K-pop News & Trends (as of September 25)
HYBE × Paramount, K-pop movie shooting begins
It has been reported that the K-pop film project, which has been prepared in partnership with HYBE’s US branch and PARAMOUNT, has officially begun filming in Korea.
ZAPZEE
Some of the actors’ lineups and production teams have already been released, and filming is underway in Seoul, Incheon, and Paju.
ZAPZEE
In particular, the fact that it is a Hollywood studio masterpiece filmed in Korea has become a hot topic.
ZAPZEE
If the project is successful, it also shows the possibility of becoming a new model for K-pop + movie convergence content.
Idol Brand Reputation & Album Performance
In September’s brand reputation survey, BTS still remained at the top of the male group category, and IVE rose sharply in the female group category and rose to the top group ranks.
KPOPPOST
The fact that IVE’s recent comeback album XOXZ received good responses on music broadcasts and music charts is analyzed to be a factor in increasing the brand’s reputation.
KPOPPOST
In addition, it was reported that Ateez’s Japanese studio album topped the Oricon chart, and continued fandom influence in overseas markets was revealed.
The Korea Herald
📺 Korean drama & broadcast news
The 2nd day of “First Lady” broadcast
The political thriller “First Lady”, which premiered on Sept. 24, revolves around an extreme conflict called “the demand for divorce” shortly after his election as president.
Wikipedia
The audience rating for the first broadcast was about 2.179% based on cable, and it remains to be seen how the response to the investment will go.
Wikipedia
Drama & Expectations in the air
**Tempest is a drama that combines intelligence and romance, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Kang Dong-won.
Wikipedia
The story is centered on a plot that connects a former diplomat and a mysterious incident, and the rising tension in each episode is evaluated as a strength.
Wikipedia
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The initial response to the show is also said to be quite good, and in particular, the actors’ teamwork and directing are receiving positive responses from viewers.
Indiatimes
Also, “Confidence Queen” is a comedy-genre mix of scams and comedies. It tells the story of three scammers performing elaborate tricks against the backdrop of real estate and financial markets.
Wikipedia
As this drama has become a hot topic recently, some say that it is a reemergence of the ‘shameless drama’ genre.
Meanwhile, **”My Troublesome Star” ended on September 23, 2025.
Wikipedia
The plot is about a popular actor waking up to a different body 25 years after an accident, and actors Uhm Jung-hwa and Song Seung-heon played the lead roles.
Wikipedia
There are evaluations that they maintained a relatively stable ratings until the last episode, and fans were very interested in it as a complete film.
Another highlight is “The Murky Stream”. It’s a drama about historical background + power conflict, which will be released on Disney+ on Sept. 26.
Wikipedia
🔍 Interpretation and flow & points to note
Increasing attempts at genre diversification and convergence
It’s impressive that various genres such as political thrillers (First Lady), spy romance (tempest), and con comedy (confidence queen) are attracting attention at the same time.
I think drama production companies are also looking for genre expansion beyond simple melodrama.
Expanding Global Content & Investment
HYBE × Paramount’s filmmaking news is an aspect of K-pop content’s strategy to expand beyond music to video-based media.
In the drama field, platform-oriented distribution such as Disney+ and Netflix is becoming more and more important.
Brand influence vs content competitiveness
As idol group brand reputation continues to serve as an important yardstick, multimedia activities and overseas expansion strategies will become more and more important as well as simple record sales.
Complete work + next work transition period
After the complete drama such as “My Star Like Gold” is over, it is important for the production company to secure subsequent box office hits, and new dramas have an opportunity to fill the gap.
