We at That Eurovision Site will be ranking the national finals in the lead-up to the inaugural edition of Eurovision Asia. The next national final that the team has taken a closer look at is Korea’s Next Wave, which will take place on the 4th of September. The National Final will select South Korea’s Eurovision Asia representative for Bangkok.
Who is taking part in Korea’s Next Wave?
There are 8 artists taking part in the final of Korea’s Next Wave, and they are:
| Artist | Entry |
| 9278 | “MakeItLoud (SheBarks)” |
| Angel Noise | “(Nan Naya!)” |
| huiAe | “If I Knew Love” |
| JUNHEE | “Deep Dive” |
| KIK | “F1” |
| Sojeong Shim | “Eheradiya” |
| PLZY | “toc” |
| Younghoon Ji | “Tiny Signal” |
Who is our winner from Korea’s Next Wave?
We ranked the songs taking part in the final, using a 1-8 ranking. 1 being our favourite, 8 being our least favourite song. We then calculated the average of all our rankings.
3rd. KIK – “F1” (3.78)
2nd. Junhee – “DEEP DIVE” (2.67)
1st. Sojeong Shim – “Eheradiya (에헤라디야)” (2.11)
What did some of our team members have to say about their favourite songs from Korea’s Next Wave?
Sivi (F1): I really love the verses in this song, especially the melodic changes and the way the instrumentation builds around them. I was expecting a little more from the chorus, but it’s still really catchy and it definitely sticks with you. Honestly, I think the song would have been even more interesting if it had stayed entirely in its original language. It’s the only song in the Korean national final with this kind of sound, which makes it stand out a bit more from the rest of the lineup, at least for me. It’s a great song, and I especially love how the guitar riff at the end keeps getting faster and faster… like F1 (that’s what they said!)
Tom (DEEP DIVE): JUNHEE’s “DEEP DIVE” is, for me, the perfect example of how to do a dark-electro boy bop correctly in a Eurovision context. The song is exciting, fun, interesting, at times chaotic, while also having an instantly memorable and enjoyable beat. I can’t begin to hype “DEEP DIVE” up enough – it’s potentially my most played Eurovision Asia National Selection entry so far this year. This song is the Korean cousin of Filip Baloš’ “Duga Je Noć” (🇷🇸PZE 2024), Benjamin’s “Hoida Mut” (🇫🇮UMK 2023) and Luke Black’s “Samo Mi Se Spava” (🇷🇸ESC 2023) in the best way possible. I cannot wait to see how this looks and sounds on the Korea’s Next Wave stage. Vote for JUNHEE I beg you.
Euan (Eheradiya): The gentle intro for ‘Eheradiya’ makes this one stand out so much for me. This coupled with Sojeong Shim’s soft vocals make this one shine much in what’s quite a lacklustre selection as a real Moment.
What we know about Eurovision Asia 2026
Early this year, EBU and Voxovation have confirmed the launch of Eurovision Asia, following its initial attempt to launch the format in 2017. The inaugual edition of the competition is set to take place on November 14 in Bangkok, Thailand.
At the time of writing, the following countries and broadcasters have been confirmed for the inaugural edition of this year’s competition:
| Country | Broadcaster |
| 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | NTV |
| 🇧🇹 Bhutan | BBS |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | TV5 |
| 🇱🇦 Laos | VTE9 |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | TV3 |
| 🇲🇳 Mongolia | MNC |
| 🇳🇵 Nepal | Himalaya TV |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | ABS-CBN |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | ENA |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand (Host) | Channel 3 |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | VTV |
What do you think of the team’s rankings for South Korea? Who do you think should represent South Korea in Bangkok? As always, let us know what you think on social media and follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, and ZOOP as we head towards Bangkok!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Eurovision Asia
Thomas James