Open Korea

Open Korea

Korean Identities Beyond Borders

  • News
  • History
  • People
  • Community
  • Entertainment
  • Resources
    • ☎️ Helpline in Korea
    • 🔗 Useful sites on Korea
    • 🎬 Best Korean Films
    • 📺 Best Korean Shows
    • 🎤 Best Korean Pop
    • 👥 Join the Cause
    • 💲Donor Dashboard

K-pop

Unbiased History & Stories on Korea for Global Audience

Sponsored by Open Korea Foundation

  • Question for K-pop stans who also are fans of Hannah Montana (or at least understand the premise of the show) 👀

    Sep 11, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Just curious! In a hypothetical scenario, if the Hannah Montana universe were real, which idols would you think would fall…

    Celebrity, K-pop, Question
  • Within a few hours, Stray Kids will headline the Rock in Rio festival, the first K-pop artist to do so

    Sep 11, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Alongside Stray Kids headlining the Palco Mundo World Stage, Hwasa and Nexz will perform that day. For the first time…

    BTS, history, Japan, K-pop, Korean Art
  • KICKFLIP: REWRITING POP’S BLUEPRINT WITH ‘KICK OFF THE WALL PT. 1’

    Sep 11, 2026
    in Feeds

    A Kpoppie Magazine Digital Cover Story – By The Editorial Desk THE ELECTRIC SHIFT A stark, ice-cool room bathed in…

    Japan, K-pop, KT, Stress
  • THE ARCHITECT OF MOTION: ATEEZ YUNHO REDEFINES GLOBAL POP’S NEW ERA

    Sep 10, 2026
    in Feeds

    BLUEPRINT OF A KING: ATEEZ YUNHO RECONFIGURES GLOBAL POP’S DNA The studio air in Seoul feels charged, almost static, right…

    Global Expansion, Japan, K-pop, KT, Seoul, study
  • Assembly cautions JYP founder over personal activities during U.S. trip

    Sep 10, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    The National Assembly reprimanded JYP Entertainment founder Park Jin-young for pursuing personal business while in the United States on an…

    K-pop, Tourism, travel
  • aespa’s tour is actually doing amazing compared to their peers

    Sep 10, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    I’ve seen discussions around aespa’s tour, especially the Latin American leg, and how people are saying they have no demand…

    Discussion, K-pop
  • What do you think about the old controversy involving Jennie’s “Like JENNIE” and the Indian song “Rani”?

    Sep 10, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    I recently came across the old controversy where people pointed out that Jennie’s “Like JENNIE” sounded somewhat similar to the…

    Controversy, Ewha, K-pop, K-pop Fans
  • Kim Taehyung: The Quiet Rebel Rewriting the DNA of Global Pop

    Sep 9, 2026
    in Feeds

    Digital Cover Feature Story The strobe cuts out, leaving only a low-slung crimson glow slicing through Venetian blinds. On the…

    BTS, Curiosity, daegu, Japan, K-pop, LG, Military, Mystery, Photography, Seoul, study, Tokyo
  • How is JYP going to handle Stray Kids’ eventual military enlistment period?

    Sep 9, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Stray Kids, like other K-pop boy groups, will eventually have to deal with military enlistments. Looking at the members’ ages,…

    K-pop, Military, Question
  • What is a “mid-tier” group actually? How do people decide?

    Sep 9, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Now I know some people don’t care about this weird tier assignment that some Kpop stans assign to groups but…

    BTS, K-pop, Question
  • Are K-pop fans becoming toxic or cringe?

    Sep 9, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    I’m genuinely curious about what others think. I’m not saying K-pop or BTS are talentless—they obviously have talented artists. My…

    BTS, Celebrity, K-pop, K-pop Fans
  • I think that fans put too many expectations on K-pop groups when it comes to them not achieving the global success of BTS and Blackpink.

    Sep 9, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Disclaimer: I understand that fans want their groups to be successful when it comes to achieving popularity both domestically and…

    BTS, Discussion, Fame, K-pop, K-pop Fans, Question
  • Since when have Boy groups fallen off so HARD?

    Sep 9, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    I’m fully expecting the die-hard boy group stans to come for my throat, but oh well. Firstly, I’m not saying…

    BTS, K-pop, KT, LG, Social Media
  • Deaf K-pop group Big Ocean returns with ‘Love Sign,’ most mature release yet

    Sep 9, 2026
    in News

    The world’s first Deaf idol group, Big Ocean, dropped its digital single “Love Sign” on Wednesday, its first release in…

    K-pop
  • EVAN’s album is a really really welcome addition in K-Pop

    Sep 9, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    I was really really surprised by EVAN’s solo output from this week, and I think it is proof that EVAN…

    K-pop
  • What are some parasocial things you’ve done in K-Pop? Are you an accomplished fanboy or fangirl?

    Sep 9, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Knowing the community, this should be fun lol. Pretty sure everyone has had a crazy phase too or is currently…

    K-pop
  • Bangchan’s bubble messages reminded me just how hungry idols are for a domestic hit

    Sep 9, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    I’m not a STAY, but I came across his recent viral Bubble messages from a few hours ago, where he…

    history, K-pop
  • ANARCHY IN LEATHER: SOYEON REWRITES THE K-POP RULEBOOK

    Sep 8, 2026
    in Feeds

    i-dle’s visionary leader detonates idol conventions, pairing raw sonic architecting with Coach’s bold downtown grit for Marie Claire Korea’s September…

    Global Expansion, Japan, K-pop, Seoul, Stress
  • I actually think that SaWaDiKa is a good comeback track.

    Sep 8, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    A lot of people seem to be divisive about it or are indifferent about the song in regards to the…

    Ewha, fail, K-pop, K-pop Fans
  • Which K-pop idols have voices that are perfect to sing Metal/Emo songs?

    Sep 8, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Over in the western world, you have artists like Miley Cyrus and Doja Cat who have only ever dabbled in…

    K-pop
  • North Korea cracks down on teens’ K-pop-inspired finger heart gesture

    Sep 8, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    submitted by /u/rdh2dmd [link] [comments]

    K-pop, North Korea
  • Trying to bury the actions of certain fans due to a stupid stereotype is quite damaging.

    Sep 8, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Disclaimer: This post is only calling out the actions of toxic fans and people that tries to bury the actions…

    BTS, Discussion, Ewha, K-pop
  • fromis_9 is the Carly Rae Jepsen of K-pop.

    Sep 8, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Carly Rae Jepsen is well-regarded in the western pop musicscape as a music savant. She is very consistent with her…

    Crime, Discussion, K-pop, LG
  • I tend to think that charts and streams are viewed negatively than sales in K-pop.

    Sep 7, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Disclaimer: This post was seen from my experience and if you disagree please post your own opinion respectfully inside the…

    K-pop
  • J-Pop vs K-Pop vs C-Pop vs T-Pop vs P-Pop fan engagement & emotional investment

    Sep 7, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Anyone that is into other Asian Pops? I know that the culture is sorta different amongst all of them but…

    K-pop
  • Kpop Girl Group Global Tours have really hit peak yet or it has more ability to expand. It has really come far from early years?

    Sep 7, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    It was already started by Goat JYPapi who had dream that Kpop Girl Groups can succeed in West and Wonder…

    BTS, Japan, K-pop, Question, Tokyo
  • Judge scores are easily the most questionable part of K-pop award shows

    Sep 7, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    There are so many award shows in K-pop and I feel like the judging scores, or the judging criteria in…

    K-pop, Question
  • Professional/trained dancers of kpopthoughts, can you tell me why SNSD members’ dancing feels different?

    Sep 7, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    I’ve been watching videos of HyoSooYur recent promotion and old SNSD MVs and I noticed something. They, including the rest…

    K-pop, LG
  • BIGBANG’s New Peak and Thoughts on the Cosmos Tour

    Sep 7, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    I’ve been seeing a lot of comparisons about BIGBANG and currently active K-pop artists touring. There’s talk about the choice…

    Controversy, driver, family, Japan, K-pop, LG, Question
  • Thoughts on liking K-pop as a guy in his 20s

    Sep 7, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    I got into K-pop thanks to Newjeans. I already knew what K-pop was since my sister had a pillow of…

    K-pop
  • Casual Chat – (September 06)

    Sep 6, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    Welcome to ‘ Casual Chat! Here, you can talk about any topic you want; k-pop or not. Anything goes here!…

    K-pop
  • Tuide debuted recently with their debut album; I really enjoyed it. It got me wondering what your favorite songs are from each Hybe Group, more specifically their debut album?

    Sep 6, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    I noticed that a majority of HYBE groups debut with an album. Something that I really like, as I get…

    BTS, Controversy, K-pop, K-pop Fans
  • Beyond the Avatar: Ningning and the New Avant-Garde of Global Pop

    Sep 5, 2026
    in Feeds

    I. THE ANATOMY OF A STILL MOMENT The studio lights in Seoul do not flicker; they hum with a low,…

    Japan, K-pop, KT, Metaverse, Photography, Seoul
  • Am I the only one that notices that certain elements of hip-hop are use as defenses when it comes to male idols in K-pop?

    Sep 5, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    This post was inspired by a recent post I had heard on a K-pop sub Reddit calling Lisa a “narcissist”…

    BTS, Ewha, K-pop, K-pop industry, Suga
  • Architectural Precision & Sonic Soul: DAY6 Young K Redefines Pop Dominance

    Sep 5, 2026
    in Feeds

    Digital Cover Feature Story The Architecture of Time and Tone The studio floor is quiet, but the air carries the…

    Japan, K-pop, Seoul, Tokyo
  • Do you think companies would release AI Idol chatbots and would fans use them?

    Sep 5, 2026
    in Community, Feeds

    So I was watching Black Mirror, and there’s an episode where a woman brings her husband back from the dead…

    K-pop
Next Page→

Advice automotive Bibimbap BTS Busan Celebrity Cheese Controversy Coupang Crime Curiosity Discussion Donald Trump driver Ewha fail Fame family Gen Z germany Global Expansion history Hyundai Japan Jeju Jjigae Joseon Justice K-pop K-pop Fans K-pop industry Kakao Kia Kimchi Korean Comapny Korean Food Koreans Korean Semiconductor Korean Technology KT LG LG Electronics LG Energy LG Energy Solution Lotte martial law Medical Military Naver North Korea Nvidia Parents Peace Photography Politics Pork POSCO Protest purpose Putin Question request Samsung Samsung Electronics Scandal Seoul Sex Shopping SK Hynix Social Media Soju Stress study Suga Survey Tokyo Tourism travel Ukraine Warning

Latest Korean News

  • DPK says it will take controversy over gender minister nominee ‘seriously’September 11, 2026
    The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said Friday it… Read more: DPK says it will take controversy over gender minister nominee ‘seriously’
  • Chicken dishes give wings to Chuncheon tourism, fuel local economySeptember 11, 2026
    CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province — Famous for its stir-fried and grilled… Read more: Chicken dishes give wings to Chuncheon tourism, fuel local economy
  • Nuveen sees growing institutional opportunity in Korea’s rental housingSeptember 11, 2026
    Global asset manager Nuveen sees Korea’s housing market becoming increasingly… Read more: Nuveen sees growing institutional opportunity in Korea’s rental housing
  • [TEST DRIVE] Lexus NX 450h+ reveals sporty sideSeptember 11, 2026
    For a brand long associated with quiet, effortless cruising, Lexus… Read more: [TEST DRIVE] Lexus NX 450h+ reveals sporty side
  • Traditional court music meets ballet at Gyeongbok PalaceSeptember 11, 2026
    This autumn, the historic grounds of Gyeongbok Palace in central… Read more: Traditional court music meets ballet at Gyeongbok Palace

Latest Community Feeds

  • Question for K-pop stans who also are fans of Hannah Montana (or at least understand the premise of the show) 👀September 11, 2026
  • Within a few hours, Stray Kids will headline the Rock in Rio festival, the first K-pop artist to do soSeptember 11, 2026
  • Ateez then and now – Am I the only one who … ? (Unpopular Opinion, probably.)September 11, 2026
  • Unpopular Opinion. Do you agree with my opinion?September 11, 2026
  • What was South Korea like during the 9/11 attacks?September 11, 2026
  • S. Korean, Iranian FMs hold phone talks amid Seoul weighing possible Hormuz deploymentSeptember 11, 2026
  • How ‘Oppagate’ puts Kim Seung-won’s Justice Ministry nomination and Korea’s legal overhaul under pressureSeptember 11, 2026
  • What’s one thing an idol did/say that made you go “oh they’re genuinely a kind person”September 11, 2026
  • I’ve had a change of heart.. I think it’s totally fine for groups to lipsync at concertsSeptember 11, 2026
  • I don’t know but I have this thought that Huh Yunjin would fit better if she debuted in KATSEYESeptember 11, 2026
  • Robber Who Pulled Trigger on Officer’s Gun Gets 8 YearsSeptember 11, 2026
  • President Lee Jae Myung’s Approval Rating Drops to 38%September 11, 2026
  • Can anyone recommend me good naver webtoon?September 11, 2026
  • Some Questions/Thoughts on ILLIT and their standingSeptember 11, 2026
  • What is your ideal number of members in a group?September 11, 2026
  • Something ive noticed after listening to kpop for a bitSeptember 11, 2026
  • Explaining why some Idols don’t get a paycheck and why it’s not necessarily that the company is greedy eventhough they areSeptember 10, 2026
  • Mark Lee released his new song and MV, ‘My Friend’! What are your first thoughts on the song??September 10, 2026
  • Can you explain the hate on Mnet/ CJ to me?September 10, 2026
  • The Political Cost of Sending Korean Forces to HormuzSeptember 10, 2026

All Articles

  • Art (3)
  • Feeds (25,715)
    • Community (19,170)
    • Entertainment (988)
    • News (5,192)
  • History (41)
  • People (16)

History of Korea

  • Exploring Ancient Korea: A Journey into Pre-HistoryOctober 12, 2017
    Introduction to Pre-Historic Korea The timeline of ancient Korea before documented history is a fascinating yet challenging area of study.… Read more: Exploring Ancient Korea: A Journey into Pre-History
  • The Rise and Fall of Go Joseon and the Emergence of the Three KingdomsOctober 19, 2017
    Introduction to Go Joseon The Go Joseon dynasty, often considered a pivotal era in Korean history, emerged around the end… Read more: The Rise and Fall of Go Joseon and the Emergence of the Three Kingdoms
  • The Rise and Fall of Korea’s Three Kingdoms: A Story of Power, Conflict, and UnificationNovember 30, 2017
    Introduction to the Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms period in Korea, encompassing approximately from the 1st century BCE to the… Read more: The Rise and Fall of Korea’s Three Kingdoms: A Story of Power, Conflict, and Unification
  • Choe Chi-wonFebruary 14, 2018
    Introduction to Choe Chi-won Choe Chi-won, born in 857, stands as a notable figure in Korean history, specifically during the… Read more: Choe Chi-won
  • King Gwanggaeto the GreatMay 14, 2018
    Introduction to King Gwanggaeto King Gwanggaeto the Great, a pivotal figure in Korean history, ruled from 395 to 413 CE… Read more: King Gwanggaeto the Great
  • Won HyoOctober 14, 2018
    Introduction to Won Hyo Won Hyo, a prominent figure in Korean history, is celebrated for his profound impact on the… Read more: Won Hyo
  • Jang BogoApril 14, 2019
    Introduction to Jang Bogo Jang Bogo, a prominent historical figure from the Silla Dynasty, played a pivotal role in shaping… Read more: Jang Bogo
  • GyebaekApril 14, 2019
    Introduction to Gyebaek Gyebaek is a prominent historical figure in Korean history, particularly known for his role as a general… Read more: Gyebaek
  • King MuryeongSeptember 14, 2019
    Introduction to King Muryeong King Muryeong, reigning from 501 to 523 AD, stands as one of the most influential monarchs… Read more: King Muryeong
  • The Rise and Fall of the Goryeo Dynasty: A Precursor to the Joseon EraJanuary 3, 2020
    Introduction to the Goryeo Dynasty The Goryeo Dynasty, established in 918 AD by the notable general Wang Geon, marks a… Read more: The Rise and Fall of the Goryeo Dynasty: A Precursor to the Joseon Era

Open Korea

Open Korea

Korean Identities Beyond Borders

Sponsors & Partners

  • Eastern Art – Center for Non-Western Art Studies
  • Great African Railway – Connecting Young Africans in Metaverse
  • Renewable AI – Carbon Neutral Regulation in AI Training
  • ContentsWIRE – Stream quality writings and visuals for your business

Helplines in Korea

112  | Police

Call to report life-threatening situations and emergencies requiring law enforcement. Text service and location tracking service is also available.

119 | Fire & Ambulance

The fire department and health emergencies requiring ambulance service. There’s also an English reporting section on their website.

182 | Missing Persons & Stolen Vehicles

This line is also used for non-emergency reports and requests such as inquiring about the cost of a fine for a traffic violation, information on car licenses, and how to contact officers in charge of specific cases.

1339 | Korea Center for Disease Control (KCDC) Foreigner Helpline

Particularly useful during the 2015 MERS scare, the KCDC provides foreigners with information about first-aid and diseases in English, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Mongolian.

1366 | Seoul Women’s Help Hotline

Not necessarily English-friendly and not outside of Seoul, this 24-hour service immediate response line for women involved in domestic abuse, sexual violence or prostitution should still be kept handy.

1330 | Korea Tourism Organization’s Travel Helpline

Tourism and translation services. The service is available 24/7 and provides information on tourist sites, transportation, restaurants, and more.

120 | Seoul Municipal Government Info

The Seoul “Dasan” helpline provides information on restaurants (Korean and international cuisines), transportation (bus, subway, taxi, etc.), Korean language schools, interpretation services, legal consulting, lost items, volunteer services, daily living in Seoul, and tourism. Available languages are Chinese, English, Japanese, Mongolian and Vietnamese from 9 am to 10 pm.

1345 | Immigration

Foreign resident can to ask just about any immigration-related question. Keep in mind that they tend to be on the negative side, as it’s the safer way for them to answer. Tip: Get their name and information so that if you visit the immigration office and get a different story you can tell them that you were told otherwise…

1331 | National Human Rights Commission of Korea

Call here to get information on human rights laws and social justice in Korea, as well as get assistance with filing a complaint and even receive counseling.

110 | National Government Call Center

This phone number is available for the public to call and inquire about anything from government policy to civil complaints. Available in 20 different languages.

Useful Official Links on Korea

Korean Arts

  • Archive of Gugak 국악아카이브
  • Artsnet 미술포탈 아츠넷
  • Digital Archive of Performing Arts 공연예술 디지털 아카이브
  • Intangible Heritage Digital Archive 무형유산 디지털 아카이브
  • Korea Digital Archives for the Arts 한국예술디지털아카이브
  • National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea 국립현대미술관
  • ​National Museum of Korea 국립중앙박물관
  • Seoul Photo Archives 서울사진아카이브

Korean Cinema

  • HANCINEMA The Korean Movie & Drama Database
  • Intangible Heritage Digital Archive 무형유산 디지털 아카이브
  • KMDb 한국영화데이터베이스
  • Korea Digital Archives for the Arts 한국예술디지털아카이브
  • Korean Annual Box Office Results 영화진흥위원회 박스오피스
  • Korean Film Archive 한국영상자료원
  • Korean Film Archive YouTube Channel
  • Korean Film Biz Zone
  • Korean Film Council 한국영화진흥위원회
  • KTV National Record Film 한국정책방송원 e영상역사관
  • North Korean film 북한영화 (통일부 북한자료센타)

Language & Literature

  • The Academy of Korean Studies 한국학 중앙 연구원
  • DLKL (한국 문학 디지털 도서관) by 한국문학번역원Digital Library of Korean Literature
  • The Korea Comparative Literature Association 한국비교문학회
  • The Korean Association of Language Sciences 한국언어과학회
  • Korean Literature Archive
  • Korean Literature Author Data Service
  • Korean Literature E-books in Multiple Languages
  • The Learned Society of Modern Korean Literature 한국현대문학회
  • The Modern Linguistic Society of Korea 한국현대언어학회
  • The Society of Korean Oral Literature 한국 구비 문학회
  • 국어 능력 인증 시험 (한국언어문화연구원)
  • 근대 문학 종합 목록 (국립 중앙 도서관)A comprehensive database for Korean modern literature. The site provides a search for authors and titles.
  • 한국 고전 종합 DB
  • 한글 학회 (Korean Language Society)

Statistical Sources

Government sources

  • Statistics Korea (KOSTAT 통계청)
  • Korean Statistical Information Sources (KOSIS 국가통계포털)
  • Open DATA Portal (공공 데이터 포털)

Themed statistics

  • Korean Social Science Data Archive (KOSSDA) 한국사회과학자료원
  • North Korean Statistics 북한통계 (KOISS)
  • 경제통계시스템 (Economic Statistics System)
  • 국가교육통계정보센터 (Korea National Center for Education Statistics & Information)
  • 노동통계 (Labour Statistics)
  • Media Statistics (Korea Press Foundation)
  • Trade Statistics (수출입통계, 관세청 Korea Customs Service)

History related sources

  • 한국역사정보통합시스템 (국사편찬워원회)
  • 한국사 데이터베이스
  • Kyujanggak Institute (규장각 한국학 연구원)Seoul National University Kyujanggak Institute for Korean studies
  • 한국학 디지털 아카이브
  • The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty 조선 왕조 실록
  • The Daily Records of Royal Secretariat of Joseon Dynasty 승정원 일기
  • 朝鮮王朝実録 (東京大学東洋文化研究所)
  • Korean Image Archive (한국 이미지 자료원)2,400 historic, original photographs of Korea (primarily focus on images captured pre-1970, and 35mm color slides) are available for research, presentation, lectures and other forms of scholarly works.
  • Sajin Taehan Min’guk (사진 대한민국)a collection of photographic records that vividly capture the people’s daily lives and social changes.
  • Academy of Korean Studies [한국학 디지털 아카이브]

Bibliographies and Indexes

  • 한국학술지인용색인 Korea Citation Index
  • KORCIS: 한국 고문헌 종합 목록 (국립중앙도서관)Korean Old and Rare Collection Information System
  • 近代朝鮮関係書籍データベース (東京大学東洋文化研究所)
  • 한국 잡지 박물관 DB