K-Culture News This Week: Oct 19–25, 2026

Here is your k-culture news this week for Oct 19–25, 2026. The biggest story was Netflix marking 10 years in Korea, with the cast of All of Us Are Dead reuniting at the anniversary event on Saturday. K-pop had a busy week too, with a solo EP from BLACKPINK's Lisa and big numbers for ILLIT.

I live in Seoul, so I'll try to explain not just what happened but why Korean fans care. Each section below also points to a longer post coming later this week.

K-drama and streaming news

Netflix Korea turns 10

The Korea Times reported on Oct 25 that Netflix is marking a decade in Korea and unveiling a new star-studded lineup. For many Korean viewers, Netflix changed how we watch TV. Korean dramas used to be built around weekly broadcasts on TV channels. Streaming made it normal to watch a whole series at once, and made it easy for a Korean show to reach viewers abroad on the same day.

The headline mentions a lineup of titles, but the report I have gives no details on the individual shows. I'll go through what was announced in a separate post on Wednesday.

The All of Us Are Dead cast reunites

One moment from the anniversary event got a lot of attention. A post on Facebook said that Park Ji-hu, Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon and Yoon Chan-young reunited on Saturday, to the delight of fans waiting for the series' second season.

In Korea the show is known as Jigeum Uri Hakgyoneun (지금 우리 학교는, "jee-geum oo-ree hak-gyo-neun"), which roughly means "Our school, right now." It is a zombie story set in a high school, and it was one of Netflix's big Korean hits. A cast reunion photo is the kind of thing Korean fans share quickly, because it shows the young actors are still close. The sources I have do not give a release date for season 2, so I won't guess one.

Love in Disguise brings a gender-reversal romcom

The South China Morning Post describes Love in Disguise as a gender-reversal romcom K-drama led by Yim Si-wan and Seol In-ah. Decider ran a "stream it or skip it" review of the show on Prime Video, so it is clearly streaming outside Korea too. Lifestyle Asia also lists it first among the week's new K-drama releases.

Disguise and gender-swap stories have a long history in Korean TV. Coffee Prince, with a woman passing as a man, is one older example that many Koreans still remember. Viewers who like that tradition may enjoy seeing how a new drama reverses the idea. I'll cover the show in more detail on Sunday.

Other new K-dramas this week

If you want a watchlist, two outlets published weekly roundups. GQ India counted 14 new Korean dramas streaming on Netflix and other platforms for Oct 19–25. Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong named Love in Disguise and Final Table as highlights. I only have the headlines of those roundups, so I can't tell you more about Final Table yet.

K-culture news this week: K-pop

ILLIT's "Magnetic" hits 900 million streams

The Korea Times reported that ILLIT's "Magnetic" became the fastest debut song by a K-pop group to reach 900 million streams. A debut song is the first single a group ever releases, and it usually has the hardest job, because nobody knows the members yet. A song that keeps growing long after debut tells you it has reached listeners beyond the fandom.

Fan culture explains part of the story. Korean fans organize streaming campaigns, but a number like this usually needs casual listeners as well.

"BREAK EVEN" pre-saves pass 500,000

The Chosun Ilbo reported that ILLIT's "BREAK EVEN" has topped K-pop girl group pre-saves with over 500,000. A pre-save lets a fan add an upcoming release to their streaming library before it comes out, so the song appears there automatically on release day. It works as an early signal of how many people are waiting.

In K-pop, a new release cycle is called a comeback (컴백, "kum-baek"). It does not mean the group went away. It just means they are back with new music, and groups often have a comeback every few months. I'll look at ILLIT's return and the streaming milestone together on Tuesday.

Lisa releases her first solo EP, "Press Play"

The Korea Times reported on Oct 23 that BLACKPINK's Lisa released her first solo EP, Press Play. Two days earlier, UPI reported that she was teasing a single called "Tarantino" along with a music video.

BLACKPINK members often release solo projects while the group remains together, and fans follow both. The "Tarantino" video is in the video section below, so you can watch it and see its view count.

Korean shows on the Netflix global chart

These numbers are from the official Netflix Top 10 for the week ending 2026-10-18, which is the week before the one covered in this roundup. All four titles are listed under "TV (Non-English)" in the data.

TitleRankWeekly hours viewedChange vs last week
Doctor X: Mafia in White (Limited Series)#130,000,000+203.0%
Take Charge of My Heart (Limited Series)#267,800,000+111.9%
100 Days of Deception (Limited Series)#413,000,000New
The Apothecary Diaries (Season 3)#91,400,000+16.7%

Two notes on reading this table. First, Netflix ranks titles by views, not by hours. Views are hours divided by a title's runtime, which is why a show with more hours can sit below one with fewer. In this week's data, Take Charge of My Heart has more hours than Doctor X but a lower rank.

Second, the category is non-English TV, not Korean TV only. The Apothecary Diaries is a Japanese anime, so it is not a Korean show. I'm keeping it in the table because it is in the data, but treat it as a reminder to check where a title comes from before you assume.

Most-watched K-pop videos this week

Here are three music videos from our watch list. The view counts are lifetime totals at the time of writing, not weekly numbers.

First, Lisa's "Tarantino" official music video, with 58,339,535 views. This is the single she teased this week.

▶ LISA - Tarantino (Official Music Video) — LISAOfficialVEVO (YouTube)

Next, BABYMONSTER's "DESERVE" M/V, with 39,668,832 views.

▶ BABYMONSTER - 'DESERVE' M/V — BABYMONSTER (YouTube)

Finally, ATEEZ's "Drip" official MV, with 14,692,770 views.

▶ ATEEZ(에이티즈) - 'Drip' Official MV — KQ ENTERTAINMENT (YouTube)

Coming up on the blog this week

FAQ

What is a pre-save in K-pop?

A pre-save lets you add an upcoming song or album to your streaming library before release. On release day it appears there automatically. Pre-save counts show how much anticipation a release has.

Did Lisa release a solo EP this week?

Yes. The Korea Times reported on Oct 23 that BLACKPINK's Lisa dropped her first solo EP, Press Play. Earlier in the week, UPI had reported that she was teasing a single called "Tarantino" with a music video.

Is there a release date for All of Us Are Dead season 2?

The sources I have say fans are waiting for the second season, and that four cast members reunited at Netflix Korea's 10th anniversary event on Saturday. They do not give a release date, so I can't confirm one. I'll cover the anniversary announcements in Wednesday's post.

Sources

Last updated: October 26, 2026

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