My Top 10 Favorite Korean Characters

September 17 is Character Day in South Korea, a celebration of the most iconic characters in South Korean media. In honor of this unique occasion, I would like to share a list of my 10 favorite South Korean characters.

10) Baby Shark (Pinkfong) - This song is forever stuck in our brains since the day it came out and went viral.

9) Pororo - The beloved penguin has been a household name for Korean families since his debut in 2003. Now, over two decades later, Pororo and his friends continue to enchant us with their fun-filled adventures.

8) Pinkfong - Without the adorable pink fox named Pinkfong, there would be no Baby Shark, Bebefin, or Sealook. Let's give Pinkfong a big thank you and a hug.

7) Minjjeomi - The name says it all: she's a mega-popular internet sensation with countless characters. No matter which persona she embodies, she's still Minjjeomi.

6) Pengsoo - The giant penguin mascot debuted in 2019 on an EBS TV show called Giant Peng TV, attracting so much attention that even mega-popular Korean celebrities interacted with him.

5) Tayo (Tayo The Little Bus) - This charming blue bus enjoys adventures around the city and beyond. With his road-going friends by his side, Tayo has changed our perception of touring. Our adventurous spirit would not be the same without this delightful talking blue bus.

4) Harp (Harp and Friends) - Popularized by the ToyTron toy line, which later spawned a TV cartoon aired on EBS, the adorable baby white seal named Harp and his friends have a penchant for adventures and random magical jellies.

3) Banzi (Banzi's Secret Diary) - Banzi is the perfect combination of cuteness, girl power, and mischief.

2) Heartsping (Catch! Teenieping) - This super-adorable Teenieping captivated our hearts for five years since the series began in the Spring of 2020, and she is still going on cute.

1) Shinbi (Shinbi's Haunted House) - There's no denying that the iconic green goblin Shinbi from the megahit South Korean animated series, Shinbi's Haunted House, is at the top of my list of cutest Korean characters. There are so many reasons why this little guy became a household name for every South Korean family who loved this show, but there's one big reason: IT'S SHINBI!

Happy Character Day to the best characters from The Land of the Morning Calm!

Let's Do The News! (September 17, 2025)

                   

                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- House Speaker Martin Romualdez has stepped down from being the leader of the chamber for the 20th Congress.

- The COMELEC has officially proclaimed the victory of the Gabriela Party List at the 2025 elections.

- Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte is in the Senate to meet Senator Rodante Marcoleta.

- The Independent Commission for Infrastructure has begun its work following the announcement by Philippine President Bongbong Marcos. The formation of the structural organization as its first step to formally begin its work is the first on its agenda.

- Senator Robin Padillia introduced SB 1299, an act promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance by prohibiting members of Congress from intervening in the identification and budgeting of local infrastructure projects and for other purposes.

- Typhoon Mirasol is moving across northern Luzon and is now in Kalinga. According to PAGASA, this typhoon has maximum sustained winds of 55kph near the center, with gusts up to 90kph.

- Over 500GB of internal documents and source code from China's Great Firewall leaked online on September 11, traced back to Geedge Networks and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The files reveal a commercial deep packet inspection platform called Tiangou. Reports show it has been exported to Myanmar, Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Kazakhstan.

- The UN's Phillay Commission released a comprehensive report accusing Israel of committing genocide during the Gaza war. In response, the pro-Israeli NGO UN Watch issued a rebuttal, stating that the Phillay report is misleading because it fails to address Hamas's involvement in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

- US President Donald Trump is in London for his historic second state visit to the UK. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of next week's UN General Debate. During this debate, many countries are expected to support the recognition of the Palestinian state, a move that has been strongly condemned by both the US and Israel.

- The 2026 F1 season's Sprint races were announced, and a solution was found to prevent the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix from clashing with the Indy 500.

- Jean-Eric Vergne and Nick Cassidy are named drivers for Citroen Racing's Formula E debut this year.

- Motul is named as the official supplier for the McLaren F1 team in the 2026 season.

- The FIA and Extreme H have confirmed a multi-year deal for the world's first hydrogen-powered world championship. The agreement reaffirms shared commitment to push hydrogen innovation and set new standards for sustainable racing. Extreme H uses cutting-edge technology to demonstrate how hydrogen can be used as a clean energy source.

- Bandai issued an official statement regarding the use of its registered trademarks in AI-generated images. The company says several fans were fooled by AI-generated images of anime figurines, with most of Bandai's brand logos (Bandai, Bandai Spirits, Tamashii Nations, and Banpresto) on them.

- Actor Robert Redford dies at the age of 89.

- Philippine girl group BINI will be performing at Coachella in 2026, with Kateyes member Sophia Laforteza performing alongside them.

TTFN.

Let's Do The News! (September 16, 2025)

                  

                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- The PH Senate is holding a hearing over the issue of online gambling.

- China intercepted Philippine ships at the disputed South China Sea shoal. Both countries have been engaged in a long-running maritime standoff in the strategic waterway.

- PH Vice-President Sara Duterte appeared at the House of Representatives to defend her proposed 902.8 million peso budget for 2026. She waives parliamentary courtesy and answers questions on disallowed confidential funds and foreign travels.

- A certain UN rights expert says complicity with the Gaza "genocide" is a "shame of our time". This comes ahead of next week's General Debate, where most of the member states will recognize a Palestinian State, a move strongly opposed by the US and Israel.

- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is demanding that the international community ban Israel from international sports over the Gaza war, as his government canceled the $825M military contract with the country. Spain is one of the countries that supports the recognition of the Palestinian state in next week's General Debate.

- US President Donald Trump says US companies shouldn't need to report quarterly earnings, shifting instead to an EU-style half-year model.

- The Ellison family is reportedly buying TikTok's US operations. The family currently owns Paramount, Skydance, Oracle, and is preparing to buy Warner Bros Discovery.

- The mother of a 15-year-old boy who committed suicide is suing Roblox and Discord for wrongful death, alleging the apps' lack of protection allowed her son to be sexually coerced by an adult predator into sending explicit photos.

- Simon Leviev, the infamous Tinder Swindler that got headlined by the Netflix documentary, was arrested in Georgia.

- Ford is moving its global headquarters from its famous glass building in Dearborn to its newly built innovation hub next to the Henry Ford Museum.

- RAM Trucks cancelled the release of the all-electric RAM 1500 REV truck due to a lack of interest. The PHEV variant will remove the Ramcharger name and become the RAM 1500 REV from now on.

- Maximilian Guenther and Taylor Barnard are joining the DS team for the 12th season of Formula E.

- The FIA World RX season finale in Istanbul will have wildcard entries and a one-day format.

- NFL legend Tom Brady will be one of the players to compete in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic next March in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

- Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis has hit his 14th world record, clearing 6.30 meters on his final attempt at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

- Journey frontman Arnel Pineda faces a warrant after skipping a hearing on a case filed by his wife.

TTFN.

Let's Do The News! (September 15, 2025)

                 

                                        

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- Former PH Supreme Court Associate Justice Andres Reyes Jr. is named as the chairperson of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, formed to investigate the so-called ghost flood control projects.

- The MMDA is prepared for the effects of the transport strike by numerous transport groups.

- Former DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez was returned to custody by the Senate from the Pasay City Jail.

- The Philippines will be the guest country of honor for next month's Frankfurt Book Fair to be held from October 15 to 19, 2025.

- A male was arrested for trashing a memorial of the slain Conservative activist Charlie Kirk outside Turning Point USA HQ in Arizona.

- The pro-Israeli NGO UN Watch released a video of a Gaza peace activist, Rami Aman, who was formerly imprisoned by Hamas, revealing how Hamas influenced UNRWA in Gaza, dominates Al Jazeera media coverage, loots and sells humanitarian aid, and how an Amnesty International official ordered Hamas to arrest him for promoting peace.

- The Vatican is holding a Prayer Vigil for the Jubilee of Consolidation in honor of Pope Leo XIV's birthday.

- Mexico will not be in the IndyCar 2026 season race calendar, citing scheduling conflicts over next year's FIFA World Cup.

- Carlos Sainz's penalty from the F1 Dutch Grand Prix was successfully overturned.

- A new Ultraman Zero film project was announced at the 2025 Tsuburaya Convention.

- The soundtrack from the hit Netflix movie K-Pop Demon Hunters became the first to top Billboard 200 since the Disney movie Encanto.

- Former boxer Ricky Hatton was found dead.

- Meet the winners of the 2025 Emmy Awards.

TTFN.

WRC 2025: Rally Chile Bio Bio

The 2025 World Rally Championship concludes its Latin America campaign with the Rally Chile Bio Bio. This rally weekend became the weekend Toyota will never forget.

Screengrab from WRC

Sebastien Ogier's recent victory over Elfyn Evans made headlines for Toyota. The Japanese carmaker is on the brink of securing its fifth constructors' title and has now surpassed Citroën for the most wins in World Rally Championship history, reaching a total of 103 victories. Hyundai driver Adrien Fourmaux finished in third place.

The next event is the Central European Rally from October 16 to 19, 2025.

DTM 2025: Red Bull Ring

The Red Bull Ring, the sacred venue of Formula 1's Austrian Grand Prix, became the penultimate stop for the 2025 DTM season. As the climax draws near, the title fight's never been this close, with Lucas Auer's gap between Jack Aitken becoming a two-point fight. Anyway, let's find out.

Screengrab from DTM

In the first race, Rene Rast secured victory, finishing in first place, while Marco Wittmann came in second and Thierry Vermeulen took third. In the final race, Ricardo Feller emerged as the winner, with Vermeulen again finishing in second and Lucas Auer claiming third place, which helped him maintain his position in the title race.

Who will win the 2025 DTM title? Find out this October 2 to 5, 2025, for the finale at Hockenheimring. Don't miss it.

2025 Repco Supercars Championship - AirTouch 500 at The Bend

The endurance season of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship has begun with the AirTouch 500 at The Bend. With co-drivers at their disposal, it's the start of a herculean clash this season.

Screengrab from Supercars

The Mustang swept the podium after a thrilling 102-lap endurance race at The Bend. The #38 Shell V-Power Racing Team Mustang Supercar, driven by Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood, took first place. The #06 Monster Castrol Racing Mustang Supercar finished in second, while the #19 Penrite Racing Mustang secured third place. This marks Ford's first enduro victory in six years.

The next race is the big one: it's the Repco Bathurst 1000, taking place from October 9 to 12, 2025.