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 list 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 is 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'd like to think I've gotten a little bit bolder.

It's hard to believe I'm actually here.

A little bit braver.

What a save!

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, is it?

Thank you.

One hundred. One hundred.

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

This way, please.

This will do.

And first, you can 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 something called the K-wave.

I wanna get on it,

get into it, and get behind it.

And get under it.

I wanna 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 five thousand Korean restaurants in the US,

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 Hongdae Street.

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

Named one of the 15 coolest neighborhoods in the world,

so I should blend right 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, so… -Yeah.

The first thing that really took off globally were Korean dramas.

And then it was things like movies,

I don't know if you watched, like, maybe Oldboy, or Parasite.

-Parasite. Yes. Yeah, yeah. -It's an amazing movie.

So good, it won Best Picture at the Oscars.

I mean, you work in Hollywood.

You know the cultural impact of Hollywood movies

that draws people to LA, and I 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? -Yeah.

That has 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 undeveloped 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.

-Right? -Pretty intense, yes.

And we're known to have strict Asian parents.

And that kind of trickles down from older generations.

You have to become successful, you have to work hard,

you have to become something.

-Don't let your family down. -Right.

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 floors, to be like, "Hey, you should go now."

'Cause they're always looking down.

A little bit distracted.

I might film something for my social media now.

It's Eugene in Seoul. Eugene in Korea.

Look where we are.

It's pretty exciting, Hongdae Street.

It's 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. 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 gonna do, like, a group hello to you.

Two, three…

Hello, we are Nowadays.

I like it. I'm gonna 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? -Yes, that's right.

And your parents said…

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 business 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! -Hi!

And yours truly is on the VIP list.

-They serve drinks for the fans? -Yes, after they perform.

-So, it's an interactive thing? -Yeah.

You wanna get a drink from the boys?

-I think we should. -Hi.

-Strawberry latte. -Strawberry latte. Okay.

-Lovely. -Thank you.

We can take a picture with our strawberry lattes.

Nowadays.

Most aspiring musicians dream of quitting their jobs

in a coffee shop once they 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.

'Cause 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 the all the time, recording every waking second.

What is this?

All these things that they're doing here, like the hand gestures…

-Right. -…Is, like, to look cute.

Yeah.

-I think they're gonna dance now. -Okay.

Up to a hundred K-pop groups debut each year.

And there's money to be made.

The four largest agencies make over three billion dollars 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 applauds.

You know, it's kinda quiet.

When you finish a number and all you hear is click, click, click.

Yeah.

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 fogy, okay?

Maybe I'm just not totally understanding it

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

You've had a good first day, now you should go get some rest.

I'll probably get 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.

Eugene, 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… -Yeah.

…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?

-Are you ready? -Yeah.

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!

Tae Kwon Do.

Tae Kwon Do.

-Whoa! -Whoa! Nice.

Banana.

Bagaga.

Banana!

-Bakara! -Banana! Banana.

-Baka… Ba… -…Nana! Nana.

-Can we pass? Okay. -Pass.

-Korea. -Oh, yeah.

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 Junny'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.

Yeah.

Our audience here at Dive is 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 of people saying,

"I wanna be pretty like her,"

or "I wanna 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 gonna 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,

"Before you debut, you're going to have to get some work done."

Okay…

Having some sort of cosmetic procedure has become very normalized.

I think it started very… Even with, like, the double eyelids.

-Are you familiar with double eyelids? -What is the double eyelid?

-So, like, the crease on the top... -I have a double 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 thin. -You have a thin crease.

…to make their eyes look larger and more almond-shaped.

-I do not have double eyelids. -I have it on one side here.

You have one crease.

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

Let's 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 look like.

-Awesome. -And cut!

This whole K-beauty thing has me intrigued.

It's another enormous South Korean export,

predicted to be worth 14 billion dollars a year.

To learn more, I'm heading to Gangnam…

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.

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 looks,

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.

You know, 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…

There.

Thank you.

Beside the bounty of beauty products in stores across the world,

Seoul's beauty clinics offer an array of

cutting edge plastic surgery and treatments.

Mr. Levy.

-Dr. Ko, nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you too.

-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. Ko is a busy guy.

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

-Very futuristic. -Oh, thank you.

…compared to one in 20 in the US.

So you'll be taking photos in here.

I'm gonna put these over here.

Can you put your head line over to this metal part?

Okay, so we're gonna go now.

Keep your eyes open, please.

Yep.

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… the results.

Well, I'm 77, so It can't… I don't…

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 says lack of elasticity.

Seems pretty elastic to me. When you… You know what I mean?

I thought it was too elastic.

Hard to believe, but my facial proportions are good.

You have a great look.

-Thank you, Dr. Ko. -That's right, yeah.

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

Dr. Ko. 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 a short face, we can add some kind of fillers

to make them more longer or wider.

-Okay. -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 Tune Face.

-Tune Face? Okay. -That's right.

Welcome to Korea.

This device will rejuvenate your skin.

Let's give it a go.

-Okay. Okay. -See what happens.

Tune Face uses radio frequency and ultrasound

in a bid to stimulate collagen and 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.

Now that sounds awfully appealing.

My face is my face.

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… it would take a lot of money to fix this baby.

Do you notice a difference?

This takes time to improve your skin.

The cells needs 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 every 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 dollars.

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 foods. -Well, it smells good.

Do you want to try some lungs?

-Lung? -Lungs.

-And tripe. -Lungs?

Yeah. Yeah, we eat a lot of blood sausage.

-Blood sausage? -So it's, like, intestine.

It's, like, chicken feet.

-Chicken feet? -Yeah. Chicken feet.

-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.

-I like it. I like it. -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 of the more senior Koreans would come and just hang out here

and she says nowadays, it's the young couples,

the young people in their 20s, 30s.

It's like a date spot.

-Right. -I think we should try some of this.

Okay. That look 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.

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… 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 life,

I might be ahead of a trend.

-I love this. -Tteokbokki is billed

as the next big thing.

And you can let everyone know I told you first.

-That was fun. -That was very fun.

It's still raining.

-Here we go. -Let's go.

Koreans are proud of their culinary heritage.

And rightly so.

But that obsession 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.

Mukbang actually sounds like

the kind of party you just don't want to miss.

Mukbang is all about sharing a meal virtually

and getting likes in the process.

"A mukbang is an online audio-visual broadcast in which a host consumes

various quantities of food while interacting with the audience."

-Hello. Hi. Hi. -Leeby.

31-year-old aspiring actor, Leeby,

has promised to give me a taste of what it's all about.

And welcome to my studio.

-Breakfast. -This is where I film my mukbang.

All right. You're making…

-Rice balls. -Rice balls.

This unusual trend first emerged in Korea 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 that time.

Well, yeah… I kind of… I kind of get that.

Back when I was a kid. Yeah… Yeah, absolutely.

After I started mukbang and people, you know, kind of like it.

And then I got confidence from that.

So, I'm gonna 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.

Juicy inside.

Crunchy outside.

Whoa.

-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, Leeby'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 Leeby 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, building 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… it can be anything here.

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

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".

Eugene!

Wow.

I found my lost brother!

-You fit right in. -All right.

What are you guys up to?

-They're making Instagram Reels. -Reels.

-Instagram Reels? -Yeah. Yes.

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

They said they slaved away most of their lives 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. Exactly. -Yes.

-Well, I understand that. -Yeah.

Well, let's see what you do.

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

And you will be the oldest.

-I am the oldest. -I'm oldest.

-And best looking. -New member.

Flattery will get them everywhere.

And besides, their social media guru

promised we'll start with something simple.

So you'll want to just turn around at the same time, all six of you.

-All at once? That's easy. -Yeah.

We're gonna do it on three.

…two, three.

I thought we're doing it on three.

-One more time? -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.

One, two, three, four.

-One, two, three, four. -Keep going!

Nice, nice, nice!

-Lot of fun. Knees are okay. -Knees okay?

-Thank you, gentlemen. -Well done.

Good.

My long-lost brother, Ji, 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.

So, I… I think life is like a play, right?

-In act one… -Yeah.

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

-There's no retirement in sight? -Yes.

We are in the same boat.

-Love it. -For Ji 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 K-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. -Yeah, let's go.

Yeah, that's life

-I had no idea before I got here… -That's what all…

…just how big the K-wave was.

You're riding high in April

You're shot down in May

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

…get me down

'Cause this fine old world It keeps spinnin' around

Whoo!

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… 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…

It just… They… 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 off something new,

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

You know what? My new friend, Ji, 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! -Thank you!

I can't honestly say I'm riding it,

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

Look at this. Seoul at my feet.

-Good night, Seoul. Good night, baby. -Good night, Seoul. Good night.

Oye!

-Oye! -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?

It tells you where to go and that's the important thing.

-Dad, you want to jump in? -Thanks for this!

Sláinte and welcome to Ireland.