“Undercover Chef” Announces New Spin-Off To Air Later This Year
Variety show “Undercover Chef” is getting a new spin-off later this year!
On September 18, tvN announced “Undercover Chef: Friends Who Came From Afar” (literal title), a spin-off that brings the local chefs from the original series to Korea, where they will experience unfamiliar Korean kitchens firsthand.
“Undercover Chef,” which concluded in July, follows Korea’s top chefs as they go undercover as the most junior employees at restaurants in the countries where they built their culinary foundations. Stripped of their titles, they take on hidden missions while navigating unfamiliar environments and language barriers. Sam Kim went undercover at a restaurant in Parma, Italy; Jung Ji Sun in Chengdu, China; and Kwon Sung Jun in Naples, Italy.
The show topped its time slot in viewership ratings from its premiere, with its finale reaching a peak rating of 8.6 percent according to Nielsen Korea—the show’s highest rating yet.
While the Korean chefs were the most junior members in the kitchens overseas, the spin-off will offer a fun role reversal as they welcome their new friends to Korea as owner chefs.
The production team shared, “Since the chefs run restaurants for a living, it wasn’t easy to coordinate their schedules. The Naples team with Chef Kwon Sung Jun and the Chengdu team with Chef Jung Ji Sun have completed filming, but unfortunately, Chef Sam Kim’s Parma team was unable to join this spin-off.”
They continued, “However, as mentioned in the finale of ‘Undercover Chef,’ the Parma team is planning to visit Korea in February next year. We also talked about hopefully joining forces again and having fun together if the opportunity arises.”
The production team added, “The chefs from Naples and Chengdu will open up a new world of gastronomy in unfamiliar Korea. With the tables turned, many unexpected episodes came about. We hope viewers will look forward to the show’s diverse entertainment and the new chemistry between the chefs.”
“Undercover Chef: Friends Who Came From Afar” will air later this year. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, watch “Undercover Chef” with subtitles on Viki below:
Rakuten Viki’s K-Drama Day Returns For The Fourth Year: Celebrate With Free Shows, Special Prizes, Talent Exclusives, And More
K-drama fans, it’s that time of the year again!
Rakuten Viki, the leading destination for Asian entertainment, has announced its fourth annual K-Drama Day, which celebrates the growing popularity and global fandom of Korean entertainment. Kicking off September 25 and running through October 1, Viki is rewarding its community with free content, a can’t-miss slate of prizes, talent exclusives, and more.
Viki fans have been at the heart of the K-drama community by sharing their favorite shows, introducing friends to new stories, and helping K-dramas find audiences around the world. This year, Viki is putting the celebration in their hands. From September 14–21, fans can vote for the K-drama they would love to see take the spotlight, with the winning series to be featured on digital billboards in key cities across the United States and select markets around the world. The winner will be revealed on K-Drama Day, September 25, and the billboards will go live shortly after.
To extend the K-Drama Day festivities, Viki will offer must-have prizes and promotions, as well as exclusive K-entertainment content. 10 of Viki’s hottest titles will be available for free for a limited time in select regions, including hit shows like “A Bona Fide Killer,” “Last Summer,” and “Positively Yours.”
Sam Wu, CEO of Viki, said, “Fans have always been at the heart of Viki. K-Drama Day is our tribute to the incredible passion of this global community. Thank you for making Viki what it is today. We are thrilled to celebrate this day by putting your voices front and center.”
Free Popular K-Dramas From September 25–October 1, K-drama fans can watch 10 of Viki’s popular recent series for free without a paid subscription, including:
Dive into Exclusive K-entertainment Content As part of the K-Drama Day celebration, fans are invited to explore a robust line-up of talent exclusives, including interviews, AMAs, and exclusive prizes, including autographs from K-drama stars. Among the highlights are interviews with K-drama directors Yoon Jong Ho, who directed the breakout series “A Bona Fide Killer,” and So Jaehyun, who served as director on “Dive into You,” a Viki co-production debuting on September 26. Other exclusives include:
Video compilation shoutout from talent across series including Park Ji Hoon, Hyeri, Hwang In Youp, Sooyoung, Kang Tae Oh, Kim Se Jeong, and Kong Hyo Jin.
Exclusive Interview with Bae In Hyuk, star of “Our Universe.”
Conversation and snack truck video with the “Dive into You” cast including Kim Ji Yeon, Park Seo Ham, Jang Se Hyuk, and Moon Seung You.
Interview with So Jaehyun, director of “Dive into You.”
Interview with Yoon Jong Ho, director of “A Bona Fide Killer.”
Contests with prizes featuring signed polaroids from Viki series actors, including Moon Sang Min, Park Sung Hoon, Nam Ji Hyun, Kong Hyo Jin, and many more.
Enjoy Exciting Promotions and Integrations To mark K-Drama Day, Viki is collaborating with a number of partners on cross-promotional content, integrations, and more:
Agoda: The global travel platform is bringing K-drama dreams to life with a booking discount towards an unforgettable trip just for Viki users and a chance to win a complimentary overnight stay in South Korea.
LG: A special 1-month free trial offer of the Viki Pass Standard subscription for LG TV users will run through October 18 across select regions including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and India.
Rakuten Rewards: The leading Cash Back shopping platform is offering Viki fans a cash bonus for new members and elevated Cash Back when they shop select favorite lifestyle brands on Rakuten during K-Drama Day.
WEBTOON: An exciting cross-promotion between two highly engaged Korean entertainment audiences, introducing Viki to fans already consuming Korean webcomics and stories.
Viki is available to watch for free (with advertisements) or without advertisements through tiered subscriptions of Viki Pass Standard and Viki Pass Plus, and is available on several platforms, including desktop, mobile, streaming devices, and connected TVs.
For more information on Viki’s K-Drama Day, including the terms and conditions applicable for each prize promotion, giveaway and/or contest held during K-Drama Day, visit HERE.
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Kim Woo Bin Confirmed To Star In New Drama Premiering This Year
It’s official: Kim Woo Bin is returning to the small screen with a new drama!
On August 5, tvN confirmed that Kim Woo Bin was set to star in its upcoming drama “Gifted” (working title), which is based on the popular webtoon of the same name.
“Our new drama ‘Gifted’ will premiere in the second half of 2026,” announced the network, adding, “Kim Woo Bin’s casting has been finalized.”
“Gifted” tells the story of a baseball coach who gains extraordinary abilities after an unexpected accident and goes from coaching a professional team to a bottom-ranked high school team.
Kim Woo Bin will star as Jung Min Yong, a former professional baseball coach who gains the special ability to instantly see a person’s baseball talent with just one glance.
“Kim Woo Bin will bring Jung Min Yong’s growth and transformation to life in a three-dimensional way with his signature depth of emotion and powerful presence,” said tvN. “In particular, he will convincingly portray the change in Jung Min Yong as he grows together with the players while constantly struggling with the question of talent versus hard work.”
While you wait for “Gifted,” watch Kim Woo Bin in his film “Alienoid: Return to the Future” on Viki below:
Cha Eun Woo Appeals Multibillion Won Tax Assessment That He Paid Earlier This Year
ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo has appealed a tax assessment by the National Tax Service several months after paying the taxes in question.
Earlier this year, it came to light that Cha Eun Woo had been investigated last year on suspicion of tax evasion, and it was reported that the National Tax Service had issued an additional tax assessment exceeding 20 billion won (approximately $13.9 million) in back taxes.
In April, the situation appeared to have been resolved when Cha Eun Woo paid the full amount of approximately 13 billion won (approximately $9 million) in back taxes demanded in the National Tax Service’s final notice.
At the time, Cha Eun Woo, who is currently serving in the military, shared a personal statement apologizing for the controversy and announcing that he had fully paid the related taxes. “I respect the procedures and findings of the National Tax Service, and to prevent any further confusion, I have fully paid the related taxes,” he wrote. “I will also diligently comply with any remaining procedures.”
However, on August 2, Cha Eun Woo’s agency Fantagio confirmed that the star had filed an appeal requesting a cancellation of the National Tax Service’s tax assessment.
“In order to obtain a legal ruling [on the matter], Cha Eun Woo has filed a request for a tax adjudication in accordance with legal procedures,” said Fantagio. “As the proceedings are currently ongoing, it is difficult for us to provide concrete details, and we ask for your understanding in this regard.”
Watch: CLASS:y Drops Teaser For 1st Comeback In A Year And A Half
CLASS:y has kicked off the countdown to their long-awaited comeback!
On June 10 at midnight KST, the “My Teen Girl” group unveiled the first teaser for their upcoming return on June 23, which will mark their first comeback in one year and seven months.
Notably, CLASS:y’s upcoming release will also mark their first comeback under their new agency K-TIGERS Entertainment, which they joined last November.
Check out CLASS:y’s “New Chapter, New CLASSY” teaser below!
Watch: BTS Wins 3 Awards Including Artist Of The Year At 2026 American Music Awards
BTS continues to make waves!
On May 25 local time, the 2026 American Music Awards (AMAs) took place in Las Vegas.
BTS’s latest title track “SWIM” won Song of the Summer at this year’s American Music Awards.
BTS also won the award for Artist of the Year.
Furthermore, BTS also took home the award for Best Male K-Pop Artist.
Watch BTS perform “Hooligan” at the awards ceremony below:
Congratulations to BTS!
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KATSEYE Wins New Artist Of The Year And Breakthrough Pop Artist At 2026 American Music Awards
KATSEYE has won at the American Music Awards!
On May 25 local time, the 2026 American Music Awards (AMAs) took place in Las Vegas.
After making their American Music Awards red carpet debut, KATSEYE took home the award for New Artist of the Year. The girl group also performed their latest single “Pinky Up” at the awards ceremony.
Watch KATSEYE accept the award below:
The girl group also won the Breakthrough Pop Artist award.
Congratulations to KATSEYE!
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“Golden” From “KPop Demon Hunters” Wins Song Of The Year At 2026 American Music Awards
“KPop Demon Hunters” continues its winning streak!
On May 25 local time, the 2026 American Music Awards (AMAs) took place in Las Vegas.
“Golden,” sung by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami—the singing voices of HUNTR/X—took home the award for Song of the Year at this year’s AMAs.
“Golden” was #1 on your playlist and now it’s taking home Song of the Year at the #AMAs! Congrats to The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami! pic.twitter.com/S5Pt8OC71w
Congratulations to EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami!
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HYBE Launches New Label ABD For Girl Group That Will Debut This Year
HYBE has established a brand-new label and is planning to debut a new girl group this year!
On May 8, HYBE announced that it was launching a new label called “ABD” specializing in the production of girl groups.
“ABD,” which stands for “A Bold Dream,” represents the “pursuit of a creative approach characterized by a flexible and lighthearted way of thinking that imagines ‘D,’ rather than ‘C,’ coming after ‘A’ and ‘B.’”
The label will be headed by CEO No Ji Won, who previously served as the Head of Artist Planning at PLEDIS Entertainment.
“ABD was established as part of HYBE’s multi-label strategy, which strengthens each label’s expertise and autonomy,” stated HYBE. “With an organization and creative team tailored for girl group production at its center, [ABD] will position itself as a label specializing in girl groups with unique and distinctive intellectual property (IP). Our goal is to expand into a new territory for K-pop by pursuing the inherent joy of music while also building upon a deep understanding of fans and artists.”
ABD will debut its first girl group in the second half of 2026. Han Sung Soo, who is known for producing groups like SEVENTEEN, After School, IZ*ONE, and TWS, will serve as the group’s executive producer and oversee their music, concept, and performances.
“The establishment of ABD is a strategic move to secure IP diversity and upgrade our K-pop production capabilities,” sad HYBE. “Through this new girl group, we will introduce new musical experiments and concepts, and we will bring a refreshing change to the global music market.”
Stay tuned for more information about ABD and its upcoming girl group!
TXT Surpasses 1.5 Million Sales In 2 Days + Tops Global Charts With “7TH YEAR: A Moment Of Stillness In The Thorns”
TXT’s latest comeback is off to a strong start!
On April 13 at 6 p.m. KST, TXT made their highly-anticipated return with their new mini album “7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns” and its title track “Stick With You.”
According to Hanteo Chart, by the end of the following day, “7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns” had already sold an impressive total of 1,532,853 copies.
“7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns” is TXT’s seventh consecutive album to sell over 1 million copies in the first week of its release, following “minisode 2: Thursday’s Child,” “The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION,” “The Name Chapter: FREEFALL,” “minisode 3: TOMORROW,” “The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY,” and “The Star Chapter: TOGETHER.” With the exception of “minisode 2: Thursday’s Child,” all of these albums surpassed 1 million sales on the first day of their release.
Additionally, as of 9 a.m. KST on April 14, “Stick With You” had already hit No. 1 on iTunes Top Songs charts in at least 17 different regions, including Chile, Mexico, and the Philippines. Meanwhile, “7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns” had reached No. 1 on iTunes Top Albums charts in at least 15 different regions, including Japan, New Zealand, and Brazil.
“Stick With You” also made a strong debut on the domestic charts. The song immediately shot to No. 1 on Bugs’ realtime chart, and after debuting at No. 34 on Melon’s Top 100, it soared to No. 18 by midnight KST on April 14.
Congratulations to TXT!
Watch TXT in the first episode of “Idol Festa Attack” on Viki below:
