[Today’s K-pop] Twice’s 1st subunit to debut in Japan next month

Misamo, the first subunit under Twice, will officially debut in Japan on July 26 with EP “Masterpiece,” JYP Entertainment announced Wednesday. The jacket photograph of the EP showed the Japanese-native trio of Mina, Sana and Momo elegantly dressed up against a backdrop that resembled an oil painting. The mini album will consist of seven tracks including “Do Not Touch,” for which head producer Park Jinyoung wrote the words. The three members also participated in writing l

June 14, 2023

[Herald Interview] Rapper Mirani pushes beyond past accomplishments with new album

A shooting star is not what rapper Mirani wants to be in the hip-hop scene but an everlasting star that shines consistently. Mirani quickly rose to stardom after her debut in 2020 by taking part in the ninth season of “Show Me the Money,” the longest-running hip-hop competition show on Mnet. Taking part in the show helped Mirani imprint her rapping talent on the public. She then landed on major local music charts with the track, “VVS,” a mission track from the show in whi

June 14, 2023

Netflix’s ‘Physical: 100’ to return with season 2

Netflix Korea on Wednesday confirmed the return of its flagship survival competition show, “Physical: 100,” for a second season. “Physical: 100,” which premiered in January, caught local and global viewers’ attention as 100 contestants battled it out in intense survival matches for the title of the most physically fit. It became the first Korean variety show to soar to the No. 1 slot in the platform's global top 10 chart of non-English TV shows. The nine-part s

June 14, 2023

Teen Top to celebrate 13th anniversary with new album

Teen Top is returning to the music scene on July 4 with new album "Teen Top [4Sho]." The band's agency TOP Media on Wednesday announced Teen Top will drop its new album, "Teen Top [4Sho]," ending a nearly three-year hiatus. The band's most recent release was in 2020 with special album "To You 2020." Since then, the four members have been carrying out their military duties and starting solo careers. The upcoming album is an expression of Teen Top's gra

June 14, 2023

Poland to hold its first K-pop stadium concert

Poland will host its first K-pop stadium concert this September at a venue large enough to fit 50,000 people, an association representing Korean entertainment agencies said Wednesday. The concert under the name “2023 KPOP NATION X Korea Music Festival” will be held at the PGE Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, on Sept. 23, according to the Korea Management Federation, which represents at least 350 Korean entertainment agencies and labels. Around eight major K-pop acts are expected t

June 14, 2023

'Queendom Puzzle' to piece together the best of girl bands

Members of old and new girl groups will take another shot at stardom with Mnet's new survival program "Queendom Puzzle." The program marks the return of Mnet's hit girl group battle "Queendom" with its third season. A total of 26 members of active or defunct girl groups will compete against each other to become one of the final seven members. Throwing its hat into the ring, the show's participants and the producers -- Chief Producer Yoon Shin-hye and Producer L

June 13, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids announce plans for Japan, Seoul concerts

Stray Kids will embark on their first dome tour in August, label JYP Entertainment announced Tuesday. The band will hop around four cities in Japan for eight concerts: Fukuoka on Aug. 16-17, Nagoya on Sept. 2-3, Osaka on Sept. 9-10 and Tokyo on Oct. 28-29. On Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, it will hold concerts in Seoul. The eight bandmates will be the first among the "fourth generation" of K-pop boy bands to play four major domes in Japan. Meanwhile, Stray Kids have been sweeping across major

June 13, 2023

Ren of NU’EST debuts solo with 1st EP ‘Ren’dezvous’

After 11 years as a member of the boy group NU’EST, Ren finally debuted as a soloist on Tuesday. “I’m so relieved and happy to finally get to make my solo debut. In my first solo mini album ‘Ren’dezvous,’ I tried to describe that my past days working as a member of NU’EST were valuable experiences that served as a 'seed' to help me bloom as a soloist and begin a new ‘season’ of my life,” said Ren during a press conference in S

June 13, 2023

Yoo Jae-suk hopes ‘The Zone: Survival Mission 2’ will be global hit

Making a Disney+ return with “The Zone: Survival Mission 2,” comedian Yoo Jae-suk hopes Korean variety shows would one day reach the same heights of popularity that Korean dramas and films have around the world. “I still believe we (entertainment shows) have a long way to go to impress both local and global viewers," Yoo said in a press conference held at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, on Tuesday. "I, of course, wish my upcoming show to b

June 13, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kim Seon-ho says working on ‘The Childe’ changed how he saw life

Kim Seon-ho is making a silver screen debut through director Park Hoon-jung’s latest noir film “The Childe,” which will open in local theaters June 21. In an interview with The Korea Herald prior to the film's opening, Kim seemed slightly on edge. “It is my first movie. I watched the film for the first time with other staff and reporters on the press screening day. I don’t remember anything except for scenes that I should have done differently and better,&rdquo

June 13, 2023

Stray Kids tops Billboard 200 with 3rd LP ‘5-STAR’

Stray Kids’ third studio album, “5-STAR,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart dated June 17, Billboard said Monday. This is the K-pop act’s third time topping the chart following the success of albums “MAXIDENT” and “ODDINARY” released last year. The eight-piece act, which debuted in January 2018, became the second Korean artist to have reached such a milestone after BTS. The 12-song set earned 249,500 equivalent album units in the US

June 13, 2023

[BTS' 1OTH] BTS seizes hearts of global listeners in relatable lyrics

Behind the global stardom of K-pop phenomenon BTS is not only remarkable dancing and singing talent, but the genuine music in the bandmates' own words to deliver a message to fans. In creating its first single album, “2 Cool 4 Skool,” that started the band's journey on June 13, 2013, the bandmates were involved in composing and writing the lyrics based on the principle that hip-hop musicians should speak through their music. In the debut lead track “No More Dream,&rdq

June 13, 2023

NCT Dream to drop 3rd LP 'ISTJ' on July 17

NCT Dream is set to release its new album on July 17, the group's agency SM Entertainment said Tuesday. Titled "ISTJ," the album is the third full-length album from NCT Dream. The group's members are Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung. The LP will mark the group's official comeback with its first new album in over a year since the release of its second full-length album repackage, "Beatbox," in May 2022. Along with the title song, "ISTJ

June 13, 2023

[Herald Interview] Singer-songwriter Lee Juck takes readers on poetic exploration of words

Singer-songwriter Lee Juck, is celebrated for his lyrics filled with introspective questions and comforting messages, and for his ability to weave profound, poetic narratives into his songs. Following the publication of his short story collection “Fingerprint Hunter” (2005), picture books “One Day” and “I Will Wait, You Wait for Me,” Lee has recently published his debut essay collection titled “Lee Juck’s Words” (working title), published by

June 12, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Jennie is not cast in Marvel series: label

Jennie of Blackpink was not offered a role in Marvel’s new series, said label YG Entertainment on Monday. There have been reports that she was cast as Luna Snow -- or Seol Hee, a K-pop singer and superhero with powers to manipulate ice -- in “Team Agents of Atlas,” a movie adaptation of the comic series. She branched into acting through HBO drama “The Idol," which received mixed reviews when it started airing this month. She appeared on the red carpet at the Cannes

June 12, 2023

BTS' 10th anniversary celebrated on postage stamps

K-pop megastars BTS' 10th anniversary will be celebrated with commemorative postage stamps, with sales of the stamps starting Tuesday. Korea Post, the national postal service provider, announced Monday that BTS' commemorative stamps will be available for purchase at local central post offices. The postage stamps have been released in celebration of the group's 10th anniversary. BTS debuted on June 13, 2013. The stamp package comprises 10 stamps, each carrying the cover image of 10 of the band's

June 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Choi Min-yeong says ‘XO, Kitty’ is turning point in his acting career

Choi Min-yeong, a rising 20-year-old actor who captivated the hearts of drama fans with his role as Back Yi-hyun in the smash hit coming-of-age series “Twenty Five, Twenty One” (2022), has recently made a splash with the American Netflix original “XO, Kitty.” While Choi treasures every role, regardless of the character's importance in a project, the actor felt that his latest stint as Dae, a Korean high school student and Kitty's boyfriend in "XO, Kitty,&qu

June 12, 2023

Star-studded summer blockbuster films to compete in August

A number of star-studded blockbuster films will vie for audience attention this summer, raising expectations that the projects might bring local moviegoers back to theaters after the majority of films released this year have performed worse than expected at the box office. "Unofficial Operation," an action flick starring Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon, will open Aug. 2, according to the film distributor Showbox. The film revolves around Min-joon (Ha), a diplomat who departs for war-torn Le

June 12, 2023

K-pop fans connect at 2023 Weverse Con Festival

Hybe successfully wrapped up its two-day K-pop festival, the 2023 Weverse Con Festival, over the weekend. The multi-label company launched the event at the Olympic Park's KSPO Dome and 88 Lawn Field in Jamsil, Seoul. It was the first outdoor event held by Hybe. The festival was largely divided into two parts on both days. The Weverse Festival ran through the afternoon on the 88 Lawn Field, while in the evening, the Weverse Con took place in the KSPO Dome, an indoors venue. The 88 Lawn Field

June 12, 2023

Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul to premiere 'Ennio: The Maestro' at Fare Cinema

The Korean premiere of documentary film "Ennio: The Maestro" will take place at Seoul Art Cinema on Wednesday evening as part of Fare Cinema, an event aimed at promoting Italian films around the world. Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul and Jinjin Pictures, the local distributor of the film, are co-hosting the premiere. The documentary film was helmed by Oscar-winning Italian film director Giuseppe Tornatore, the director of 1988 classic "Cinema Paradiso," to celebrate the

June 12, 2023