TREASURE, (G)I-DLE, ITZY among K-pop acts set to brighten up Jan.

January is usually a bleak month after year-end festivities and the hype for ambitious New Year's resolutions have faded. But in the K-pop industry, January is set to be packed with debuts and comebacks by both rookies and veteran acts this year. On Monday, 12-piece group TREASURE is set to drop its first full album just five months after its debut. The boy band took the industry by storm last year, churning out three singles in just 100 days and selling more than 700,000 albums. The rookie ba

Jan. 8, 2021

Could S. Korean actress Youn receive Oscar nod for supporting role in 'Minari'?

As the immigration film "Minari," directed by Korean American Lee Isaac Chung, has been on a roll in the award season, hopes are high that its supporting South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung could get an Oscar nod. Youn, who took the role of the eccentric grandmother in Chung's semi-autobiographical film, has won a total of seven best supporting actress trophies in US film critics circles and festivals including the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, the North Carolina Film Critics and the B

Jan. 8, 2021

Aespa’s 'Black Mamba' becomes fastest K-pop debut music video to get 100m views on YouTube

K-pop girl group aespa’s “Black Mamba” has become the fastest debut music video by a K-pop act to reach 100 million views on YouTube, according to S.M. Entertainment. The band’s agency said Friday that the video, released Nov. 17, achieved the feat at around 5:31 a.m. Friday. It took 51 days. The previous record was held by ITZY, whose debut music video, “Dalla Dalla,” obtained 100 million views on YouTube within 57 days of its release in February 2019. A

Jan. 8, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Wonder Woman 1984 (US) Opened Dec. 23 Action Directed by Patty Jenkins In 1984, title character Diana (Gal Gadot) works at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington while performing heroic deeds. One day Diana unknowingly uses a stone to wish her deceased lover Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) back to life. However, her enemies also appear, and they want to destroy humanity. Diana is now the only hope of saving the world. In the Mood for Love　 (China) Reopened Dec. 24 Romance Directed by Wong Kar-w

Jan. 8, 2021

Shows go on at Daehangno small theaters

Though 2021 has begun with a gloomy outlook for the theater scene amid prolonged social distancing rules, small musical productions in the theater district of Daehangno are continuing their run, even recording sold-out performances. With the government’s social distancing scheme requiring performing arts venues to leave two-thirds of audience seats empty, several big musical productions have halted their runs, citing financial issues. Some smaller musical productions in Daehangno, cent

Jan. 7, 2021

Netflix, tvN come up with star-studded series for 2021

Amid the monthslong battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of Korean TV series are lined up to catch the eye of viewers across the world with big-name stars and writers for the new year. Cable channel tvN, run by the entertainment giant CJ ENM, is ready with the most splendid 2021 lineup, as more than 10 dramas are planned to be aired. The legal drama "Vincenzo" will start the 2021 season in February. Featuring the story of a Korea-born lawyer at an Italian mafia who comes ba

Jan. 7, 2021

BTS extends winning streak on Billboard Hot 100 to 13 weeks

BTS has set another record by becoming the first K-pop group or singer to have a song rank within the top 10 on the Billboard's main singles chart for 13 weeks. The septet's hit song "Dynamite" reached the fifth spot on the Hot 100 chart updated Tuesday (US time), marking its 13th week in the top 10, the longest streak by a K-pop act or singer, according to Big Hit Entertainment. The previous record was set by K-pop singer and producer Psy, whose 2012 hit song "Gangnam Style&quo

Jan. 6, 2021

‘The Penthouse: War in Life’ gets 28.8% viewership rating, content warning from regulator

The first season of megahit SBS drama “The Penthouse: War in Life” ended with a record-high viewership rating of 28.8 percent on Tuesday. The show also received an official warning from the Korea Communications Standards Commission and was asked to raise its rating from the current PG-15. The last episode of the first season earned a peak viewership rating of 31.3 percent, making it the first dramatic miniseries in five years to reach over 30 percent of viewers on a terrestrial cha

Jan. 6, 2021

Big-name Western hit TV series set to be remade in S. Korea

South Korea's TV series production houses have turned their eyes to hit Western shows as part of efforts to meet diversified demand of viewers across the world. Chorokbaem Media, a local production company behind big-name TV series like "The Penthouse: War in Life" (2020) and "Memories of the Alhambra" (2018), will produce the Korean edition of "Criminal Justice," a popular crime drama on the BBC in 2008, later this year. Titled "That Night," the remake

Jan. 6, 2021

‘Space Sweeper’ scheduled for Feb. 5 release on Netflix

The first South Korean sci-fi film set in space, “Space Sweeper,” will be released exclusively on Netflix on Feb. 5. In announcing the release date Wednesday, the global movie provider said the 24 billion won ($21.5 million) film will be available to stream in 190 different countries. Set in 2092, the movie introduces four members of a space cleanup crew traveling in the space shuttle Victory. While doing their job they encounter a girl named Dorothy, only to discover that she&rs

Jan. 6, 2021

CJ CGV temporarily shutters four cinemas due to pandemic

CJ CGV, the country‘s largest cinema chain, is temporarily shutting down four theaters that were severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic. A CGV theater in Andong, Gyeonggi Province, decided to close its facility indefinitely from Monday, while a theater located in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, which halted operations at the beginning of the year, will remain closed until Feb. 28. CGV Chilgok in Daegu and CGV Haeundae in Busan also decided to halt operations from Jan. 1 to 31.

Jan. 5, 2021

Seventeen to hold online concert this month: agency

K-pop boy band Seventeen will hold an online concert later this month to meet fans across the world, its management agency said Tuesday. The concert, titled "IN-COMPLETE," will take place at 6 p.m. on Jan. 23, according to Pledis Entertainment. It marks the second online event by the 13-member group following a livestreamed fan meeting held in August last year. The self-producing band plans to perform over 20 songs with stellar performances, which will be broadcast with four cameras

Jan. 5, 2021

'Minari' wins four prizes from US film critics awards

The drama film "Minari" has won four prizes, including best picture, from a US film critics association, boosting hopes for an award at the upcoming Academy Awards. The North Carolina Film Critics Association announced Monday (local time) that "Minari," directed and written by Korean American Lee Isaac Chung, was awarded best narrative film, beating "Da 5 Bloods," "Nomadland," "Promising Young Woman" and "The Trial of the Chicago 7."

Jan. 5, 2021

BTS hit 'Dynamite' rebounds to No. 5 on Billboard Hot 100

The chart-topping BTS hit "Dynamite" has rebounded to the fifth spot on the chart, the Billboard reported Monday (US time). The US music magazine, which compiles the 100 most popular tracks of the week in the United States for the Hot 100, said the BTS track jumped 39 notches from 44th to fifth in the weekly chart dated Jan. 9. The chart-topper this week for the Hot 100 was 24kGoldn's "Mood," which jumped from No. 7 to No. 1, followed by Ariana Grande's "Positions,&quo

Jan. 5, 2021

Highly anticipated Korean movies to hit theaters this year

The COVID-19 pandemic last year caused many Korean movies to postpone their scheduled releases. Although the virus continues to spread, many highly anticipated Korean films by star directors are lined up for theatrical release as soon as opportunities open up to do so. Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” is one of them. Park started filming last October with Tang Wei and Park Hye-il playing the lead roles. It has been five years since he released his last feature “T

Jan. 4, 2021

Clarinetist Kim Han to go ‘On Air’ at Kumho Art Hall

Clarinetist Kim Han hopes to show off the charms of the clarinet through a series of four recitals slated to take place at the Kumho Art Hall as its artist-in-residence for this year. Each year, the art hall, run by the Kumho Art Cultural Foundation, selects a classical musician under the age of 30 in the early stages of their career to provide an opportunity for the musician to further develop by offering a performance venue.　 The 25-year-old clarinetist will present four recitals at the con

Jan. 4, 2021

Treasure gears up for first studio album

After dropping three singles in the span of less than 100 days last year, Treasure is moving full steam ahead with their very first full-length album “The First Step: Treasure Effect” set to release next Monday. YG Entertainment’s 12-piece boy band on Monday revealed the names of the 12 tracks that will be on the physical version of the album, including three brand new songs -- “My Treasure,” “Be With Me” and “Slowmotion.” Kicking off the

Jan. 4, 2021

EXO member Baekhyun's online concert draws 110,000 viewers: agency

K-pop boy group EXO's Baekhyun attracted some 110,000 viewers from around the world in his first online concert held over the weekend, the singer's agency said Monday. "Beyond Live - Baekhyun : Light," livestreamed via Naver V Live on Sunday, drew some 110,000 viewers from 120 countries, according to SM Entertainment. The agency said the concert trended on Twitter as fans in countries like France, the Netherlands, Russia, Vietnam and Indonesia tweeted posts, including hashtags like #

Jan. 4, 2021

Performing art scene in hope of 2021

While the year of 2020 was a disastrous year for everyone, the performing arts scene hopes regain its footing this year. Last year, musical productions were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, canceling or postponing shows due to the middle seat vacancy rule according to the authorities’ social distancing scheme. On Dec. 30, the musical scene has launched an association of Korean musical production companies, consisting of major musical production agencies such as Seensee Company, Clip

Jan. 3, 2021

New comic thriller 'Glitch' another Korean presence on Netflix

What would happen if you saw your significant other disappear into an unidentified beam of light? Once again screenwriter Jin Han-sae, best known for the Netflix original series “Extracurricular,” has paired up with Yoon Shin-ae, CEO of the film production company Studio 329, to produce a new Netflix series titled “Glitch.” Studio 329 captivated the public and critics with “Extracurricular,” a 10-episode thriller drama that aired in April, when Jin was still

Jan. 2, 2021