Social Media Minute

1. K-Pop Demon Hunters team makes Forbes’ “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” list 2. Surging demand sends wintertime favorite yellowtail to record prices in Korea 3. New discovery suggests humans made fire 350,000 years earlier than previously thought

1. Tottenham gives Son Heung-min a hero’s welcome as he returns for an emotional farewell 2. Complaints grow as Coupang’s account deletion process proves slow and confusing 3. Italian cuisine becomes world’s first to be awarded UNESCO status

1. A wave of celebrity scandals forces major TV shows to halt production 2. Australia begins world-first social media ban today for children under 16

1. Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” and Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” score three Golden Globe nominations each 2. Oxford University teams up with composer Kim Hyung-seok to publish Korean children’s songbook 3. Korean professors choose “constant change” as the idiom that defined 2025

1. The Park Na-rae scandal: counter-lawsuits, cash transfers, and the ‘injection auntie’ controversy 2. Veteran actor Cho Jin-woong steps away from the spotlight after troubled past comes to light

1. Former MMA fighter Choo Sung-hoon crowned YouTube Korea’s No. 1 Creator of the Year 2. Filipino domestic worker hailed as hero after saving infant in Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in 77 years 3. With bear encounters soaring, Japan faces a new problem: what to do with all the carcasses

1. The “Peace Cow” that drifted south in 1996 finds a final resting place overlooking North Korea 2. Ajou University’s “prince” professor wins over students with rigor, warmth, and an open-door approach 3. Sabrina Carpenter slams White House for using her song in “evil” video

1. Viral cosplay videos in China using Korean military and police uniforms raise concerns on both sides of the border 2. Deadly floods sweep across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand as death toll surges past 1,200 3. Michael and Susan Dell pledge $6.25 billion to boost “Trump Accounts” for 25 million U.S. children

1. Jeju’s beloved rescued dolphin Chunsami spotted with a newborn calf 2. Korea eases driving lesson regulations to make behind-the-wheel training more accessible 3. WHO releases landmark guidelines for obesity medications

1. ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ takes center stage at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade 2. K-pop’s biggest night turns somber in Hong Kong as stars honor fire victims 3. Japanese artist’s show stopped in Shanghai as political tensions rise

1. Gen Z turns to high-paying private staff jobs for the ultra-rich 2. Korean community in Hong Kong mobilizes to support victims of the Tai Po fire 3. Appeals court overturns conviction in widely debated Choco Pie theft case

1. A 900-year-old ginkgo tree that has stood watch over Cheongju for centuries is set to become a national natural monument 2. Seoul launches its biggest winter festival next month, bringing European-style Christmas markets, K-culture zones, and light shows across the city

1. Beloved veteran actor Lee Soon-jae passes away at 91 2. Scholars raise concerns over errors and overly complex passages on this year’s Korean CSAT language exam 3. Daegu resident goes viral after reporting 99 illegally parked cars blocking downtown sidewalks

1. Genesis tops 2026 Best Car Brands list with a win for ‘Best Luxury Brand’ 2. As global demand soars for Korean kimchi, Korea itself is importing more Chinese kimchi than ever 3. The Nutcracker returns to stages across Korea in a full lineup of classic and contemporary productions this December

1. Gwangjang Market sellers move to sue street vendors over recent overcharging scandals 2. AI turns hanbok into high fashion, igniting a discussion on cultural authenticity 3. McAfee releases list of celebrities and influencers scammers love to deepfake most

1. The words that defined 2025, according to different dictionaries 2. A timing error costs Korea’s Park Ji-woo a gold medal at the ISU Speed Skating World Cup

1. End of an era: Jangbogo, Korea’s first submarine, makes its final voyage 2. Why Korea’s classic quilted “gimjang vest” is suddenly everywhere 3. A social-media trend Is pushing people to shower in the dark for better rest

1. Seoul unveils major overhaul for 600-year-old Namdaemun Market 2. Kakao expands real-time location sharing — convenience or surveillance? 3. Tom Cruise finally takes home an Oscar after four decades in film

1. AI scholar says Yonsei “cheating scandal” exposes a deeper failure in how universities assess students 2. When “likes” aren’t real: How AI is quietly manipulating online popularity

1. The “big blur”: Why Korea’s fast-food brands are selling everything 2. World's number one YouTuber MrBeast launches Saudi theme park

1. A lost tablet at a train station unravels a major international drug ring 2. Inside Korea’s 38-day lockdown to create the 2026 college entrance exam 3. Endangered Amur tiger ‘Miryeong’ relocated to National Baekdudaegan Arboretum

1. Korea names first “Emerging Cultural Heritage” — from Kim Dae-jung’s Nobel Medal to symbols of democracy 2. Barack Obama surprises veterans in Washington with heartfelt Veterans Day tribute 3. All five NewJeans members announce return to ADOR 

1. South Korea gears up for the 2025 CSATs (and changing traditions around “good luck” gifts) 2. Doctors warn students against taking calming pills right before college entrance exam 3. Barista’s simple sign language gesture warms hearts on social media

1. Seoul citizens show record trust in tap water ‘Arisu’ 2. Study finds that being “too attractive” can backfire on social media 3. Thailand’s new drinking law faces backlash from tourism industry

1. K-pop makes history at the Grammys, breaking into the awards’ most prestigious categories 2. AI Cheating Scandal at Yonsei University Sparks Debate Over How Schools Should Adapt 3. Seoul City to host grand finale of Han River Drone Light Show this weekend