The Algorithm Age

In the world of K-pop, where idols are often held to a sleek, controlled, and consensual image, Nayeon, a member of the group TWICE, stands out as an exception. At 29, the South Korean artist cultivates an image of a free, confident, and sometimes provocative woman, some would say. This stance has earned her the admiration of many fans, but also accusations of narcissism from a segment of the public. A declaration of love to oneself Her debut solo album, "IM NAYEON," released in 2022, already sets the tone. The title is a play on words: "I am Nayeon" but also her real name, Im Na-yeon. This double meaning perfectly sums up her intention: to assert herself without hesitation. One of the most iconic tracks on this project takes this approach even further. In "MEEEEEE," Nayeon describes herself as irresistible, bold, and the master of her destiny. She sings about her beauty, her inner strength, and her ability to play with the codes of seduction w...

Three seasons later, " Squid Game" has ended . Was protagonist Gi-Hun's (Lee Jung-jae) fate spelled out in Season 1, Episode 1? The evidence is convincing, fans are saying online. In the hit Netflix show out of South Korea, financially desperate people battle each other for a prize pot of 4.56 billion won, or just over $33 million . After winning the first game in Season 1, Gi-hun returns, this time with the intention to take down the craven competition. He makes it to the end again. In the final moments, he chooses between sparing himself and taking the life of an infant born during the games, or leaving the infant as the sole winner. The words he says are a clue into his journey in the show. How do Gi-hun's last words tie back to Episode 1? In a dramatic, intense moment, Gi-hun turns to Front Man and the VIPs, who spectated the final game, and makes his thoughts clear. “We are not horses. We are humans. Humans are…” Gi-hun says as his voice t...

It is a long way from the Netherlands to London’s O2 arena, but Megan Jansen wasn’t feeling like a foreigner. “I said to my sister, finally I am home,” the 23-year-old Dutch psychology student declared, as she mingled with the throng who had gathered outside the venue hours in advance of the weekend’s SMTown Live concert . SMTown Live is a kind of enormous travelling K-pop circus featuring a panoply of acts from South Korea’s major SM Entertainment label. Its 2025 world tour has a line-up that ranges from veteran boyband TVXQ to newly minted girl group Hearts2Hearts. It also marks 30 years since the agency formed, a significant anniversary for the South Korean music industry that, with its famously demanding training system and huge online fan communities, has since 1995 grown into a global powerhouse. Jansen and her sister had travelled to the UK with three friends to mark this moment, jumping at the chance to attend the first SMTown show on European soil in 14 years. While ...

Liam Gallagher has been forced to apologise to South Korean Oasis fans on social media after appearing to publicly tweet out a ‘racial slur’. The Oasis frontman, 52, will be taking to the stage again with older brother Noel, 58, from Friday, July 4 when the worldwide Oasis Live 25 tour gets under way in Cardiff. After originally splitting up in 2009, the Gallagher brothers are back together for the first time in 15 years – they announced their sold-out reunion gigs last year. On the tour, the duo will be stopping over at the Goyang Stadium in October – a 41,000-capacity arena situated to the northwest of South Korea’s capital city, Seoul. However, Liam has left some South Korean Oasis fans feeling hurt after screenshots posted on X appeared to show him tweeting the phrase ‘chingchong’. ‘Chingchong’ (believed to have originated in the 19th century) is understood as an offensive or derogatory phrase that’s used to mock or denigrate East Asian languages. ...