[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ “Butter” has no copyright infringement: label

BTS’ label Big Hit Music said in a statement on Thursday that “Butter” does not breach any copyrights.   　 “It remains unchanged that the right to the music belongs to ‘Butter,’” said the company, acknowledging that it is aware of the claims that the intro of the song may be plagiarized.   　 “The song has been finalized and released after a process of confirming with all copyright holders that there is no issue surrounding the song,&rd

July 22, 2021

Commercials that became talk of town with BTS

Celebrity endorsement is not a new concept in the advertising business -- it sells products. BTS’ meteoric rise to prominence over the years has brimmed companies with excitement -- the group has caused a ripple effect on companies that use them to promote their brands. The seven-piece, in particular, has ticked off many factors on the success list that companies yearn for when it comes to advertising. Today, more companies seek a promotional boost by interweaving their well-crafted mar

July 22, 2021

Screenwriter Yeon Sang-ho expects greater universe awaits for ‘The Cursed’

Screenwriter Yeon Sang-ho is certain that his upcoming movie “The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey,” a sequel to tvN drama series “The Cursed,” is a new type of zombie film. “Unlike the original, our zombies have intelligence, allowing them to drive a car, ” the monster-loving writer told reporters during an interview via Zoom on Wednesday. In the film, the new being called “jaechaui,” a moving corpse controlled by a shaman, plays the role of a fas

July 22, 2021

'Black Widow' becomes No. 1 hit in S. Korea this year

Marvel's latest blockbuster "Black Widow" has become the most-viewed film in South Korea this year to date, its distributer said Thursday. The film posted 2.3 million attendees as of Thursday morning on the 16th day of its release, according to Walt Disney Company Korea. It outnumbered the previous No. 1, "F9," released in May, which garnered 2.28 million moviegoers. "Black Widow," which was originally scheduled to be released in May last year, is the first Phase

July 22, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] EXO’s Dio wrote two songs for solo debut album

D.O. of EXO participated in writing lyrics for two songs from his upcoming solo debut album, label SM Entertainment said on Wednesday. 　 The musician is putting out his first solo album “Empathy” on July 26 and co-authored words for two out of eight tracks. Six of the songs are new and two are bonus tracks including an English version of title track “Rose.” 　 “Rose” is an acoustic folk number and he sings of how one’s heart goes aflutter having fallen

July 21, 2021

‘The Cursed’ brings a multicultural zombie to the summer cinema

The writer of the Korean occult mystery thriller “The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey” Yeon Sang-ho said audiences are in for a different zombie experience this summer. “There are many fantastic films and dramas featuring zombies. The director and I wanted to show something more interesting to the audience, bringing a new picture,” Yeon said during an online press conference following a press screening Tuesday. “I wanted people to feel like ‘The Cursed: Dead

July 21, 2021

Jecheon International Music & Film Festival considers plan B amid COVID-19 fourth wave

As Korea’s daily new coronavirus cases hit a fresh high of over 1,700 on Wednesday, the organizer of the 17th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival announced that it was considering turning most of the events online. The international music festival is set to begin Aug. 12 in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province and run until Aug. 17. “If the current virus situation does not continue and the government decides to loosen the social distancing rule to Level 1 or 2, we wil

July 21, 2021

BTS named S. Korea's special presidential envoy for public diplomacy

President Moon Jae-in appointed South Korean boy band BTS as his special envoy for public diplomacy Wednesday. In their capacity of "special presidential envoy for future generations and culture," the members of the group plan to attend major international meetings, including the 75th session of the U.N. General Assembly slated for September, Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said. They will send a message of consolation and hope for the youth around the world and also join v

July 21, 2021

New ‘Kingdom’ series aims to resurrect global zombie sensation

“Kingdom: Ashin of the North,” directed by Kim Seong-hun, will be released July 23 as a special episode of the global Korean zombie sensation. “With the love and support from the audience, I was able to showcase this spinoff of the 'Kingdom' series,” Kim said during an online press conference held Tuesday. The director had not expected the series to develop on such a grand scale. After receiving the four-page synopsis from screenwriter Kim Eun-hee, he was surprised a

July 20, 2021

Song Joong-ki to star in new JTBC drama

Actor Song Joong-ki is to star in the new JTBC drama “Youngest Son of Sunyang Family” (working title), the local cable channel JTBC said Tuesday. The drama is an adaptation of a web novel of the same title, and is a thriller and fantasy tale. Song will first appear as the top conglomerate Sunyang family’s personal secretary, who is put in charge of managing the family‘s financial risks and problems. Despite his devotion and loyalty to the family, the secretary, Yun H

July 20, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] BTS launches “PTD” dance challenge on YouTube’s new service

BTS invited fans to participate in a dance challenge exclusive to YouTube Shorts.  From July 23 through to Aug. 14, participants can send in 15-second-long videos that cover the choreography from the band’s newest hit “Permission to Dance” on YouTube’s mobile app. It is the first global dance challenge on YouTube’s short-form video feature that was recently introduced. The bandmates will select some of their favorite entries and create a compilation video as

July 20, 2021

Park Sae-eun of Paris Opera Ballet eyes to become big 'etoile' in France

Park Sae-eun has already risen to the top dancer position at the Paris Opera Ballet (POB) when she was promoted to the principle dancer, or "danseuse etoile" in French, last month. But the 31-year-old South Korean aims higher: she wants to be the brightest star in the French ballet scene. "I think I've reached the highest position on my resume," she said in a press conference in Seoul on Monday. "I want to focus on things that I can do and have to do, so I became the

July 20, 2021

BTS replaces Billboard No. 1 with new song 'Permission to Dance'

South Korean superband BTS has added another feat to its copious list of accomplishments: replacing one of the group's own songs at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and scoring back-to-back debuts atop the list. The septet's third English number, "Permission to Dance," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard's main singles chart, becoming the group's fifth song to top the chart. 'Permission To Dance' officially debuts at No. 1 on this week's Hot 100. It earns the group its fifth career No. 1

July 20, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] TXT to put out repack of 2nd LP Aug. 17

Tomorrow X Together will release a repackage of its second studio album on Aug. 17, it announced Monday. 　 The band will drop “The Chaos Chapter: Fight of Escape,” a rearrangement of “The Chaos Chapter: Freeze.” The original LP has remained in Billboard’s top 200 for five consecutive weeks, having entered the chart at No. 5. 　 The LP sold over 630,000 copies within a week of its release, the best record ever for a K-pop band in its third year. In Japan, the album

July 19, 2021

Seoul Fringe Festival to support indie artists

Though most festivals have been canceled or have gone online amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Seoul Fringe Festival will be held as an in-person event across the Sangam-dong area in western Seoul from Aug. 4 to 29. The 24th Seoul Fringe Festival will feature some 300 performances by 72 artist acts of diverse genres from drama, performance, dance, music, visual art, photography to independent films, according to Seoul Fringe Network, the festival organizers, Monday. Allowing the a

July 19, 2021

‘Guimoon: The Lightless Door’ turns cinema into haunted house with immersive tech

“Guimoon: The Lightless Door,” directed by Shim Deok-geun, is the first Korean film to be simultaneously created in three different versions: 2D, Screen X and 4DX. “I tried to make the audiences feel that they are not watching a movie in the theater. I wanted to bring them to the training center in the movie,” the director said during an online press conference held Monday. Although his goal was not easy to accomplish, he said it was made possible by using Screen X te

July 19, 2021

All members of Seventeen renew contracts with agency

All 13 members of K-pop boy band Seventeen have agreed to renew contracts with their agency before expiry, the group's agency said Monday. "While the existing contract is yet to expire, all 13 members of Seventeen and the company held in-depth discussions on the group's future plans and reached a consensus to renew the contract in advance," Pledis Entertainment said in a statement. Seventeen was quoted as saying that its 13 members all agreed to "stay together (based on) faith f

July 19, 2021

Who are the key players at Hybe in the post-Bang Si-hyuk era?

On July 2, K-pop juggernaut Hybe announced it was reshuffling the company’s topmost personnel in an effort to vitalize its global operations. Most notably, founder Bang Si-hyuk stepped down as CEO to focus on production. Replacing him is Park Ji-won, formerly CEO of Hybe’s headquarters. Hybe also introduced new leadership at its headquarters in South Korea, the US and Japan, ushering in a new era for the entertainment conglomerate. Here’s a brief look into the new leadershi

July 19, 2021

Inside Hybe: Seven agencies making a splash on the music scene

Hybe has continued to grow through acquisitions and restructuring, adding multiple subsidiaries. The company announced plans in March to augment its business portfolio to bring people together through music. The music industry heavyweight also aims to enter the international market with its lineup of labels. The firm boasts some of the biggest names in the Korean and global music scene, including megastars like BTS and Seventeen. Here’s a list of seven subsidiaries under Hybe’s

July 19, 2021

'Black Widow' tops weekend S. Korean box office for 2nd straight week

Marvel Studios' latest movie, "Black Widow," sat atop South Korea's weekend box office for the second consecutive week, data showed Monday. The superhero blockbuster attracted over 445,000 people over the Friday-Sunday period, bringing its combined total to nearly 2.14 million in less than two weeks since its release on July 7, according to data from the Korean Film Council. It became the fourth title released in 2021 to surpass the 2 million threshold, following the action film &quo

July 19, 2021