Seoul, Nov 6, 2026 — Four things that moved Korean culture in the last 12 hours.
1. Blackpink takes the state’s Okgwan medal
All four members of Blackpink received the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit at the 17th Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards — the first K-pop girl group honored at that grade. The citation points to a Billboard 200 No. 1 and becoming the first global pop act to pass 100 million YouTube subscribers, a decade after their August 2016 debut. Comedian Yoo Jae-seok and singer Han Young-ae took the Bogwan medal. None of the members attended; each sent a video.
2. K-beauty looks to Europe — and to the profit line
Cosmetics exports hit $11.14 billion in the first nine months, a 30.8 percent rise and 98 percent of 2025’s full-year total. Seoul will open K-beauty experience-and-retail spaces in Milan, Stuttgart and Paris, after SME cosmetics exports to Europe jumped 62.4 percent to $1.26 billion in the first half. The caveat: third-quarter earnings at APR and LG Household & Health Care lagged, with currency drag and restructuring blamed.
3. Fermented sauces near the $100 million mark
Exports of gochujang, doenjang and ganjang reached $73.5 million in January-September, up 4 percent, with gochujang alone at $52 million. Kimchi exports, a record $164.4 million in 2025, are tracking toward $200 million, and U.S.-bound volumes overtook Japan for the first time in June. Europe is the next target — and the next regulatory test: the EU logged 18 RASFF notifications against Korean food this year, the most since 2020.
4. ‘The Remarried Empress’ tops a dozen charts
The Disney+ royal romance led Top 10 charts in 12 countries after its Nov. 3 premiere and landed on The New York Times’ November must-watch list, though Korean viewers are split over its European-fantasy setting. SBS’s “Doctor X: Mafia in White” peaked at 21.3 percent and has logged 36.7 million Netflix viewing hours. Lee Chang-dong’s Oscar entry “Possible Love” reaches Netflix today; the Korea-Japan thriller “Blue Road” arrives Nov. 20.
Coming up: Melon Music Awards voting is open, with the ceremony set for Nov. 14-15 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul; Seoul K-Content Week runs Nov. 14-20, with pre-registration already live.
Sources
SBS English (link) · ChosunBiz (link) · BioSpectrum Asia (link) · The Chosun Ilbo (link) · StarNews Korea (link)