Author: Samar Khouri

Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind Saudi Arabia’s luxury regenerative tourism destinations The Red Sea and AMAALA, has announced a three-year sponsorship deal with South Korean esports powerhouse T1 Entertainment & Sports (T1). Sponsorship deal The announcement was made during the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, marking the first time a tourism developer has partnered at this scale with a global esports brand. The agreement, brokered by CAA Sports—T1’s exclusive commercial agent—positions RSG at the forefront of a rapidly expanding global industry, where esports viewership is projected to reach 640.8 million fans in 2025, including 318.1 million dedicated followers.…

SEVENTEEN member DINO made history on Wednesday night as the first K-pop artist to perform at the Esports World Cup (EWC), held at the anb Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The singer and dancer took the stage during the Opening Ceremony to debut the tournament’s official anthem, Til My Fingers Bleed, in a live performance featuring American rapper Duckwrth and Telle Smith of rock band The Word Alive. The high-energy performance blended K-pop, hip-hop, and rock, with DINO delivering live vocals and intricate choreography alongside a group of nearly 30 dancers. The stage design incorporated immersive digital visuals inspired by…

Taeil, a former member of the K-pop boy band NCT, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after being found guilty of special quasi-rape under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, according to the Korea Herald. The Seoul Central District Court delivered the verdict on Thursday, ordering the immediate detention of the 31-year-old. Two other men, surnamed Lee and Hong, involved in the same incident, received identical sentences and were also taken into custody. The charges stem from an incident in June 2024 in Itaewon, a well-known nightlife area in Seoul.…

Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM has entered into a significant content partnership with Shahid, the largest Arabic-language streaming platform in MENA, marking its first major entry into the region’s streaming market. The deal represents a key step in CJ ENM’s ongoing efforts to expand its global footprint and reach millions of Arabic-speaking viewers through Shahid’s broad subscriber base. Shahid described it as an “exciting new chapter for Korean storytelling in the MENA region.” Starting June 19, Shahid will premiere 20 Korean drama series from CJ ENM’s extensive catalog, introducing MENA viewers to a curated selection of popular titles such as…

Dubai will host KOSTCON 2025, a Korean drama soundtrack concert, for the first time on September 5, 2025. Star-studded lineup This event reunites fans with the original artists behind some of the most beloved K-drama songs, featuring six acclaimed K-drama OST singers: LYN, Kim Bum-soo, K.Will, Soyou, Heize, and Lee Mujin. It is organized by Kelebrity Worldwide in collaboration with the Korea Management Federation and Hi Five Entertainment. LYN will bring her soul-stirring melodies like ‘You Are My Destiny.’ Kim will deliver powerful ballads including ‘I Miss You,’ while K.Will will perform his emotional hits such as ‘Love Blossom.’ Soyou,…

Korean action drama ‘Weak Hero Class 2’ debuted atop Netflix’s non-English TV list, garnering 6.1 million views within three days of its release. Views are calculated by dividing total watch hours by runtime. Season 2 global, regional ranking The strong performance was built on the momentum of its predecessor, propelling the series to the top spot, according to the streaming platform. Released on April 25, the school violence drama series took the lead on Netflix’s TV ranking in nine countries—including Saudi Arabia and Oman—during the April 21–27, 2025 viewing window. ‘Weak Hero Class 2’ made the top 10 list in…

For the first time in nearly a decade, a K-pop group will hold a solo concert in mainland China — a development that could signal a shift in Beijing’s long-standing restrictions on South Korean entertainment. C9 Entertainment has announced that EPEX, its eight-member boy group, will perform in Fuzhou on May 31 as part of their ongoing Asia tour, which launched in Seoul last December. New milestone The concert marks a significant moment, as it will be the first standalone show in China by a fully Korean K-pop group since 2016. The Chinese government imposed an unofficial but sweeping freeze…

aespa has officially been added to the 2025 Mawazine Festival lineup in Morocco, marking a major moment for the K-pop quartet in the MENA region. Morocco debut The group, known for its futuristic concept and chart-topping hits like ‘Next Level’ and ‘Spicy,’ will perform in Rabat on June 24 at the music festival’s main stage, OLM Souissi. aespa will make history as the first K-pop girl group to perform at the annual music event. It will also mark Karina, Winter, Giselle, and Ningning’s first performance in Morocco and their debut appearance on the North African continent. The quartet’s addition to…

Korean crime thriller ‘Karma’ debuted at number 5 on Netflix’s non-English TV chart with 3.6 million views for the week ending April 6, the streaming service revealed. Global, regional performance The six-episode series, which premiered on April 4, charted in the top 10 in TV shows in 37 countries, of which includes Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and the UAE, during the March 31 and April 6, 2025, viewing window. ‘Karma’ also registered 19.3 million hours of viewing time globally. Top 10 popular titles This week’s top spot on the non-English TV chart went to the critically…

The highly-anticipated South Korean drama ‘Weak Hero Class 1’ garnered significant attention globally and regionally following its global release on Netflix on March 25, 2025. Global, regional buzz Based on a webtoon by Seopass and Razen, also known as Kim Jin-seok, the action-packed series starring Park Ji-hoon, Choi Hyun-wook, and Hong Kyung debuted with 6.7 million views during the March 24 – March 30, 2025, viewing period. ‘Weak Hero Class 1’ was the top series in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Réunion, and ranked in the top 10 in TV shows in 70 countries during the week. Regionally, the violent,…