We take an in-depth look at trending issues in entertainment, broadcasting, film, OTT, performances, and sports, focusing on the latest verified facts, official schedules, and viewing information.
The new Resident Evil film, directed by Zach Cregger and co-written by Shay Hatten, is scheduled for theatrical release in the United States on September 18, 2026, and in Japan on October 9. The two regional schedules are 21 days apart, and casting information for Austin Abrams, Jack Champion, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser, along with the release of the official trailer, has also been confirmed.
The Netflix series ‘Scandal’ will be released worldwide on September 18, 2026. Son Ye-jin plays Lady Jo, Ji Chang-wook plays Jo-won, and Nana plays Hee-yeon. Set in the Joseon era, the story follows three characters entangled in a wager over love.
President Lee Jae-myung will make a state visit to France from September 6 to 9, 2026, and is scheduled to attend the Lumière Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence on September 7 as co-chair with President Emmanuel Macron. The summit will discuss AI’s impact on the film and audiovisual industries, media education, and industry economic models. South Korea’s presidential office identified expanding the foundation for K-content and domestic companies to enter European and global markets as an expected outcome.
Made in Korea Season 2 will be released exclusively on Disney+ on September 9, 2026. The six-episode season will launch two episodes each on September 9, 16, and 23, featuring Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung, Woo Do-hwan, and others.
Hyundai Steel held a groundbreaking ceremony on September 4, 2026, in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, for an electric arc furnace-based integrated steel plant. The planned investment is $5.8 billion, with a target annual production capacity of 2.7 million metric tons and commercial production scheduled for 2029. However, the ceremony was ceremonial, and the project still requires air-pollution permits from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality before actual construction can proceed.
The rise in searches for Lee Byung-hun on September 4–5, 2026, was confirmed to have been driven by the spread of entertainment reports about a social media post in which Ko Young-wook mentioned Lee Min-jung and Lee Byung-hun. Claims about past casting, a music video appearance, and Lee Byung-hun’s expression were statements and interpretations relayed by media outlets from the social media post and have not been independently verified.
The Pitt leads all 2026 Emmy nominees with 25 nominations, while Hacks set a single-year record for the most nominations in the comedy category with 24. The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony will air live on NBC at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on September 14 and will also be available for live and on-demand streaming on Peacock. Nominations do not guarantee wins; final results will be determined at the ceremony.
Max Verstappen will take part in ‘Max vs 100’ at Silverstone in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2026. Starting from the back of a grid featuring 101 karts, he will attempt to overtake the 100 competitors ahead of him. Disney+ and ESPN will broadcast the event live. However, the race has not yet taken place, so the actual overtake result has not been confirmed, and regional availability—including in South Korea—and the live broadcast time have not been officially finalized.
Disney+ has announced a global distribution deal with The Pokémon Company International. The agreement includes Aardman’s stop-motion series Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu, which is scheduled to premiere on Disney XD in 2027 before streaming exclusively on Disney+. However, as of September 5, 2026, the exact release date and detailed country-by-country schedule have not been announced.
The fourth ticket release for the musical Elisabeth opens at 2 p.m. on September 8, 2026. The release covers performances from October 3 through October 23, while the production continues at Blue Square Wooribank Hall through November 15.
The government has announced a public-sector function reform plan to merge the Korea National Oil Corporation and the Korea Gas Corporation and establish an energy security system. The plan calls for oil stockpiling and limited oil exploration and development functions to be transferred to a proposed integrated entity tentatively called the Energy Resources Corporation, but the detailed scope of oil exploration and development, the merger timeline, and organizational changes have not yet been finalized.
Netflix officially announced the production and principal cast of the Korean series ‘Materesa’ on September 1, 2026. The title is a working title and has not yet been finalized. Nana will play Ma Teresa, a criminal psychologist and professor investigating unsolved murder cases. Kim Dan will play her assistant, Park Seol, while Jung Gun-joo will play Yoo A-ram, Ma Teresa’s longtime friend and a prosecutor. Directed by Jang Young-woo, written by Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won, and produced by Showrunners, the series does not yet have an officially confirmed release date.
Toy Story 5 is scheduled for a U.S. theatrical release on June 19, 2026, while the official Korean Disney+ content page lists September 23, 2026, as its release date. The official pages do not specify the release time or the South Korean theatrical release date.
Athletic Club defeated Atlético de Madrid 3-0 in Matchday 4 of LaLiga on September 5, 2026. Lee Kang-in started for Atlético, hit the left post with a right-footed shot in the third minute, and was replaced by Julián Álvarez in the 59th minute according to LaLiga’s official records. Atlético’s next official match is away to Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League at 21:00 on September 9.
The Houston Rockets officially announced on September 3, 2026, that they had extended Amen Thompson’s contract. The deal is a reported five-year, $208 million rookie-scale extension expected to begin after the 2026–27 season. It includes a 10% trade kicker, but the full activation conditions, annual salary breakdown, and complete option details have not been confirmed.
WayV’s ‘BORN THIS Way’ Seoul concert will take place at KBS ARENA on September 12 and 13. On-site tickets cost KRW 198,000 for VIP seats and KRW 165,000 for general-admission and restricted-view seats. The September 13 performance will also be livestreamed on Beyond LIVE and Weverse Concerts. Online live tickets will be sold until 4:29:59 p.m. KST on September 13.
General ticket sales for Kim Dong-ryul’s concert ‘Old Songs’ are scheduled to begin at 5 PM on September 4, 2026. The concert will be held seven times at the Grand Theater of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from October 17 to 25. Ticket prices range from 132,000 won for C seats to 198,000 won for R seats. Tickets are available through Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and NOL, but each platform offers different seating sections. A maximum of two tickets per person may be purchased across all performances.
The South Korean women’s national basketball team defeated Nigeria 99–81 in the first game of Group B at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. Park Ji-su recorded 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, while Kang Yi-seul posted 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, including six three-pointers. South Korea’s next opponent is France, with the game scheduled for 3:45 a.m. Korea time on September 6. All of South Korea’s World Cup games will be broadcast live on Coupang Play for Sports Pass subscribers.
Pierre Gasly claimed his first Formula One pole position by setting the fastest time of 1:21.786 in qualifying for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. Oscar Piastri, who qualified third, received a three-place grid penalty for impeding another driver and will start the race from sixth. The official top five on the grid are Gasly, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen. The race starts at 15:00 local time in Monza on September 6.
Manchester City defeated Coventry City 1-0 in the Premier League on September 5, 2026. Erling Haaland scored the decisive goal in the 26th minute by heading in Antoine Semenyo’s cross. The victory gave Manchester City three wins from three matches to open the season, putting them top of the early standings with nine points at the final whistle. Enzo Fernández and Iliman Ndiaye made their starting debuts, while Nico O’Reilly was withdrawn from the starting lineup after the warm-up.
