K-Culture Daily Briefing — Saturday, November 14, 2026
K-Beauty: Exports Hit $11.1 Billion in Nine Months; U.S. Overtakes China
Korea’s cosmetics exports reached $11.1 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 31.1% year-on-year and a record for the period. The United States overtook China as the top market for the first time, with shipments up 41.5% to $1.45 billion, while exports to China fell 6.6% to $1.01 billion. Skincare accounted for 78% of the total. Brand momentum is driving the surge: APR’s Medicube rolled out across Ulta Beauty stores in the U.S. and entered Canada’s Shoppers Drug Mart, and LG H&H’s The Face Shop joined Ulta’s online and offline channels.
K-Pop: 2027 Coachella Lineup Adds Jisoo, NCT, BABYMONSTER; BTS’s ‘SWIM’ Named an Apple Music Song of the Year
BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, NCT, and BABYMONSTER have been added to the 2027 Coachella lineup, spanning multiple K-pop generations. BTS’s “SWIM” became the first Korean group track on Apple Music’s “Best Songs of 2026,” and “ARIRANG” held No. 62 on the Billboard 200 for a 33rd straight week. November also brings solo and group comebacks from TWICE’s Nayeon and ENHYPEN.
K-Food: Ramyeon Lifts Agri-Food Exports to $10.85 Billion; 2027 Growth Seen at 30%
Korea’s agricultural, fisheries, and food exports rose 6.1% to $10.85 billion in the first ten months of the year. Ramyeon shipments climbed 26% to $1.59 billion, already surpassing last year’s full-year total, and are projected to grow another 30% in 2027 on expanded production. Nongshim opened its first export-only plant in Busan, and Samyang is set to start overseas production in Jiaxing, China, in January.
K-Drama & Cinema: ‘The Remarried Empress’ and ‘The Blue Road’ Lead a Packed November
Disney+ megahit “The Remarried Empress,” starring Shin Min-a and Ju Ji-hoon, airs two episodes every Wednesday toward a November 25 finale. Netflix’s cross-border crime thriller “The Blue Road,” pairing Son Suk-ku and Japan’s Eita Nagayama, drops all episodes on November 20. Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love,” Korea’s Oscar submission, remains in the spotlight after its Venice Silver Lion win.
Travel: Seoul K-Content Week Opens Today
Seoul’s “2026 K-Content Week” runs November 14–20 across DDP, Bukchon, and Yongsan, offering foreign visitors hands-on K-pop dance, K-beauty makeup, K-food cooking, and traditional craft programs. A K-pop pop-up tied to the Melon Music Awards opens the event on November 14–15.
Sources: Korea.net · Yonhap · The Investor · Korea Herald · Soompi · Seoul Metropolitan Government · Kagit
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