K-Culture News This Week: Oct 17–23, 2026

Here is your k-culture news this week for Oct 17–23, 2026. The biggest story for drama fans is the confirmed Dec. 11 rollout of Tantara, starring Song Hye-kyo and Gong Yoo. K-pop had a busy week too, with a virtual group's comeback, a new girl group from a legendary producer, and a Netflix audition show opening applications.

A busy Seoul street at night with glowing signs
A Seoul street at night, where much of this week's K-culture news plays out.
Photo: Nowon Cultural Street at Night 01 by Ox1997cow, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I'm writing from Seoul, and I'll explain why each story matters in Korea, not just what happened. Some details below are thin because I only worked from headlines. I've kept to what those headlines say and left out anything I couldn't confirm.

K-culture news this week: dramas

Tantara gets a December 11 date

The Korea Herald reported on Oct. 22 that Tantara, starring Song Hye-kyo and Gong Yoo, is confirmed for a Dec. 11 rollout. UPI reported the same day that a new poster teases a drama set in the Korean music industry of the 1960s.

Two actors of this level in one project is a big deal in Korea. Both have long careers and a broad audience across age groups, so a period drama with the two of them draws attention from viewers who don't usually follow idol news.

The setting is also interesting. The 1960s is when Korean popular music was taking shape, with older trot (트로트, "teu-ro-teu") sitting alongside Western-influenced pop. The English title is close to a Korean word, ttanttara (딴따라, "ttan-ttah-rah"), an old slang term for entertainers. The sources I have don't explain the title, so treat that link as my guess, not a fact.

Doctor X takes No. 1 on Netflix's non-English chart

The Korea Daily reported on Oct. 21 that Doctor X: Mafia in White claimed No. 1 on Netflix's non-English chart. It's a K-drama, and you can see its numbers in the table further down.

IMDb also published a list of seven shows to watch if you loved it. These "shows like..." lists tend to appear when a drama is breaking out beyond its home market. If you finish it and want more, that list is a good place to start.

Possible Love gets strong reviews abroad

Two English-language outlets praised Possible Love this week. NPR's headline says it offers four of the best performances you'll see all year. The Globe and Mail called the Netflix series a South Korean epic and "the slow-burn drama of the season."

"Slow-burn" is a useful clue if you're new to K-drama. Many Korean series build character and emotion gradually instead of pushing plot twists every episode, and some international viewers love that pace. If you're looking for fast action, check the pacing before you commit.

K-pop news: virtual idols, AI and audition shows

K/DA returns after six years

The Korea Herald reported on Oct. 20 that Riot Games' virtual girl group K/DA is back. IGN reported on Oct. 19 that the group is reemerging with a new music video. Our deep dive covers the details: a return after six years with FIRESTARTER, a four-track EP and a Worlds 2026 stage.

K/DA is a fictional group tied to the game League of Legends, and its members are animated characters. It debuted in 2018 around the game's World Championship and showed that a virtual act could work as a real K-pop release. Korea is one of the biggest League of Legends scenes in the world, so Worlds is a major event here, and the pro league is called the LCK.

A2O LITE: a legendary producer's new girl group

KED Global ran a story on Oct. 20 headlined "K-pop godfather returns with new idol group A2O LITE, fusing AI with signature style." The "godfather" is Lee Soo-man, the producer behind SM Entertainment's early idol system. Dojeon Media followed on Oct. 23 with a explainer saying the rookie group already has 18 million YouTube views.

Our deep dive covers the group's retro-sound debut, NEON. The Korean press often frames a producer's return as a story in itself, and AI is a heated topic among fans. I can't say from headlines how AI is used here, so I'll leave judgments to the full article.

Netflix opens applications for 'We Go High'

The Korea JoongAng Daily reported on Oct. 21 that Netflix has opened applications for a K-pop girl group audition show called We Go High. Aju Press reported the same day that the project is for arts-school students.

Audition shows are a long-running part of Korean pop culture. They let viewers watch trainees develop and pick favorites, which is a big reason fans feel so invested in new groups. The arts-school angle suggests the cast will come from Korea's specialist school system, where many teenagers train in dance and music alongside regular classes.

Food news: Korea marks its first Hansik Day

What Hansik Day means

The Korea Times reported on Oct. 23 that Korea marked its first Hansik Day and unveiled a vision for Korean cuisine. Hansik (한식, "han-sik") simply means Korean food. It covers everyday meals like rice, soup and banchan (반찬, "ban-chan"), the small side dishes that come with almost every meal, as well as restaurant dishes and festive food.

A traditional Korean meal with rice, soup and several small side dishes laid out on a table
Hansik, or Korean food, is often served as rice and soup with many shared side dishes called banchan.
Photo: 한상차림(한식) by 2west11, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A dedicated day signals that Korean food is being treated as part of the country's cultural image, not just a daily habit. For international readers, it fits a pattern: Korean food is increasingly promoted alongside K-pop and K-drama as part of the same wave.

Preserve the essence, widen access

Chosunbiz reported the same day that experts are urging Korea to preserve the essence of K-food while broadening daily access. That's a real tension. People want Korean food to travel, but they also don't want it to lose what makes it Korean.

Small bowls of Korean side dishes such as kimchi and seasoned vegetables
Banchan, the small side dishes served with a Korean meal, are a core part of everyday hansik.
Photo: Korean side dishes (3992416396) by Matt @ PEK from Taipei, Taiwan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you're curious about the everyday side, our street food and ramen deep dives this week are a more practical starting point than any official vision.

Korean shows on the Netflix global chart

These are official Netflix Top 10 numbers for the week ending 2026-10-18, from the non-English TV list. Netflix ranks titles by views, so the order doesn't always match hours viewed. I haven't verified the origin of every title here, and The Apothecary Diaries is a Japanese anime, so it's included only because it appears in the same data.

TitleRankWeekly hours viewedChange vs last week
Doctor X: Mafia in White (Limited Series)#130,000,000203.0%
Take Charge of My Heart (Limited Series)#267,800,000111.9%
100 Days of Deception (Limited Series)#413,000,000New
The Apothecary Diaries (Season 3)#91,400,00016.7%

Doctor X recorded 7,100,000 views for the week, and Take Charge of My Heart recorded 6,400,000. That's why the first sits above the second despite fewer hours. The change column is shown exactly as listed in the data.

Most-watched K-pop videos this week

These are the videos we're featuring, with their current YouTube view counts. First, BABYMONSTER's DESERVE music video, at about 17.2 million views.

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

Next is the LCK channel's Swiss Stage Day 1 video from the 2026 World Championship, at about 2.6 million views. It isn't K-pop, but it's the esports stage that ties into K/DA's Worlds return.

▶ 스위스 스테이지 Day 1 | 2026 월드 챔피언십 — LCK (YouTube)

Last is ATEEZ's Drip official MV from KQ Entertainment, at about 6.7 million views.

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

Coming up on the blog this week

FAQ

When does Tantara come out?

The Korea Herald reported on Oct. 22 that Tantara is confirmed for a Dec. 11 rollout. It stars Song Hye-kyo and Gong Yoo, and UPI describes it as a drama set in the 1960s Korean music industry.

What is Hansik Day?

Hansik means Korean food, and the Korea Times reported that Korea marked its first Hansik Day this week. The government also unveiled a vision for Korean cuisine, though I only have the headline for the details.

What is K/DA?

K/DA is a virtual K-pop girl group created by Riot Games for League of Legends. Its members are animated characters, and it returned this week with a new music video.

Sources

Last updated: October 24, 2026

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