After a year in which expansion and slowdown coexisted across Korean pop culture, 2026 is shaping up to be a potential rebound period for K-culture. While the animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” helped push K-pop further into everyday life beyond fan communities, album sales declined for a second consecutive year, fueling a sense of crisis. In broadcasting, “When Life Gives You Tangerines” and “Squid Game" Season 3 drew major attention, but the growing dominance of Netflix further weakened terrestrial networks. Korean cinema endured one of its toughest years, with only one film — “My Daughter Is a Zombie” — surpassing 5 million moviegoers. As the Year of the Red Horse begins, anticipation is rising that blockbuster projects across K-pop, television, and film may breathe fresh energy into the industry. From the long-awaited comeback of BTS and BLACKPINK to large-scale film productions such as “Hope,” which has a total budget of 100 billion won ($77 million), key figures seen as drivers of a K-culture resurgence are preparing to step forward. The biggest storyline in