Original subtitles

I'm the living example of better late than never.

Until a few years ago, my life was steady, predictable, reassuringly

repetitive.

But my recent adventures have changed all that.

So, what's next for me?

Now that I'm considered something of a traveler, I've challenged myself to

complete my own bucket list before actually... kicking the bucket.

I did a lot of research, kept an open mind.

Who's going hiking in the Amazon?

And came up with a lift of my own.

Take a look at this.

Welcome to London.

Never felt more like a tourist.

These are some of the greatest once in a lifetime travel experiences

you can have.

Don't take this the wrong way, but this was a horrible ride.

Tick that off the bucket list.

This is my first time in Ireland.

Of course, I've been here before. Yep, once.

Once or twice? Once.

Once. Whether they should be once in my lifetime is another matter.

But I like to think I've gotten a little bit bolder. It's hard to believe I'm

actually here.

A little bit braver.

Of course I work well under pressure.

So this could be my most memorable trip yet.

Was getting drunk with Prince William on your bucket list?

That's the bucket. That's the bucket.

Thank

you.

100.

100.

They're definitely popping. We're going up.

This will do.

And first, you could see our view.

Oh, mama.

I've never been up 100 stories before.

Oh, man. It's about the highest I've been since the 60s.

This is Seoul, the capital of South Korea. And according to my kids, the

epicenter of an exciting young phenomenon.

At my age, and in my line of work, it's all about keeping your finger on the

pulse. Which is why, for this bucket list adventure, I'm here to ride

called the K -Wave.

I want to get on it, get into it, and get behind it.

And get under it. I want to find out what it is.

The K -Wave is a kaleidoscope of South Korean pop culture that's going global.

K -pop music is making a huge splash, creating 19 of the world's 20 best

-selling albums in 2023.

Then there's K -beauty. South Korea is the fourth largest exporter of beauty

products in the world.

And we're all eating up K food.

With over 5 ,000 Korean restaurants in the U .S., it seems that if you put a K

in front of it, there's big bucks to be made. This K wave, it's something that's

worth looking into because it's kind of taking over, you know? It sounds hip, it

sounds contemporary, it sounds me.

I've been told to meet my guide down on Hung Dai Street.

It's kind of electric, isn't it?

Named one of the 15 coolest neighborhoods in the world, so I should

in.

Hello, Eugene.

Anna. Hello.

Welcome to Seoul.

So I'm a content creator. I make content about Korea in English to the global

audience. Good, good, good.

Look at this.

So Anna, break down the K -wave for me. It's not just K -pop, it's like... It's

a whole mix of things. The first thing that really took off globally were

dramas. And then it was things like movies. I don't know if you watched

Oldboy or Parasite.

Parasite, yeah. It's an amazing movie.

Yeah, yeah. So good it won Best Picture at the Oscars.

I think you work in Hollywood.

You know, the cultural impact of Hollywood movies, that draws people to L

think it's the same for Korea.

And it's no accident.

In the 90s, the government poured money into its creative industries, which,

along with tech and engineering, helped transform the country into an economic

and cultural powerhouse.

This is like a whole new phenomenon, right? That is kind of...

Changed people's perception of Korea. For sure. We had the Korean War in the

1950s. Right. And it was kind of devastating. We were a really

nation. As of today, we're like the 14th largest economy in the world.

Amazing.

It's an extraordinary success story that has transformed farmland into a

futuristic urban jungle, all in the space of my lifetime.

So the work ethic is quite intense.

Pretty intense, yes. And we're known to have strict Asian parents.

That kind of trickles down for all the generations.

You have to become successful. You have to work hard. You have to become

something. Don't let your family down.

And an aspirational career over here often means getting creative.

We're just constantly on the go.

Produce more content.

Everyone's a content creator.

Everyone's a streamer.

Do you have any social media?

No. No.

But I get the fact that this is the way things are today, right? Today, yeah.

It's very different.

Shall we cross the road?

Yeah. What is this? So because a lot of the times, especially in the modern age

now, we're standing here on our phones. So just in case people miss seeing the

green light changing, they have them on the floor to be like, hey, you should go

now. Because they're always looking down. A little bit distracted.

I might film something for my social media now.

With Eugene and Sol.

Eugene in Korea.

Look where we are.

It's pretty exciting, Hyundai Street. Just throbbing with energy.

They're good.

These young wannabes are hoping to make the transition from street to stadium.

But in a billion -dollar K -pop industry, the bar is sky high.

And Anna wants to introduce me to a band already vying for their share of the

spotlight. Okay. Oh, look, we have the fans here waiting already.

Nowadays is a five -member boy band all in their early 20s. Hello.

Nice to meet you all.

And like most K -pop bands, created and managed by their record label.

I think they're going to do a group hello to you. Two, three. In your day,

hello, we are nowadays.

I like it. I'm going to adapt it myself, actually.

How much work do you put in? How many hours?

So when they're like really active, performing on TV shows, promoting, they

sleep like one or two hours a day.

Yeah.

Yeah, that was shocking.

One to two hours sleep a night on a busy day. They don't seem to mind it, you

know? So you were 12 when you said, this is what I want to do,

yeah? That's right.

And your parents said?

Oh, they encouraged him.

You know, they started when they were like 12 with full support from their

parents. So they're trying to make it happen. But it's not the easiest

to make a living at. But they're putting their heart and soul into making a

dream come true.

Nowadays made their official debut in 2024 with the release of their first

album.

Tonight, the guys are holding a special event for their most devoted fans.

Open!

And yours truly is on the VIP list.

They serve drinks for the fans, so it's an interactive thing. You want to get a

drink for the boys? I think we should. Hi.

Strawberry latte. Strawberry latte, okay.

Lovely.

Thank you.

We take a picture with our strawberry lattes. Nowadays.

Most aspiring musicians dream of quitting their jobs in a coffee shop

hit the big time.

But this is a chance for the fans to meet their idols face to face.

Or face to phone.

These cameras are insane.

They're like paparazzi. They're like red carpet cameras.

Because they want the best pictures of their favorites.

My fans aren't quite this intense.

The appreciation and the devotion that they show comes through their cameras.

It's not even a personal interaction. The phone is up all the time, recording

every waking second.

These things that they're doing here, like the hand gestures, it's like to

cute. Yeah.

I think they're going to dance now. Okay.

Up to 100 K -pop groups debut

each year.

And there's money to be made.

The four largest agencies make over $3 billion annually.

But these bands are a big investment.

Even the ones who make it often don't last.

It makes me realize how lucky I am to still be working at my ripe old age.

It's a machine that is churning out a product, and that involves the fans,

merchandise. It is putting kids together to form instant stardom.

Nobody blogs.

You know, it's kind of quiet when you finish a number, and all you hear is

click, click, click, click, click.

I don't mind admitting, as an actor, I'm partial to applause.

But here, adulation is expressed with posts and likes on social media,

which helps grow a fan base.

Maybe I'm just an old fogey, okay? Maybe I'm just not totally understanding it

the way a 22 -year -old would at this point.

You've had a good, fast day. Now you should go get some rest. I'll probably

more than these kids are getting tonight, which is one or two hours.

The energy of this city is undeniable.

Though I can't help but wonder what the future holds for all those young

hopefuls.

Well, it was interesting because the whole K -pop thing goes much...

deeper than i thought i mean i'm still kind of you know weighing whether it's

really a good thing obviously it's a good thing for the kids that make it and

they love it and this is what they want but sometimes i think about the kids

that you know just put all that work and sweat and labor into trying to become

famous but they don't make it you know and then what happens if nowadays are

going to hit the big time They'll also need fans from outside South Korea.

One person who is making waves globally is Eric Nam.

Gene, Eric, nice to meet you.

Eric is an American singer, actor, and media personality, and now a podcaster.

So these podcasts that you're doing, how big are they in South Korea?

The majority of our audience is international.

We have six to seven million social followers.

We've done over 1 .5 billion views.

So people are watching.

And I'm making a guest appearance on his latest episode.

All right, this is the Whisper Challenge.

We have two players wearing headphones playing loud music.

How good are your lip -reading skills?

What? Got it. Go.

K -pop. K -pop.

Oh, too easy.

Taekwondo.

Taekwondo. Whoa.

Nice. Banana.

Ba -ga -ga.

Banana. Ba -ga -ra.

Oh, na -na. Ba -ga. Na -na.

Ba -ga. Can we pass?

Pass. Okay.

Korea. Oh.

Okay, we do have serious things to talk about, so... Let's dive in.

Thank you for joining us. I'm very excited.

Eric and his co -hosts all moved to Seoul from North America.

He's from Atlanta.

Peniel's from Chicago, Ashley's from New York, and Junie's from Vancouver.

The reason so many of us came here is because we never saw ourselves on TV in

the States.

Right. And I think what K -dramas and K -pop are allowing people like us to do

is to show people around the world that we too can act, that we can sing, that

we can perform, and that we have our stories to tell. Us growing up, we were

just like immigrant kids. And then seeing the culture that we grew up on,

everyone's appreciating it now. So it's like... So can you kind of...

Pinpoint down to a single reason why K -pop has taken over the way

it has. The reason that it's gotten to where it is today is because of social

media. Our audience here at Dive, it's maybe 30 % Asian. So it's 70 % is

just the rest of the world that is not Asian.

If there's a downside to...

k -pop or the k -wave what would that be i think the impossible beauty standards

i always see comments um of people saying i want to be pretty like her or i

to be handsome like him but i'll never be that way if you weren't necessarily a

good -looking person but you had

A great voice. Would they say, you know what, this is not going to work because

we have kind of an aesthetic here?

Well, we have something called cosmetic surgery.

Okay, now we're getting into it.

They do pick based on talent, but they will tell you, oh, before you debut,

you're going to have to get some work done.

Okay. Having some sort of cosmetic procedure has become very normalized.

And I think it started very, even with like the double eyelids.

Are you familiar with the double eyelids? What is the double eyelids? So

the crease on the top of the eyelid. Oh, I see.

Okay. While some are born with them, double eyelids are so highly prized in

South Korea.

that more than 200 ,000 people have surgery each year. Mine's, like, very

You have a thin crease. To make their eyes look larger and more almond

I do not have double eyelids.

I have an almond side right here. You have one crease.

He's halfway there. He's halfway there.

Get him there. Get him in the shot.

Appearance is incredibly important in the K wave.

In terms of style, in terms of what they're wearing, in terms of what they

like. Awesome.

And cut!

This whole K -beauty thing has me intrigued.

It's another enormous South Korean export, predicted to be worth $14

year.

To learn more, I'm heading to Gangnam.

Uh, tickets? A part of the city known for its style.

Someone should write a song about that.

One thousand.

And where's my change?

I don't know.

Okay, I don't know. Oh, maybe it's on my ticket.

No, it's not.

Never underestimate my abilities to navigate a city.

Now, this might come as a bit of a surprise considering my matinee idol

but the beauty industry isn't my field of expertise.

Never been to a beauty clinic.

It will be an adventure, no question about it.

I've gotten by this far with this mug, and I'm not entirely sure how that

happened, but it did.

Now we go, I guess, through the gate.

I'm not sure what to touch here.

I don't know how to do this.

Excuse me, how do you... Oh, there.

Thank you.

Beside the bounty of beauty products in stores across the world, Sol's Beauty

Clinics offer an array of cutting -edge plastic surgery and treatments.

Dr. Koh, nice to meet you.

Welcome to our clinic.

Thank you very much.

Before we start the consultation, let's start with 3D scan of your face first.

Okay.

Dr. Koh is a busy guy.

Apparently, one in five women in South Korea has had work done. Very

Thank you.

Compared to one in 20 in the U .S.

So you'll be taking photos in here? I'm going to put these over here.

Can you put your headline over to this metal part?

Okay, so we're going to go now.

Keep your eyes open, please.

Yeah? The machine is meant to highlight any imperfections with my skin.

Hopefully, it won't be too judgmental. The photo shoot is over.

So, let's check the result.

Well, I'm 77, so it can't... I don't... Uh -oh!

Oh, my God.

3D -scanned face, so we can have a look around of your face. Who would cast that

face?

Let's have a closer look.

That's too close.

It's a lack of elasticity.

Seems pretty elastic to me. You know what I mean? I thought it was too

Hard to believe, but my facial proportions are good.

You have a great look.

Thank you, Dr.

Koh. But if I needed, say, a stronger jawline or bigger chin, Dr.

Koh could help me. He's an expert in something called facial enhancement.

We can add or decrease volume on your face. So if you have short face, we can

add. some kind of filler to make them more longer or wider.

Adding fillers is a common thing in Korea.

Plus, Dr.

Ko and his colleagues have a selection of tools at their disposal to help

clients appear more youthful.

To improve these wrinkles and lines, we can use devices to stimulate your cells.

What kind of devices?

I recommend to start with TuneFace.

TuneFace, okay.

Welcome to Korea.

Uh -huh.

This device will rejuvenate the skin.

Well, let's give it a go. Okay. Let's see what happens.

Okay.

TuneFace uses radiofrequency and ultrasound in a bid to stimulate

tighten the skin.

And I appreciate you trying to make me look better.

You could feel the heat, but it felt good. It felt like a facial massage in a

way. So right now I look one year younger, but you could make it ten.

Yeah. That sounds awfully appealing.

My faith is my faith.

I can't do much about it, you know what I mean? I can't. Would I like to be

better looking ultimately? Sure, but I don't think a nip and a tuck is going to

do it for me. You know, it would take a lot of money to fix this.

Do you notice a difference?

This takes time to improve your skin. The cells need time to make more protein

and collagen.

Well, these cells are reacting awfully quickly because I'm feeling much younger

than I was before I came in.

Okay. Oh, my.

Well, this is miraculous.

I look 35.

This mirror mirror has got its work cut out, but you live in hope.

In this city of constant innovation, everything seems to be underpinned by

aesthetics and an ambition to be seen.

Which is a world away from what it was like for me growing up. I was not

grabbing hold of trying to be famous when I was a kid.

No, I just wanted to fit in.

And it started with having a name like Eugene instead of, you know, Bob.

But the goal for me was just to keep working, just have a check coming in

week. For me, it doesn't get much better than that. If you hit your peak too

soon, there's nowhere to go but down.

Speaking of which, it's time to meet Anna for dinner.

In recent years, the global demand for K -food has seen exports exceed $12

billion.

So I'm eager to sample the real thing.

Eugene, this is Gwangjang Market. It's one of the oldest food markets in Korea

and the biggest.

And they sell Korean street food.

Well, it smells good.

Do you want to try some lungs?

Lungs. Lungs and tripe. Lungs. Yeah. Oh, yeah, we eat a lot of blood sausage.

Blood sausage? So it's like intestine.

That's like chicken feet.

Chicken feet. Yeah.

Next. Next. Let's go.

Do you see this?

A live octopus.

Yeah. It's kind of a delicacy. So we cut up the legs and you kind of put it in

your mouth while it's still wriggling. And we'll be right back.

Fresh octopus aside, this cuisine has never been hotter, and it's backed by a

concerted effort to sell it to hungry consumers around the globe.

I think it's because the exposure of the Korean food in media, in movies, it

just looks so colorful, right?

Many of those delicacies are on offer at this little stall.

Run for the last two decades by 66 -year -old Lim, who's seen a big change

in her customers.

So she says, back in the days, a lot more of the senior Koreans would come

just hang out here. And she says, nowadays, it's the young couples, the

people in their 20s, 30s. It's like a date spot.

Right. Yeah. I think we should try some of this. Okay, that looks scary, but

what is it?

This is tteokbokki.

It's called a rice cake.

Made with red chili pepper sauce.

It's hot? It's sweet and spicy.

Myself.

Is it hot for you?

No, it's delicious.

Right?

Okay.

And then there's that fresh octopus.

Oh, my God. So fresh, it could walk back into the sea.

Oh, my God, this poor thing.

It's still moving on the plate.

No, no. I will have one. Can't you at least, like, cook it?

I think this one's dead.

You think that's dead?

So... The octopus incident aside, I'm happy to report that for once in my

I might be ahead of a trend.

I love this.

Tokbaki is billed as the next big thing.

And you can let everyone know I told you first.

That was fun.

That was very fun. Oh, it's still raining.

Here we go.

Koreans are proud of their culinary heritage, and rightly so. But that

with food has taken a slight twist.

More Koreans are now living and eating alone, which has led to a unique social

media phenomenon.

We're going to a mukbang.

Muckbang actually sounds like the kind of party you just don't want to miss.

Muckbang is all about sharing a meal virtually and getting liked in the

A muckbang is an online audiovisual broadcast in which a host consumes

quantities of food while interacting with the audience.

Hello.

Hi. 31 -year -old aspiring actor Libby has promised to give me a taste of what

it's all about.

And welcome to my studio.

Breakfast. This is where I fill up my mukbang.

All right.

You're making rice balls. Rice balls. This unusual trend first emerged in

about 15 years ago.

That's a fair -sized crab.

But has since spread globally online.

where you can now find more than 4 million mukbang videos.

When did you start this and why?

I started mukbang six years ago, actually.

I always wanted to be in front of the camera.

But then, like, I was a chubby, ugly kid. I had really low self -esteem at

time. Yeah, I kind of get that when I was a kid. Yeah, absolutely.

After I started mukbang, And people are, you know, kind of like it. And then I

got confidence from that.

So I'm going to speak a little bit of English today for my friend. Eugene is

watching there.

Okay, let's eat.

I'm getting nervous.

Let's go.

This

is really

fresh.

Mmm. Juicy inside, crunchy outside.

Spicy.

Take a drink. I'm sorry.

Take a drink.

While this is a first for me, I've got to say I'm fascinated.

After suffering from low self -esteem, Libby's built a successful career by

sharing something she enjoys.

I'm starting to realize that in Korea, there's an audience for everything.

This is so good.

Can you keep track of who's watching you and how many people?

I have 400 ,000 subscribers.

400 ,000 people are watching Libby do this. That's how fame happens today.

Note to self.

Eating show.

Thanks a lot. Bye.

While these young Koreans might be broadcasting alone, they're in fact

a sense of community and finding their people.

Maybe it's all a little more personal and not as superficial as I might have

first thought.

I think I have time in my life still for content creation.

I have to figure out what that is, you know, because it can be anything here.

I'm not convinced I'm the right age to ride the wave.

Oh, look.

But Anna knows five men who might prove me wrong.

I think they're making content right now.

Oh, man.

They're an older generation of models and influencers called Ahjussi, which in

Korean means middle -aged man.

I found my lost brother.

You fit right in.

All right. What are you guys up to?

They're making Instagram Reels. Instagram Reels.

Now in their 60s, these guys have all enjoyed successful careers.

They said they slaved away most of their life to look after the kids and the

family, and now they just want to enjoy and have fun with whatever they want to

do now. So older men are younger than you think. Exactly.

Well, I understand that.

Well, let's see what you do.

They want you to be the sixth member of the group for today.

And you will be the oldest.

I am the oldest.

I'm best looking.

Flattery will get them everywhere.

And besides, their social media guru promised we'll start with something

So you're going to just turn around at the same time. All six of you. All at

once. Oh, that's easy.

We're going to do it on three.

One, two, three.

I thought we were doing it on three.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

Allow me to introduce you to Old Kids on the Block, a band to give nowadays a

run for their money.

A

lot

of fun. Knees are okay.

Thank you, gentlemen.

My long -lost brother, G, is nearly 70 years old.

I'm curious why he chose to be a content creator so late in life.

Social media is very important for our age, especially.

To try and stay young.

Yes, of course.

I think life is like a play, right? In Act One, we were the main

characters, right?

In act two, even small role is fine.

But we don't come down from the stage.

So I'm going to come down from the stage of life when I die.

There's no retirement inside.

Anyway, we are in the same boat.

Love it. For G and his buddies, it's not about fame.

It's about staying connected with the world.

Something I can definitely relate to.

It's actually starting to sink in, you know. I'm kind of making a connection

between content, social media, making a connection with the audience. That's

creating this K -Wave.

Those guys, those retirees, they're loving it, you know. We're still kids at

heart. Go for it, you know, enjoy it.

I couldn't do it seven days a week, but I got a chance to connect with the

energy, you know, just the fun vibe.

Maybe the performer in me is not that far removed from these folks riding the

-Wave after all.

I really want to hear you sing a proper song from beginning to end.

No, you don't. Yes, I do.

Well, I did say there's an audience for everything over here, and I guess an

audience of one is better than none.

Would you like a drink? I think this is tea.

Give me the strongest tea you've got.

I love Seoul.

It's got a very comfortable feel.

And I can honestly see myself coming back one day. Everybody drink up here.

I had no idea before I got here just how big the K -Wave

was.

And... how it's kind of taking over the world.

It's not like they're trying to stay ahead of the curve.

They're actually creating the curve.

But it's working for these kids. They absolutely love it. And they're young.

And I forget, I was young once.

I remember how important and exciting some things were in my life that my

parents and older people couldn't understand what was going on, what I was

listening to, what I wanted to do. They didn't get it. Now I'm one of those

people.

Okay? So I'm saying, all right, hold on now. Just, you know what? This is all

good.

Yep, that's life. And there's still some of it in the old dog yet.

It seems to me that these bucket list experiences aren't only about ticking

something new.

They're also about living for the moment, whatever age you are.

You know what? My new friend G is right. There is no someday. There's really

only nowadays.

I'm glad I plugged into the wave. No question about it. You know? Oh, yeah.

Amazing. They can't honestly say I'm riding it.

But I, you know, I kind of got wet.

Look at this, soul at my feet.

Good night, soul.

Good night. Good night, baby.

Oh, yay!

Oh, yay!

Yeah! Next on my bucket list... Do you speak Gaelic?

Well,

that didn't sound good.

Happy St.

Paddy's Day!

St. Patrick's Day in Ireland, this is sort of as good as it gets.

I'm really looking forward to doing this with my daughter. Why are you using a

map? Tells you where to go, and that's the important thing.

Dad, you want to jump in? Thanks for this.

Slow and slow, and welcome to Ireland.

Oh!