South Korea is the biggest music market at Eurovision Asia, and it picks its representative in ten days. The songs dropped on 23 August, meaning there is now a full field to actually listen to.
Here is the complete rundown.
When and how to watch
Friday 4 September 2026, 23:00 KST.
That is a late slot domestically. Internationally it converts to:
| Location | Local start |
|---|---|
| Seoul | 23:00 KST |
| Bangkok | 21:00 ICT |
| Dhaka | 20:00 BST |
| Central Europe | 16:00 CEST |
| London | 15:00 BST |
| Sydney | 00:00 AEST (5 Sept) |
The show streams on the official Eurovision YouTube channel. Broadcaster ENA — part of the SK Telecom / KT Group orbit — is organising Korea’s participation.
The eight competing entries
Released in full by ENA on 23 August:
- 9278 — “MAKEITLOUD (SHEBARKS)”
- Angel Noise — “(NAN NAYA!)”
- huiAe — “If I Knew Love”
- JUNHEE — “Deep Dive”
- KIK — “F1”
- PLZY — “toc”
- Sojeong Shim — “EHERADIYA”
- Younghoon Ji — “Tiny Signal”
The field breaks down as two groups, a duo and five soloists.
What is notable about the lineup
This is not the parade of major-label idol groups some fans expected. The K-pop industry’s biggest names are not here.
That is worth understanding rather than treating as a disappointment. Applications closed on 30 June and filming took place in Seoul in late July — a compressed timeline for an industry that plans idol comebacks a year out. Contractual and scheduling realities mean established acts were always unlikely for a first edition.
What the field does offer is variety across eight entries rather than eight versions of the same sound.
Korea was a late addition
Here is a detail almost nobody has picked up.
When eurovisionasia.com briefly leaked on 29 March 2026, it listed nine countries — and South Korea was not among them. Korea appeared only in the official announcement two days later, taking the field to ten.
That suggests ENA’s participation was confirmed in the final days before launch. For the contest’s most commercially significant market, that is a tight margin. We covered the leak and what it revealed in our piece on the March website leak.
Can you vote?
Yes. Like every Eurovision Asia national final, Korea’s Next Wave carries a Rest of the World vote open to international viewers.
The rule that catches people out: eight free votes, but they must be spread across at least three songs. Full mechanics in our Rest of the World voting guide.
ENA has not published its exact jury/public/international split at the time of writing. Bhutan and the Philippines both used 40/40/20, but do not assume until it is confirmed.
Why this result matters most
Of the eleven countries in Bangkok, South Korea arrives with by far the deepest production infrastructure and the largest existing international fanbase. Whatever wins on 4 September will carry expectations no other entry has.
It is also the entry most likely to test an open question about this contest: whether juries drawn from local music industries reward polish and commercial craft, or reward entries that sound distinctly like where they come from.
Track the fallout on our South Korea country page and see how the odds shift afterwards.
Last updated 25 August 2026, ahead of the 4 September final.