• "Is it offensive or not?" — NewJeans member Hanni's reference to Japan as "Sushi Land" sparks discussion among fans

    NewJeans member Hanni recently took to social media to reminisce about her trip to Japan with her fellow group members. She playfully referred to their visit as a "short trip to sushi land."

    This lighthearted term caught the attention of Japanese netizens, leading a Japanese YouTuber to conduct a poll. The poll asked netizens whether they found Hanni's reference to Japan as "sushi land" offensive or not.

    The poll results showed that 82% of voters did not find the phrase offensive, while 18% did. Some Japanese netizens shared their thoughts on the matter.

    One person compared it to calling India "curry land" and found no offense in it. They mentioned that Japan is famous for sushi, so being called "sushi land" shouldn't be a problem.

    Another netizen expressed that they didn't find it offensive but questioned Hanni's intention since the shared collage lacked actual sushi photos.

    They noted that terms like "sushi girl" are sometimes used in Korean online communities in a derogatory manner to describe conservative and submissive Japanese women.

    Interestingly, this issue also prompted discussion among Korean netizens. They debated how they would feel if a foreigner referred to Korea as "kimchi land."

    Some felt it wasn't an issue, citing kimchi's significance as a representative Korean food. Others brought up the broader question of whether it's appropriate to label a country based on a single food item.

    Source[1]

  • 'Resident Playbook' hits its highest ratings yet — is it Go Youn Jung’s magic or the 'Hospital Playlist' cameos that fans love?

    tvN’s weekend drama “Resident Playbook” is getting more and more love each week — and its latest episode just broke the 5% ratings mark!

    On April 20, episode 4 of Resident Playbook recorded 5.8% average viewership in Seoul (with a peak of 6.5%) and 5.1% nationwide (with a peak of 5.7%), according to Nielsen Korea. This made the show No.1 in its time slot across all cable and general programming channels, including public broadcasters.

    Among tvN’s main target audience — men and women aged 20 to 49 — it also scored high with 2.9% average and 3.3% peak nationwide, showing strong support from younger viewers.

    Fans are now asking: is this the “Go Youn Jung effect” at play, or are viewers tuning in for the emotional storytelling and cameos from Hospital Playlist characters?

    In the latest episode, the rookie residents — Oh Yi Young (Go Youn Jung), Kim Sa Bi (Han Ye Ji), Pyo Nam Kyung (Shin Si Ah), and Eom Jae Il (Kang Yoo Seok) — continued growing closer as teammates and friends. Their emotional ups and downs, along with heartfelt moments between characters, touched the hearts of many.

    One major moment was when Yi Young, dealing with a difficult case, bravely asked Kim Sa Bi for help despite earlier tension between them. The two ended up working together and comforting each other — and viewers were moved to tears.

    Another scene that drew attention was the cameo by Kim Jun Wan (Jung Kyung Ho) from Hospital Playlist, who joined the medical team for a rare case. His appearance brought back nostalgia and added even more depth to the story.

    Fans are loving the mix of emotional healing, growing friendships, and realistic hospital life, calling the show a warm follow-up to the Hospital Playlist universe.

    With ratings rising and buzz building, many are wondering just how high Resident Playbook will climb. New episodes air every Saturday and Sunday at 9:20 PM KST on tvN.

    Source: [1]