
Floating Pokemon return to Seoul
A giant Pokemon balloon floated on Seokchon Lake in Seoul Friday, marking the return of the popular Pokemon art balloon exhibition, which drew more than three million visitors in 2024.
This year's event is organized in collaboration with the Songpa-gu District Office and Lotte Group, a major South Korean conglomerate.
The display centers on Ditto, a purple Pokemon known for its ability to transform into any form.
A 16-meter-tall Ditto-as-Lapras balloon floats above the lake, with a Ditto-as-Pikachu perched on its back. Nearby, additional Ditto figures installed near the Lotte World Tower offer photo opportunities and contribute to the festive atmosphere.
The installation will remain on view through May 18.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Korea Herald
6 hours ago
- Korea Herald
BTS' Jimin, Jungkook released from military service
Jimin and Jungkook, members of the K-pop megagroup BTS, were discharged from the South Korean military Wednesday after completing their 18-month mandatory service, as fans eagerly awaited their return. The two stars, dressed in military uniforms, saluted a cheering crowd at a public sports facility near their former unit in Yeoncheon, about 60 kilometers north of Seoul, during a brief ceremony. Hundreds of fans and journalists gathered at the site, with fans erupting in applause and cheers as the duo arrived. Jimin and Jungkook greeted the crowd with bright smiles, holding bouquets presented by their agency officials. "It's been quite a long time since COVID-19 and then the military, so thank you so much for waiting for us," Jimin said. "I think we can continue to draw the picture we've been envisioning, and we'll prepare and show you an even better side of ourselves." He added: "It was my first time in the military, and honestly, it wasn't an easy place. If you see soldiers passing by, I'd be very grateful if you could even just say a warm word to them." Jungkook, appearing slightly flustered, said, "It's been a while since I've been in front of a camera, and I'm a bit embarrassed because I didn't even put on makeup, so I don't know what to say." He went on to thank the fellow soldiers who served alongside them. The two promised to share more stories during a live broadcast on Weverse before getting into a black minivan and departing. Jimin and Jungkook enlisted together as active-duty soldiers in December 2023 and served in the Army's 5th Infantry Division Artillery Brigade in Yeoncheon. Their discharge follows that of Jin and J-Hope, who completed their service in June and October of last year, respectively, as well as RM and V, who were discharged Tuesday. The seven-member group is expected to reunite after Suga, who is currently serving as a social service agent due to health issues, completes his duty June 21. (Yonhap)


Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Korea Herald
SBS sets sights on Asia's version of Eurovision
Titled 'Veiled Musician,' the pan-Asian vocal contest to highlight regional talent and cross-cultural artistry Asia is getting its own take on the Eurovision Song Contest. Apparently, 'Veiled Musician,' an upcoming global audition show from leading South Korean broadcaster Seoul Broadcasting System, was made with the world's longest-running television music competition in mind. Featuring participants from 13 countries — Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Laos — the show, slated to premiere later this year, will kick off with local competitions in each participating nation. The top three finalists from each territory will then advance to the grand finale, which will be staged in Korea. The show will be broadcast across major local networks in the participating countries and on SBS. Adding a layer of meritocracy, 'Veiled Musician' will strip away personal identifiers, such as contestants' faces and nationalities, focusing solely on vocal talent. The show stands out not only for its scale but also for its production setup. Unlike previous cross-border projects where broadcasting formats were simply licensed, 'Veiled Musician' is a co-produced venture spearheaded by the participating nations, alongside South Korea. 'In fact, there aren't really any broadcasters in other countries that actually do co-productions," claimed Kim Yong-jae, chief revenue officer at SBS' Prism Studios, the entertainment production division of the broadcaster, during an interview with The Korea Herald. "They've only ever bought the format. ... Co-producing like this is probably something that has never happened before,' Kim said. Kim, a veteran of the Korean entertainment industry, whose career includes stints as a producer and deputy head of SBS' entertainment division and who is widely credited with exporting the popular Korean variety show "Running Man" to China, where it became a megahit, is helming the production of "Veiled Musician." According to Kim, 'Veiled Musician' will serve as a powerful platform for cultural diplomacy and create music industry connections across Asia. 'If we do well together with this kind of content, it's an amazing opportunity to really elevate our national image. Also, the show's judges and contestants may even collaborate on producing an album. Our music market could expand as a result as well. For example, a song like 'The Way Back' (translated) could be produced in 12 different versions and exported, creating a powerful ripple effect,' said Kim. Kim emphasized that for him, a win-win structure was key from the outset. For Season 1, he said SBS is waiving format fees and offering financial aid to select nations. 'For the first season, we're essentially offering support. In fact, we're planning to provide 100 million won ($73,000) each to countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, since they (the broadcasting companies) are struggling financially.' Going forward, as SBS' head of globalizing K-content, Kim said he has identified Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand as key growth markets. 'Among them, Indonesia is the best — it all comes down to population size. For example, the Korean film 'Miracle in Cell No. 7' made 20 billion won in Indonesia." Kim is also strategically focusing on Myanmar, where Korean content previously held strong cultural sway. 'Before the coup, Hallyu was really strong in Myanmar. Why? Because they aired Korean dramas from Monday to Thursday right before the 9 o'clock news. As a result, a lot of young people there can speak Korean. And the country is quite large geographically, too." He added: 'Anyway, we need to move quickly and localize ourselves in these Asian countries — be on the ground with them. We need to support them, not just for 'Veiled Musician,' but also by helping develop their music industries while promoting ours. That's how they come to think positively of Korean content and Korea as a whole."


Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
BTS' Jimin, Jungkook set to finish military service
Jimin and Jungkook, members of K-pop megagroup BTS, will be discharged from the South Korean military on Wednesday after completing their 18-month mandatory service, as fans eagerly await their return. The two stars enlisted together as active-duty soldiers in December 2023 and have been serving in the Army's 5th Infantry Division Artillery Brigade. Their discharge follows that of Jin and J-Hope, who completed their service in June and October of last year, respectively, and RM and V, who were discharged Tuesday. The K-pop septet is anticipated to return as a full group after Suga, who is serving as a social service agent due to health issues, completes his duty on June 21. Jimin and Jungkook, both vocalists of the band, have also actively pursued solo projects, each topping the US Billboard's main singles chart, Hot 100, with their singles "Like Crazy" and "Seven." In January, Jimin expressed his strong desire to return to the stage in a post on Hybe's K-pop fan community platform Weverse. "After the new year, the conversations Jungkook and I have before going to sleep have changed a lot," Jimin wrote. "Because the day when we'll reunite with ARMY is getting closer and closer, we're having many conversations about what we need to prepare before we meet them again, what we'll show and what kind of lives we'll lead in the future." (Yonhap)