October is shaping up to be an exciting month for K-drama fans with projects featuring big names like Cha Eun-Woo, Bae Suzy and Kim Ro-Woon. Scroll through this list to check out what your favorite star’s next show is all about.
A Good Day to be a Dog
If you loved Cha Eun-Woo in ‘True Beauty’ and ‘Rookie Historian’, you will be happy to watch him back in another romantic comedy. Starring Park Gyu-Young, the serial revolves around a woman who is cursed to turn into a dog every midnight, and she must find the man who can help her break this spell, but it turns out that he is also deeply terrified of dogs. The series is set to stream on Netflix from October 11.
The Wedding Battle
K-Drama fans who can’t get enough of Kim Ro-Woon in ‘Destined With You’ are in for a treat with his upcoming rom-com. In this historical drama, the heart throb plays a widow, who teams up with a rival matchmaker to marry off four young maidens. But circumstances change when the two matchmakers realise they’re falling for each other. The series is set to premier from October 30.
Doona!
‘Alchemy of Souls’ actress Bae Suzy is set to come back after a year with ‘Doona!’ where she plays a singer in a band, who shocks audiences by announcing her retirement, and begins living in a shared home with a college student. The nine-episode series will release on Netflix on October 20.
Doctor Slump
Starring Park Hyung Sik (Strong Girl Bong-Soon) and Park Shin-Hye (The Inheritors), the drama is a slice of life focusing on four doctors who are burned out from their profession. The two meet at the time they’re at the lowest point of their lives and are trying to rediscover themselves after quitting their jobs.
BTS fans will continue to go to all lengths to prove that they’re indeed the most wholesome and wonderful people to exist on the planet.
A BTS fan from Gujranwala, Syeda Binte Zainab, moved social media a few days ago when she celebrated the birthday’s of both BTS members Jung Kook and Namjoon’s by donating 125 boxes of food to patients suffering from thalassemia at Sundus Foundation, in an effort to spread awareness about providing blood donations to help children suffering from the disease.
Namjoon aka RM, is a popular rapper and song writer from the South Korean band BTS, which comprises of six other members including Jung Kook, Jin, Suga, Jimin, V and J-Hope. The band, declared by Time Magazine to be the ‘Princes Of Pop’, partnered with UNICEF in 2017 for their campaign to end violence against children, and have received 5 Grammy nominations.
Guyz I need your Prayers because I’m almost going to start Namkook Birthday Project Celebrations with Thalassemia patients and right now I’m packing food for them while streaming “Slow Dancing” Please drop your wishes or Purple heart pic.twitter.com/xkOkkCzpix
— Syeda BinteZainab⁷♥ #HBD_NAMJOON♥| ʟᴀʏᴏ(ꪜ)ᴇʀ ⍤⃝ (@BinteZainab33) September 9, 2023
The viral tweet received praise from fans and non-fans alike on social media, who appreciated the woman for undertaking such an amazing charity project on her own to celebrate her idol’s birthday.
감사합니다 아미 ♀️ You did a really really good Job Our boys will probably be so proud of you, and of course ARMY too… Fightingggg ♀️ https://t.co/GsnSyYMidC
Syeda Zainab also shared a link to her Youtube account which showed how she set up the project. She also included an interview with a doctor who spoke in detail about the disease and encouraged others to donate blood to patients and help save their lives.
Speaking to The Current, Syeda Zainab, who works as a teacher had previously collaborated with Sundas Foundation to organise 180 gifts food boxes, and this year had decided had collaborated with a student to bake a cake and a fellow BTS fan from Twitter, who baked cookies for the occasion.
“This year in collaboration with #BTS_Pk_Streaming , I thought of doing something different, so I texted the Director and asked for his permission to organise a little activity to which he instantly agreed. So I saved my 1 month salary and decided to arrange a special meal for Thalassemia fighters and their families. My student ‘Haider’ who is also BTS ARMY member, prepared the BTS Themed Cake to celebrate Namkook’s (Namjoon & Jungkook of BTS) birthday . A kind ARMY friend *Saira from Twitter specially prepared ‘Namjoon & Jungkook day special cookies’ for patients. I’ve Donated Blood before Starting the celebration because I know the importance of blood donations. My Blood can save 1 life so what’s better then this to celebrate this special month?”
Syeda Zainab told us she had been organising charity efforts for Sundas Foundation since 2021, when she donated blood to the patients and was in touch with the director whom she described as a ‘noble’ man. In 2022, she had celebrated Jung Kooks’ birthday with the rest of the patients by packing more than 180 gifts for the patients, and also brought along a cake to celebrate the occasion as shown from pictures she shared with us.
Speaking on the overwhelming praise her project received from social media, Zainab said she found it “over whelming and heart touching”. Several patients suffering from thalassemia exchanged phone numbers with her in order to see her vlog. “They literally longed for blood and happiness. I’m glad I was the reason behind their smile and happiness.”
“BTS is the reason behind spreading smiles all around the world and we ARMYs simply follow their footsteps. Alhumdulillah I feel incredibly happy to spread happiness around me just like my idols.”
Pakistani BTS fans have gone viral on several occasions for setting up extensive charity projects to celebrate birthdays of the band members, asking for nothing in return. “BTS and the ARMY fandom have been actively involved in social causes and have raised millions for charities. I remember back in June 6th 2020, BTS and Big Hit Entertainment donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter, and the ARMY fandom matched that amount within 24 hours.”
Continuing further, Zainab said “We organize projects like this because our icons inspire us every single day. Jungkook donated millions of won (Korean currency) to hospitals and universities on his birthday. When the severe earthquake disaster happened in turkey, it was BTS band members who donated millions of dollars to help the victims. The list is too extensive to share how many times they have contributed to help others.. We ARMYS do good things on BTS name all around the world so it doesn’t matter for us that our idols live in Korea or anywhere else. The thing which only matter is “THE MESSAGE”. The message BTS gives to ‘LOVE YOURSELF’ & ‘BE HUMAN’.”
Zainab told The Current that Pakistani BTS fans have done several projects in honor of their idols in the past, as last year they had celebrated Namjoon’s birthday by donating wheelchairs to Manawan Hospital Lahore. On September 1, which was Jungkook’s birthday, ARMY members donated 50 notebooks to schools in order to provide educational facilities for students from lower income backgrounds, along with Rs 7000 to Edhi Foundation, just proving how their fandom continues to do good and keep making their icons proud.
Social media users were over joyed when after seven long years, Korean stars Gong Yoo and Lee Dong-Wook reunited in a commercial for SK Enmove. The duo, who are known to be good friends and have publicly supported each other’s projects, rocked to stardom with their 2016 drama ‘Goblin’, one of the best K-dramas to come out so far. Gong Yoo plays the immortal guardian Kim Shin and Lee plays the Grim Reaper Wang Yeo, who agrees to help him.
The Korean heart-throbs broke social media a few days ago when they hinted at the collaboration with a polaroid shared on their Instagram accounts.
We have to agree with fans that after falling in love with ‘Goblin’, this was truly a treat to witness.
gong yoo and lee dong wook smiling and giggling at each other was not in my 2023 bingo card but i accept this wholeheartedly i love them so mcuh pic.twitter.com/b5982f0GSG
Not just a hero on the stage but a hero behind the scenes as well
BTS’s band member Jimin and his father Park Hyun-soo have been playing an important role in providing groceries for low-income families across South Korea. Since September 2020, Hyun-soo has been using the name ‘Ramyeon Fairy’ to deliver donations in Busan, where he provided at least 100 tuna gift sets and 5,250 boxes of ramyeon to struggling families. He has made a total of eight contributions to households across Nam-gu, which can be valued up to 75.95 million Korean won.
On August 5, Hyun-Soo visited the Nam-gu district office to donate five million Korean won under his son Jimin’s name and also personally delivered boxes of ramen to the office. An official source shared with the Korean media organisation SBS:
“[Jimin’s father] asked us to use the items to ensure that no one in need goes hungry. He personally loaded the boxes of instant noodles onto the truck and left them at the district office.”
Jimin himself is also a charitable icon. In 2021, he donated a 100 million won to polio patients, and then another 100 million won to UNICEF Korea to aid children and families struggling from the earthquakes of Syria and Turkey. Among other donations, the ‘Like Crazy’ star pledged 1200 new desks and chairs to the Busan High School of Arts and then gave away 100 million won to the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education.
Kindness must be a common quality among the Korean pop band because it’s not just Jimin, but also other members like Namjoon, who aren’t afraid to give back to the community with what they earned. In 2019, on September 12, when the icon turned 25 years old, he donated 100 million Korean won to The Seoul Samsung School, a specialised institute for deaf children, for music education. In June 2020, the group won praise when they donated $1 million to the human rights organisation ‘Black Lives Matter’.
The baby of the Korean pop band ‘BTS’ is 26 years old today and fans across the world, including Pakistan, are celebrating in creative ways. The singer released his solo ‘Seven’ feat Lattoo that took the world by storm, including Pakistan.
A fan won hearts in July when she plastered posters promoting ‘Seven’ all over Gulistan-e-Johar in Karachi proving that Pakistani fans are super dedicated to the ‘Golden maknae’.
Last year, BTS fans pulled all stops to make sure that the entire country celebrated Jung Kook’s birthday along with them, including setting up a birthday ad in Bahawalpur and Multan, and then a medical camp in Lahore offering free medication.
This time, the fans have been working hard to ensure that their baby girl’s special day is celebrated with joy, as we take a look at some of the elaborate projects the fan base has organised, and honestly we love how caring and dedicated this fanbase is to their icon.
The BTS Twitter account Pk_bts_land announced a project was set up to raise funds and provide education to children from poor families across Pakistan, along with the account details.
This time we are going to raise donations for education for poor students in Pakistan! Some days left and we are also about to complete our goal if you can donate please do
In Quetta, a medical camp was announced by the page Jungkook_Pakistan to provide free services to people in need.
The Free Medical Camp For Jungkook has started. We chose Quetta as our destination since there are alot of in need people for medical care, we could’ve done it in Karachi if we’ve gotten more funds. But the Karachi helpers went to quetta to help there.+
Ken-ergy king Ryan Gosling gave a shout out to BTS’s Jimin ahead of the Barbie release when he acknowledged that he had worn the same look the K-pop star had for his ‘Permission to dance’ music video.
“There’s an unspoken rule that if you bite another Ken’s style, you have to give them your prized possession,” Ryan said as he offered Jimin his guitar.
Ryan Gosling sends message to Jimin of BTS ahead of #Barbie release.
This wholesome crossover between two different worlds has taken over Twitter, because when two icons come together to slay you know magic is about to happen.
It warms our hearts to see kay aaj kal kay tidday kitnay jazbay say apnay shauq dikhatay hain. Particularly how popular Korean bands are among them.
A BTS fan Alina, took her love for the Korean musicians to the streets when she promoted Jung Kook’s single ‘Seven’ across the streets of Karachi by posting images everywhere, and we must say this is the kind of planning and task execution even senior officials cannot show!
Alina, whose Twitter account goes by kimtnam, shared pictures of the posters she had plastered in different areas of Karachi like Dar ul Sehat, Rufi Lake Drive Gate and Pedestal Bridge opposite Karachi University.
Jungkook’s SEVEN posters are up in Gulistan e Johar Karachi Pakistan Pedestal Bridge Opposite Karachi University Universal Medicos (behind one of the fridges) near Continental Bakery beside Stylo, Kamran Chowrangi Dar ul Sehat Rufi Lake Drive gate Perfume Chowk pic.twitter.com/gLwHIQCEkg
A survey conducted by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) ran a survey to determine the most popular Korean entertainers, with 25,000 participants of ages 15 to 59 from 26 different countries taking part in it.
According to Next Shark, the results showed that actors Lee Min-Ho and Gong Yoo were the top five most popular Korean actors globally.
Gong Yoo rose to international fame with romantic comedy ‘Coffee Prince’ in 2007, in which he played a playboy bachelor who falls in love with a boy who is actually a girl.
Lee Min-Ho rose to fame for his dramas ‘The Legend of the Blue Sea’, ‘The King: Eternal Monarch’ and ‘Pachinko’ which released in 2022.
Another actor included in the top five list was Song Hye-Kyo, whose Netflix drama ‘The Glory’ is currently among the top ten most popular dramas worldwide, and had also received praises for her other dramas like ‘Descendants of the Sun’ and ‘Encounter’.
Among the most popular Korean dramas, the most popular answer was the thriller series ‘Squid Games’ which was about contestants competing in a dangerous game to win a large cash prize.
If you’re planning your next BTS streaming party, then Spotify’s latest report will definitely make you excited because they have revealed which regions will you find the most hardcore fans of the popular Kpop band.
According to Dawn, Spotify Pakistan’s region-based breakdown has revealed that Sukkur is the place where BTS has the most fans. Three BTS songs ‘Yet To Come’, ‘Dreamers’ and ‘Dynamite’ are among the top five favorite tracks. Among major cities like Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore, Spotify reported that local musicians are currently holding the top spots which included ‘Pasoori’ by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill, ‘Iraaday’ by Abdul Hannan, ‘Bikhra’ and King’s ‘Tu Ake Dekhlay’.
Spotify also revealed that currently the top trending artists in Pakistan include Atif Aslam, Young Stunners, Asim Azhar and Hasan Raheem. While several artists from across the border have also bagged spots like Arijit Singh, Pritam and AP Dhillon.
Two teenage girls, reported as missing from the Korangi area of Karachi, have been found safe in Lahore on Monday.
Thirteen year old Kinza and 14 year old Naila are fans of the Korean pop band BTS. According to the police, both wanted to go to South Korea to meet the boyband.
The police revealed that Kinza and Naila had planned to travel from Karachi to Lahore, then to Islamabad from where they would fly out to South Korea. Both of them had run away from their homes after gathering information about how to travel to Korea, what difficulties they might encounter and which train they would take. The police futher revealed that both girls had made Google ID’s before leaving , and were using their parents’ Whatsapp numbers. Kinza had also planned on writing a letter about the planned escape of the girls along with Naufal, Kinza’s cousin, but he refused to come along.
According to the Korangi SSP Sajid Sadozai, the teenagers were recovered from Lahore railway station where they were placed under protective custody. A police team will bring the girls back to their homes in Karachi.
