We take an in-depth look at trending issues in entertainment, broadcasting, film, OTT, performances, and sports, focusing on the latest verified facts and official schedules and viewing information.
The final 12-player roster for South Korea’s women’s national volleyball team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has been confirmed. Kang So-hwi has been named captain, and the team includes setters, a libero, opposite spikers, outside hitters, and middle blockers. South Korea will face Hong Kong, Qatar, and Vietnam in Group D, with all three matches scheduled at Park Arena Komaki in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
BlizzCon 2026 will take place September 12–13 at the Anaheim Convention Center in the United States. The official livestream will be free and available through YouTube, Twitch, and Battle.net, but viewing periods and content availability vary by game. In-person attendees need a pass, valid photo ID, and registration information in the Tixr app. The official page currently lists the two-day pass and major add-ons as sold out.
SeeYa’s Lee Bo-ram has joined SBS’s “Shooting Stars” team FC Balladream as a new member and will compete in the Handball Cup. Her first game is scheduled to air on September 9, but her result, position, and playing time have not been confirmed before the broadcast.
The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will be held in Berlin, Germany, from September 4 to 13. South Korea will face Nigeria, France, and Hungary in Group B, with all three group-stage games listed for viewers with a Coupang Play Sports Pass. Recheck the official FIBA schedule and Coupang Play’s individual listings before each game.
Ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, South Korea held its team send-off ceremony. The country will send a 1,052-member delegation across 41 sports, with the main team scheduled to depart for Nagoya on September 17. The Games will be held from September 19 through October 4.
On September 3, 2026, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced guidelines on the scope of labor disputes. Management performance bonuses linked to corporate profits by a fixed percentage, as well as business decisions such as building a new factory, are generally difficult to regard as mandatory bargaining or labor-dispute subjects. However, if specific changes in job assignments, workplaces, duties, or work arrangements can be objectively anticipated, the related employment conditions may become bargaining subjects. The Honam semiconductor project has been confirmed not as a strike that has been finalized, but as an example concerning the scope of bargaining over this distinction.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced revisions to visa-exemption and visa-on-arrival measures effective September 15, 2026. The existing 60-day system will shift to country-specific criteria, and South Korea is not included in the new list of countries eligible for 30 days. Korean passport holders should check the latest embassy guidance before departure.
A joint public-private investigation team under the Ministry of Science and ICT found that information from 39,540,697 accounts at TVING was leaked, including duplicate accounts. This figure represents the number of accounts, including duplicates—not the actual number of affected users. TVING announced one year of hacking and phishing protection insurance, compensation of up to KRW 3 million per person, KRW 5,000 worth of TVING Points, and a choice of partner coupons. Applications for the compensation package are scheduled to run from September 7 to September 30, 2026, with benefits expected to begin on October 6. Users should check TVING’s subsequent official notices for detailed terms.
An Se-young and Kim Ga-eun each advanced from the 2026 BWF China Masters women’s singles round of 16 with 2–0 victories, setting up a quarterfinal showdown. An Se-young defeated Han Qianxi in 39 minutes, while Kim Ga-eun overcame Line Christophersen. An Se-young’s bid for a third consecutive title continues.
LLC Arctic LNG 2 has filed for international arbitration against Hanwha Ocean at SIAC. The disclosed claim amount is USD 1 billion, converted to KRW 1.3703 trillion, equivalent to 22.2% of Hanwha Ocean’s consolidated equity at the end of 2025. However, this is the initial claim amount stated in the notice of arbitration, and final liability, damages, and whether a provision will be recognized have not yet been determined.
Yoo Ji-ae and Kwak Si-yang have officially announced their marriage through their respective agencies. The wedding is scheduled for November 28, 2026, after the couple has reportedly been together for about a year. The ceremony will be held privately with family members, relatives, and close friends, but the venue and specific guest details have not been disclosed.
The government plans to relocate central administrative agencies based in the Seoul metropolitan area to Sejong starting in the first half of 2027, naming the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family as priority institutions. Around 350 public institutions in the capital region are expected to begin relocating to regional areas from 2027, while the figure of 109 refers to the scale of functional reform and consolidation—not the number of institutions to be relocated. The final institutions, regions, and timelines will be determined after amendments to relocation plans are announced and officially notified before the fourth quarter of 2026.
Manchester United earned their first win of the 2026–27 Premier League season by defeating Ipswich Town 5–2 at Old Trafford on August 30, 2026. After conceding first in the 29th minute, United scored five times, including three goals from Bruno Fernandes in a 28-minute span, an own goal, and a goal from Bryan Mbeumo. Their next league match is scheduled away at Everton on September 6.
Manchester City defeated Crystal Palace 4-1 at Selhurst Park on August 28, 2026. Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki scored two goals each, giving City six points and two consecutive league wins after their opening-day victory over Bournemouth. Their next Premier League match is against Coventry City on September 5, followed by an away match against Manchester United on September 13.
SOURCE MUSIC’s 2026 Summer Audition will take place across 10 locations in South Korea, beginning in Incheon on September 5. Applicants must have been born in 2008 or later, with no restrictions on gender or nationality. However, pre-registration closed at 11:59 p.m. on August 23, and no separate on-site registration will be available. First-round successful applicants will receive individual emails with their audition time and important instructions.
The organizing committee announced that Kim Soo-hyun will attend the 2026 The Fact Music Awards as a presenter. The event is scheduled for September 19 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium, and multiple media outlets described it as his first official domestic event in about 18 months since a press conference in March 2025. However, this is an announcement of an awards-show appearance and does not mean a full return to acting activities or the conclusion of past controversies.
Justin Gaethje became the undisputed UFC lightweight champion by defeating Ilia Topuria via corner-stoppage TKO after the fourth round at UFC Freedom 250. He does not plan to compete again in 2026 because of pain in both hands and is targeting a return in early 2027. He has said he would prefer a fight with Conor McGregor, but no bout has been confirmed through a contract, event date, or official UFC announcement.
Broadcom’s total revenue outlook for the fourth quarter fell below the market consensus, while its AI semiconductor revenue outlook exceeded expectations. The ‘7 trillion won in foreign selling’ reported in South Korea refers to the net foreign selling of a single stock, SK hynix, in August 2026—not a combined figure for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The two issues must be examined separately by figure and timing.
The Seoul Family Court dismissed Kim Young-sik’s claim seeking judicial revocation of the adoption of LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. As a result, their legal adoptive parent-child relationship currently remains in place, while the specific reasons for the ruling were not disclosed on the day of sentencing. Whether an appeal will be filed is expected to become clear after Kim Young-sik’s side reviews the written judgment.
The rise in searches for Kim Shin-young appeared alongside coverage of the controversy surrounding I Live Alone’s Jun Hyun-moo’s trip to Almaty and related promotional reports. MBC said there was no financial support, while explaining that it received assistance with administrative procedures and on-site coordination. Claims that the airfare had been prepared in advance should still be treated as a separate allegation.