[Eye Interview] Korean Peninsula laid out on music sheets

Not much is known about North Korea, let alone its music scene. The few things known about North Korean music concern its propaganda, hailing the ruling Kim dynasty, and state-led acts such as the Moranbong Band and Samjiyeon Orchestra. According to pianist Kim Cheol-woong, 45, who defected from North Korea some two decades ago, such perceptions are partly true and partly wrong. “Western music before the 20th century can be played freely. However, those after that must be screened by

Sept. 26, 2020

[Weekender] Bringing the theater experience to homes

People all over the world have been stuck at home for several months now due to COVID-19. More and more concerts and performances have moved online, and some movies have been released on Netflix or other online content platforms exclusively or prior to opening in theaters. With myriad offerings available in these quarantine times, some people are looking to enhance the online experience by setting up sound systems for their homes. The visual experience of an online performance can also be enha

Sept. 26, 2020

BTS agency wins defamation suits against malicious online troll

Big Hit Entertainment, the label-management agency of BTS, has won multiple defamation suits against an individual who has repeatedly posted malicious comments about the global K-pop group on the internet. According to Big Hit Entertainment, the person, whose identity was withheld, was recently fined 4 million won ($3,400) in total by the Seoul Eastern District Court for three separate criminal complaints for defamation. Big Hit added that the company was filing additional separate criminal co

Sept. 26, 2020

[Graphic News] K-pop buzz on Twitter grows substantially despite COVID-19

　Despite COVID-19 having bogged down the global entertainment industry, the conversation and buzz surrounding K-pop on the social media platform Twitter have increased substantially in the past year. 　The number of K-pop-related tweets on the global social media platform from July 2019 to June 2020 reached 6.1 billion, up 15 percent from the 5.3 billion tally from a year prior, according to data compiled by Twitter Korea together with music startup Space Oddity’s fandom analytics dash

Sept. 25, 2020

BTS' October concert to only be held virtually: agency

K-pop supergroup BTS' upcoming Seoul concert in October will be held virtually only, according to the band's management agency Friday, canceling the in-person element that was planned together. The Oct. 10-11 Seoul concert, "BTS Map Of The Soul ON:E," was announced in August as an in-person show with government-mandated seat distancing measures for COVID-19 prevention. Big Hit also planned to livestream the two-day event online as paid content. Big Hit Entertainment announced on its

Sept. 25, 2020

SuperM spreads message of hope with ‘One’

K-pop supergroup SuperM returned with its long-awaited first full-length album “Super One – The 1st Album” with a hopeful message to endure stressful times as one. “We wanted to show the significance of our existence. While we’ve gathered from distinct teams, we’d like to show you the unity, synergy, our message and hope through the album,” said Kai in the group’s online media conference Friday morning, a few hours before the album release. The

Sept. 25, 2020

SuperM hopes to offer positive, hope-filled energy with 1st studio album

K-pop project group SuperM said Friday it hopes to deliver positive energy through its inaugural studio album "Super One" to fans during the difficult times of the pandemic. "We've felt a lot of pressure from the great achievement we had from our debut album. We'd be satisfied if (fans) become encouraged through 'Super One' in these difficult times," SuperM leader Baekyuun said during an online press conference Friday in Seoul for the group's first studio album. "We hop

Sept. 25, 2020

Short-form online musical in the works

Adjusting to the turbulent times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, an online-only musical will be launched in November. In the past few months, it has become the norm for musical production companies to stream their shows online, as in-person performances have been barred with tight restrictions to restrain the spread of COVID-19. Though the musical industry has been trying to establish a for-pay model, it has not been easy to bring audiences online, tying them down at home to watch the two- to

Sept. 25, 2020

BTS' new docu film tops S. Korean box office upon release

K-pop superstar BTS' new documentary film, "Break The Silence: The Movie," topped the South Korean box office on its opening day, data showed Friday. "Break The Silence: The Movie," the fourth film on the group, attracted 21,586 moviegoers on Thursday, the day of its release, outpacing other leading Korean movies, such as thriller "Diva" and action film "The Swordsman," according to the data from the Korean Film Council. The documentary film follows BTS

Sept. 25, 2020

Earnest friendship, biz partnership behind BTS' successful teamwork: interview

Global K-pop act BTS has said the team's great internal chemistry was driven by genuine friendship among members and the singers being fully aware they are committed to each other businesswise. "We're all very good friends. We always talk and communicate with each other. And we know that BTS understands each other as well," BTS singer Jin said during a virtual interview with the Grammy Museum's Collection: Live streaming service in the United States published Thursday (US time). Ji

Sept. 25, 2020

Korean National Ballet to stage ‘Le Corsaire’ in November

The Korean National Ballet will perform “Le Corsaire,” also known as “The Pirate,” Nov. 4-8 at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. The troupe was to perform “Romeo et Juliette,” choreographed by the iconic ballet dancer Jean-Christophe Maillot, in November, with the original production team visiting South Korea to direct the choreography. However, the ballet company canceled the show to avoid the risk of spreading COVID-19 through visiting foreign staf

Sept. 24, 2020

SuperM delivers TV debut of new song on 'Ellen' show in US

K-pop boy band SuperM presented its television debut performance of its new single "One (Monster & Infinity)" on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in the United States on Wednesday (US time). The seven-member project group under SM Entertainment presented a pre-recorded performance of the song, the lead track off the group's upcoming inaugural studio album "Super One," on the popular American talk show. "One" was pre-released Wednesday. The full album will

Sept. 24, 2020

Warner Bros. to withdraw from S. Korean market

Warner Bros. will pull out of the South Korean market after years of weaker-than-expected performances, officials from its local unit said Wednesday. “We've already stopped making fresh investments in Korean films,” an official from Warner Bros Korea said. “We will also wrap up projects that are in post production or in production.” The South Korean production and distribution unit of the major US film studio is now handling three titles, including “Josee,”

Sept. 23, 2020

Composer Chin Un-suk appointed as TIMF’s new artistic director

The Tongyeong International Music Foundation appointed Chin Un-suk, Berlin-based composer of contemporary classical music, as the next artistic director of the Tongyeong International Music Festival. The contemporary music festival which honors the late-composer Yun I-sang is held annually in the coastal city of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, every March. This year’s festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chin will lead the event from 2022 to 2026. “I am ho

Sept. 23, 2020

‘Night of the Undead’ features more than just absurd comedy

“When I first read the script, I was puzzled,” Lee Mi-do, one of the main actors in the upcoming science fiction comedy “Night of the Undead,” said during a press conference held at the CGV Yongsan movie theater in Seoul on Tuesday. The conference was held through livestreaming, with reporters and actors in separate parts of the theater due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19. Lee’s reaction was understandable as the film’s director, Shin Jung-won, was not a

Sept. 23, 2020

BLACKPINK stays on Billboard Hot 100 for 3rd week

"Ice Cream," K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's new single, remained on Billboard's main singles Hot 100 chart for three consecutive weeks since its release. Billboard said Tuesday (US time) that "Ice Cream," featuring Selena Gomez, ranked 61st on the latest Hot 100 chart. The single debuted at No. 13 in its first week, achieving a record high by a South Korean girl group, and finished at No. 49 last week. "Ice Cream" also stood at No. 13 and No. 6 on the Global 200 c

Sept. 23, 2020

TWICE to drop new Japanese single album in November

K-pop girl group TWICE will release a new single album in Japan in November, according to its label-management company Wednesday. The two-track Japanese single, titled "Better," will be released on Nov. 18, according to JYP Entertainment. "Better" will comprise the lead track of the same title and "Scorpion." JYP said the new single was produced with the yearning of TWICE members to be able to meet with fans around the world in person. The nine-member group, whi

Sept. 23, 2020

BTS to deliver week of performances on NBC's 'Tonight Show'

K-pop super group BTS will deliver performances on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in the United States for a full week, the group's management agency said Wednesday. Under the show's weeklong special titled "BTS Week," the seven-member boy band will showcase different music performances each night for five days starting next Monday, Big Hit Entertainment said. The members will be featured in comedy bits and virtual interviews as well throughout the week. BTS

Sept. 23, 2020

Twitter looks back on decade of K-pop

Twitter Korea on Tuesday released a new report, “#KpopTwitter 2020 World Map,” which looks back on K-pop’s rapid growth on the platform over the past decade. According to the report, K-pop-related content and conversations on Twitter increased monumentally from 2010 to 2020, spanning first-generation acts like Super Junior, Big Bang and Girls’ Generation as well as the latest acts like BTS, EXO, Blackpink, GOT7 and NCT 127.  The upward curve showed the most rapid

Sept. 22, 2020

TWICE tops Japanese weekly music album chart with latest compilation album

K-pop girl group TWICE finished first on a Japanese weekly album chart with its latest repackaged album "#TWICE3," its management agency said Tuesday. Released last Wednesday, the compilation of the group's past Korean and Japanese hits scored 109,000 points to top the Oricon Daily Albums chart in its first week of release, according to JYP Entertainment. It is the band's seventh album to reach the top of the most coveted music chart in Japan, making the group the second foreign fema

Sept. 22, 2020