Beyond belting it out as SEVENTEEN’S main vocalist, SEUNGKWAN’s vocal prowess has continued to gain recognition amongst stans with the release of solo singles for TV series soundtracks including the likes of Link: Eat, Love Kill, Lovestruck in the City and Record of Youth. His iconic song covers spanning renditions of Girls' Generation Taeyeon's Drawing our Moments to Lizzo’s Juice with Lee Young Ji, have also left CARATs wanting more. 

Expressing his excitement for the launch of the single, SEUNGKWAN said, “There are CARATs who love and look forward to my cover versions of pop tracks. When it comes to covers, I like to challenge myself with songs that are different from my usual genre and style as an artist. ‘As It Was’ by Harry Styles has been my go-to song for the last couple of months, so I hope they enjoy this single as much as I did creating it.” 

As the single hits Spotify’s flagship K-Pop ON! (온) playlist on 30 September 2022, fans can also access bonus content exclusively on K-Pop ON! Track. In addition to bringing you SEUNGKWAN’s rendition of the track’s special film, K-Pop ON! Track got up close and personal with the star to discuss his musicianship, SEVENTEEN, and more in an exclusive interview. 

As part of Spotify Singles program, this exclusive single provides a creative way for artist expression and engagement. Further reinforcing its commitment to growing the K-Pop genre and fandom, Spotify continues to be the global hub for the discovery of the genre, connecting artists with fans across the globe.

Fans can access the listen-free feature exclusively via the BORN PINK by BLACKPINK playlist, till 22 September 2022. Further cementing themselves as a global superpower in K-pop, the quartet – Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, broke Spotify records with the August 19 release of their latest single “Pink Venom”, becoming Spotify’s most-streamed song by a female artist in a single day in 2022 so far. 

Spotify invites listeners to march along to the beat of BLACKPINK. Head over to Spotify’s BORN PINK by BLACKPINK playlist and watch their album come alive through a never-before-seen video. On September 18, BLINKs will be treated to exclusive behind-the-scenes and bonus content available on K-Pop ON! Track. 

Fans can also spot the girls on Spotify's billboards across Asia, including Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan - a testament to their meteoric rise as a cultural icon throughout the region. 

Stream the Born Pink album via Spotify’s BORN PINK by BLACKPINK playlist and stay tuned for the behind-the-scenes as well as more bonus content on K-Pop ON! Track, available from 18 September, 2022.

Han So-hee, who rose to stardom from the Netflix Series My Name, The World of the Married and Nevertheless, plays Yun Chae-ok — a famous bounty hunter who can track down missing people, even ones who are dead. Chae-ok possesses a sharp eye and agile survival skills learned from her rough childhood roaming across Manchuria and Shanghai with her father. The solid cast also includes Claudia Kim and Wi Ha-joon who have both received international spotlight for their work. Claudia Kim plays Maeda, who is the wife of a powerful official in Gyeongseong during the colonial period. The actress has been active on the global stage through the films Avengers: Age of Ultron and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, as well as the Netflix Series Marco Polo. 

Wi Ha-joon, who made a lasting impression on worldwide audiences with his role in Squid Game and is currently winning over viewers in Little Women, plays Gwon Jun-taek, Tae-sang's best friend. He joins Tae-sang's dangerous plan in rescuing the people who have gone missing. 

Behind the scenes of this stellar cast lineup is a talented production team consisting of heavyweight hitmakers. The team is led by screenwriter Kang Eun K, who penned dramas across various genres such as Dr. Romantic and Kang Chi, the Beginning, and director Chung Dong-yoon, who flexed his powerful muscles as a creator in Hot Stove League. 

Gyeongseong Creature, a compelling story about wretched creatures and those who go up against them, will be released globally only on Netflix. 

 

More About Gyeongseong Period 

Gyeongseong is the former name of Korea’s capital city Seoul, and the name used during Japanese colonial rule. The upcoming series invites audiences to 1945 Gyeongseong, the hotbed of turmoil caused by creatures that suddenly appear and wreak havoc on an already troubled world. 

Production Information 

Title : Gyeongseong Creature 

Directed by : Chung Dong-yoon 

Written by : Kang Eun K 

Starring : Park Seo-jun, Han So-hee, Claudia Kim, Kim Hae-sook, Cho Han-cheul Wi Ha-joon et al. 

Produced by : Story & Pictures Media 

Co-produced by : Studio Dragon, kakao ENTERTAINMENT 

Distributed by : Netflix

At a press conference in Seoul on 16th September 2022, Hwang called the experience of accepting his award on stage a “once in a lifetime moment” and a “great honor” that was “overwhelming and mind-blowing”. Lee, who could not attend, spoke through a pre-recorded video message at the press conference that hearing his name announced at the Emmys was “bewildering.” Expressing his delight and gratitude to fans of Squid Game and Korean content from all over the world, he added: “These wins are a happiness we all share together.” The increasing global reach of Korean culture — be it television, film, music or food — was a theme the creators, cast and crew of Squid Game were all asked about at the press conference. “We have always been hard at work,” said Hwang of Korean content creators. 

By leveraging the changing media environment and the entry of digital platforms like Netflix into global markets, this hard work has been able to “blossom into something wonderful.” He hoped that this success would inspire and motivate not just Korean creators, but creators worldwide. 

On the weekend before the broadcast ceremony, Squid Game had also picked up Creative Arts Emmys for special visual effects in a single episode; stunt performance; production design; and Guest Actress in a Drama Series. This last award was won by Lee You-mi, who became the first South Korean actress to win in this category, and the first actor to do so for a fully non-English language performance. Squid Game is also the first Korean series to be nominated for below-the-line production categories, and the first non-English language show to win at the Creative Arts Emmys. Becoming a pioneer at the awards 

In fact, the show’s nominations alone have made history at the Emmys. Squid Game is the first non-English-language show to be nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. Hwang was also nominated for outstanding writing for a drama series, making him the first Korean showrunner to score nods for both writing and directing. 

Actors Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon, Oh Young-soo and Lee You-mi were all the first native Korean actors to be nominated in their respective categories. As executive producers, Hwang and Kim Ji-yeon became the smallest producing team to be nominated for a drama series since Murder She Wrote in 1987. 

These accolades come almost exactly a year after Squid Game debuted on Netflix on September 17 last year, and became a global phenomenon. The series clocked over 1.65 billion viewing hours in 28 days, and reached 111 million accounts, becoming Netflix’s first series to surpass 100 million members at launch. “It has been a long journey of many surprises, and an emotional rollercoaster,” said executive producer Kim. “Times have changed, and we are truly living in a global era. In the past, only people who spoke Korean and knew about Korean culture would watch our content. Now, platforms like Netflix allow this content to reach so many more people. Through this exposure, our understanding of other cultures has deepened.” 

Stunt performer Lee Tae-young echoed the sentiments of Hwang, Lee and Kim when he spoke about his hope that the accolades won by Squid Game would open more doors for Korean creators, performers and crew members. “We pour our heart and soul into our work. We have a lot of grit and passion,” he said. “This award for the stunt team recognizes the efforts of all stunt performers in South Korea, and I hope it will lead to better opportunities for the next generation.” 

This June, Netflix confirmed the second season of Squid Game was in the works. At the press conference, Hwang revealed that he was currently working on the script for the new season, and has decided on the lethal games that will appear in it. But he revealed no details about these games, and urged everyone to keep spoilers to themselves even if they came across rumors online. “You cannot let anyone know,” he urged. “Suspense is a huge part of the experience.”

Fresh from Netflix’s Tudum fan shows in Korea, India, and Japan this weekend, we’re sharing a first look at exclusive clips and the latest news of the exciting content coming out of this wildly diverse region, featuring best-in-class established local creators and emerging new voices.