After the first few pages, I thought I was in for a buttered popcorn, "KPop Demon Hunters" snack of a novel. High in calories, low in nutrition. Well, I was right … and wrong. AMIL’s "The Forest Called You" is a highly addictive and engaging read about a K-pop idol and a high school outcast that masks an undercurrent of deeper social themes. The story is set in 23rd-century Korea, where climate change has devastated Earth. There is no more winter, half of Earth’s species are gone and humanity is left surviving in a Dune-like, dystopian environment. There are dust storms, and the specter of the “Akanta virus” (presumably similar to COVID-19) looms large. Seoul has become a cesspool of filthy, destitute and virus-ridden lowlifes, and as a result, a severe class divide has emerged. The wealthy can afford to eat real food and interact almost entirely in a highly immersive virtual world, all within the safety of their disinfected homes. Conversely, the poor subsist on artificial meal substitutes and have no choice but to go out in the dirty and harsh physical world, interacting di

In Korea, a pop career is supposed to start in a trainee dormitory when one is a teenager. Rydia’s started in Rotterdam at 39. The Seoul-born singer-songwriter, now 41 and six years into life in the Netherlands, put a music career off for most of her adult life before deciding it was never too late to reinvent herself. She officially launched as an independent artist on June 19. Four months and seven releases later, and she’s about to drop her most openly cross-cultural track yet. “Saranghaeyo” (I Love You), out Oct. 23, pairs her with Dutch rapper Jermaine Kool in a back-and-forth where nobody meets anyone halfway on language. He raps in Dutch. She raps in Korean. The two converge on the chorus, an English-Korean hook that professes love for all the pretty girls, and then, to be fair, all the pretty boys. The collaboration came together almost by accident. Rydia signed up for a K-pop and European crossover songwriting camp run by a Dutch studio, where the producer on her team learned she was Korean and mentioned a friend who loved Korea. “It’s actually funny. I only met him

For Tanoé Akouba Leïla Olivia, modeling was the last thing on her mind when she came to Korea, because she was certain about her aspirations of working as an architect. Her professional training in interior design and 3D visualization in the U.K., Italy and Spain cemented her commitment to the field, until a career break in Korea made her rethink her path and eventually become a full-time model. Born in Cote d’Ivoire to an Ivorian father and Malian mother, Leïla spent her early childhood traveling between countries due to the nature of her parents’ work. Her childhood was filled with memories of the bright streets of Manchester, the antique avenues of Spain and the bustling roads of Italy. From time to time, she would find herself enjoying the flavorful food in Nigeria and exploring the historical and colorful streets of Togo and Senegal. This lifestyle led her to consider herself “un enfant du monde” — a French expression meaning “child of the world.” After completing her internship in Marbella and Valencia, she took a big leap and moved to China to work as a 3D visua