-entertainment K-tourism K-venues and more And we’ll be covering all of it together with my co-host Walter Lee Hello Walter Soa Happy Tuesday And happy Tuesday to our viewers at home Walter Lee is here alongside Soa to bring you the daily dose of K-entertainment news And I have to say Soa with your hair like that today you're giving me serious Rumi energy—though of course from a K-pop demon hunter’s perspective Right I did ask our styling team to turn us into Rumi and Chinoo Walter I think I'm Chinoo's dad You've got that Chinoo look plus your hair and everything That’s our clue for the cultural issue segment later in the program But first it’s Chinoo or Walter’s time meaning K-entertainment news So let's begin with two stories celebrating girl power and woman power Yes I suppose we can't really call them girls anymore But I'd love to start you off Soa with Taeyeon from Girls' Generation We shouldn't really say that she's from Girls' Generation But we're focusing more on her solo career She released her first compilation album marking her solo 10th anniversary on Monday It's titled Panorama The Best of Taeyeon The album features 24 tracks spanning the past decade offering a panoramic view of her journey as a solo artist Songs such as I Rain and my personal favorite Fine are just some of the songs featured on the two physical CDs if you opt for the hard copy The album also includes a title track of the same name accompanied by a music video released on Monday Panorama opens with Taeyeon's signature iconic low voice gradually building up to her soaring high notes She's known for delivering powerful performances throughout both her solo and group careers Soa do you have a favorite Taeyeon song Well one of my favorite songs is If That one of course And also All About You which is from the soundtrack of Hotel Del Luna Yeah those are my favorite songs by Taeyeon And we're going to discuss another story about girl power or women's strength So what's that about Walter Yes a very powerful presence today So singer Hwasa from Mamamoo actually if you don't know she' s doing really well—she has a music video called Good Goodbye and it has surpassed 50 million views on YouTube just over 40 days after its release continuing its surge in popularity Now the music video has drawn significant attention for the emotional performances of Hwasa and actor Park Jong-min which added a deeper resonance to the music video and song their synergy reached its peak on the congratulatory stage At the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards the two nearly reenacted the music video itself Hwasa performed barefoot while Park Jong-min praised her performance with a subtle yet deeply moving presence leaving a lasting impact on both the audience in attendance and those watching from home Yes I also contributed to some of those figures Just before the show I actually checked and it was already nearing 54 million The number continues to rise steadily I fell in love with the song and the music video the moment I saw it and I knew it was going to be an instant hit But I think the performance at the Blue Dragon Awards really made this go viral Yeah I think so And last but not least let's talk about a boy group Zero Bass One Zero Bass One yes The boy group Zero Bass One will extend their full group activities by two months Now let me explain a little more The agency WAKE ONE announced this on Monday The decision reflects the members' deep commitment to the team and their desire to show appreciation for their unwavering support of their fan group called Zeros Now they are set to continue performing until March next year Since their debut Zero Bass One has achieved significant domestic and international popularity marked by consecutive million-selling albums including their debut release Youth in the Shade Now that was back in 2023 Originally established as a project group their activities were initially set to last just two and a half years with plans to disband next January—so only next month But with the extension the group will carry out a world tour and release new music through March though no plans have been announced beyond that period Well let's hope they keep going past March Yes Thank you so much Walter for the updates and stay with us Will do And now let's move to our AI anchor Arang for more on the culture front Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea Here's our top story The Heart to Heart Orchestra which has championed disability awareness through new initiatives each year It is hosting its 20th regular concert on Tuesday night Titled Heart to Heart Concert the performance begins at 7:30 p m at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall aiming to create a cultural space where people with and without disabilities come together without boundaries Founded in 2006 the ensemble is composed of 37 musicians all of whom have developmental disabilities The Heart to Heart Foundation noted that what began as a small dream two decades ago has now grown into a fully established professional orchestra The concert will feature Verdi' s La Forza del Destino Overture Beethoven's Symphony No 6 and more to mark the first anniversary celebration of Dr Han Gang's historic Nobel Prize win Yonsei University is hosting 2025 Yonsei Nobel Week next Thursday an event designed to broaden literary and humanities exchanges at home and abroad Centered on theme drawn from Han's long-standing question Can the past help the present The program includes literary exhibitions lectures by writers an international writing contest and a global symposium focused on exploring how literature bridges the past and the present as well as individuals and communities Busan's Haeundae District is glowing bright with the 12th Haeundae Light Festival illuminating Gunan-ro for approximately 50 days through January and Haeundae Beach the festival promises to brighten up the chilly season Under theme Stellar Haeundae it features a starlight concept that flows like waves oward the night sea Highlights include the Haeundae Universe Zone an 180-meter display of glowing planets stars and spacecraft drawing strong crowds That's all from me Stay tuned to the Culture Wave Despite the global popularity of K-pop concerns have been raised here that there are no fully dedicated concert venues yet The government has taken steps to facilitate using Seoul World Cup Stadium As a concert venue the Seoul Metropolitan Government is accelerating construction of a large-scale concert hall Cha Yoon-kyung reports Around 100 000 fans visited Seoul World Cup Stadium for the two concerts by singer Lim Young-woong last May Although the stadium is a football venue and without an in-house sound system lighting or stage equipment for concerts it is the only facility in Seoul capable of accommodating around 50 000 people at once The main issue however is damage to the grass playing field In Wembley Stadium in the UK the home of the national football team and also a major concert venue special protective mats Mats are used to cover the grass during performances One idea being discussed is installing such mats as a temporary protective measure At the same time a plan to introduce an appropriate sound and lighting system is underway A plan is under consideration to repurpose the Seoul World Cup Stadium as a major venue for K-pop concerts There is a place called Wembley Stadium in London where BLACKPINK and even BTS have performed To protect the turf they use special mats We are now planning to run tests so that we can also bring in and use those special mats As a fundamental solution Seoul City plans to build a large-scale concert venue in the metropolitan area with a capacity of 30 000 to 40 000 seats Additionally the K-pop-focused multi-complex Seoul Arena features a large concert hall that can accommodate up to 28 000 people scheduled to open in the spring of 2027 with construction work already underway since last July and the complex will also include a mid-sized 7 000-seat concert hall a movie theater and commercial facilities to transform the northeastern part of Seoul into a major K-pop destination The Goyang K-Culture Valley project which had been stalled is also preparing to resume construction of its concert hall Looking at the timeline following the opening of Seoul Arena a series of venues will open by 2032 including Cheongna-dong near Incheon Airport and the Goyang K-Culture Valley complex and the Jamsil-dong part of the redevelopment of the Jamsil Sports Complex With these developments the basic infrastructure needed to channel the excitement of K-pop Korean tourism will be bolstered by enhanced cultural offerings However challenges still remain in enriching the content of K-pop such as attracting high-quality performances establishing safety manuals to support them ackling the ticket scalping issue and developing tourism products tied to regional destinations Cha Yoon-kyung Arirang News Foreign tourists visiting The number of visitors to Seoul is increasing significantly July saw over 1.36 million visitors a 23.1% increase Over 8.28 million visitors more than 5.5% have come to the site Recently the K-pop Demon Hunters craze has surged especially among me The city's travelers experiencing K-Culture for the first time Foreign tourists enjoying Seoul by Seoyoung Lee Seoul Tourism Official from the Travel Services Team Manager Hello Seoyoung Hello Walter It's an honor to have you here Yes today you truly looked magnificent Let's take a closer look First the number of foreign travelers planning trips to Seoul is increasing Seoul travel officials in support of these tourists have come forward to cheer them on 2 seasonal events The first is the Seoul Lantern Festival Seoul Transforms into a stunning night view The second is the Christmas Tree Gwanghwamun Market Travelers enjoy Enjoy delicious food and shopping as well as more We'd like to introduce the seasonal events that travelers can enjoy We'll share more details later Yes Seoul Travel Official The lantern festival has become an essential stop for travelers The Lantern Festival is located on the 11th floor of Seoul Tourism Officials Seoul Travel Officials Lantern Festival is K-Beauty K-Korea K -Art and K-Trends' main programs welcome major travelers K-Korea K-Art and in June welcoming international travelers to date Welcoming over 28 000 travelers Here in the studio The lantern festival for the Seoul travel officials is really noticeable Souls of the lantern festival displayed by Seoul travel officials The product is Is that right At the Seoul Travel Official Lantern Festival we'll show you a video The Seoul travel officials are including a K- beauty experience program in the lantern festival K-Beauty K - Korea offers a special program related to K-pop star Damon Hunter Fans are surprisingly captivated by the story's details and deeply connected to them Features detailed designs of stickers accessories and other elements from K-pop Dayman Hunter The Seoul Culture Lounge includes the Lumie & Geniuses bracelet which I gave to my child You'referring to the details and accessories aren't you At first I thought this bracelet was the one worn by K-pop star Damon Hunter in his movie It complements your outfit perfectly today And there was a cute tiger from K-pop idol Daimon Hunter a beloved figure in Korean tradition So we symbolized Tiger and MacPhie as postcards Amazing the level of detail is incredible What a beautiful bracelet this is It includes a wide variety of bracelets Please tell us which program is the most popular based on your various experiences I think Mother Pearl and calligraphy are the most well-known Mother Pearl is truly the authentic way to experience K-pop Dayman Hunter You can learn the traditional Korean mother-of-pearl inlay technique and create your own personal items And Korean calligraphy is also extremely popular foreign tourists write their names in Korean When you want a name in Korean style through a calligraphy program It seems really interesting Nowadays many people are fond of Korean calligraphy When the Aiz Group takes on a national role who will be participating in this program Yes the role of Aiz Group clearly differs at the national level most of the audience consists of women in their twenties and thirties Through the experience of Korean gatbabi and Korean trends and through the experience of Seoul's cultural enterprises Asian tourists are showing greater interest in K-beauty and K-trends Because it marks the opening of the K-wave in Asia Continent Additionally travelers from Europe and North America are I'm more drawn to the deep authentic works in the Caligrafia and Pearl's mother-like program Because there is a wide variety of travelers visiting Korea and Seoul In the past most visitors came from Japan and China but the variety of travelers arriving in Korea is increasingly diverse It seems we need different types of travelers and programs tailored for young people Speaking of K-culture experiences This seems to have become a popular trend lately —what impact is it having on foreign travelers Today's travelers are eager to experience more than just watching K-dramas and films I want to return to experiences travelers can encounter cherished as memories Thus the K-culture experience can foster a deep connection with Korean culture not just through creating props but also through immersive engagement Learning symbols stories or works is what enables us to create Korean storytelling When it comes to the K-Culture experience You've sent such wonderful fans here Can this be done in the lounge Is it writing Yes definitely This is a single video from a calligraphy class Oh this is a video from a calligraphy class It looks truly beautiful Yes someone might steal this video Oh really Stolen from the air you mean Yes that's fine It's a good idea to visit this lounge How long has this lounge been around The lantern festival the Christmas festival— everything you mentioned earlier I'd heard about before This wasn't a lounge since I'm not a tourist but when did it open It opened last year June 2024 nearly one and a half years later Welcome from 107 countries — this lounge is a vibrant agreement on K- culture among dynamic nations And Seoul Culture Lounge The love between Seoul and Hallyu is truly beautiful what new project are you preparing next Our Seoul Cultural Lounge feels like a daily laboratory to us K-trend K-pop is evolving at an incredibly fast pace constantly experimenting with new ideas You must connect that idea to real-life experience Next year K-pop K-beauty and K-drama will be joined by K-art K-literature K-trends and K-lifestyle I hope it becomes a more free and diverse K-culture wave Water I have a question for you When you heard it from Seoyoung what was the most interesting event I really love that tumbler I'm a big fan of large tumblers so I really love that tumbler What do you think Seo-young I'm a huge fan of the K-pop drama hunter I'd like to first reflect on all the events surrounding K-pop Dayman Hunter and I'd like to share one more thing Every Tuesday features a K-pop program K-pop Day is celebrated by Damon Hunter There was a career graph featuring Sorapop and the idol which was also very popular Oh then I guess it's time to go now Since you don't work on Tuesdays it looks like today might be the day Jinwoo I think I'm ready to head out now Yes thank you Ms Seo-young thank you for being here today and thank you to all the international travelers for experiencing everything that K-culture has to offer —it is truly an honor Yes thank you Moonchak is I'll see you again tomorrow See you tomorrow on the K-Culture Wave Thank you for joining us over the past 30 minutes See you again on Monday at 2 PM Korea Time Perhaps one day in Korea