Jin of BTS to be torchbearer for 2024 Paris Olympics

Jin of K-pop phenomenon BTS will carry the torch for the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to a local media outlet on Tuesday. The K-pop star will soon depart for France to carry the Olympic flame, but details about the torch relay location and schedule have not been disclosed. The singer's involvement in the torch relay is believed to be due to BTS' popularity worldwide and the group's consistent message of "Love yourself" over the past decade. Jin's agency Big Hit Mu

July 2, 2024

StayC makes cheeky return with 'Metamorphic'

StayC is back, and full of confidence and charisma. The group's first full-length album "Metamorphic" was released Monday. It follows "Teenfresh," a mini-album that came out in August last year. The new album features 14 tracks, including unit and solo songs. "We have been preparing for this full-length album for a long time. As the album's title suggests, listeners will see a transformed version of StayC. We were worried about whether we could pull off all 14

July 2, 2024

Star-studded cast couldn’t save ‘Wonderland'

Movies with an all-star cast are normally guaranteed hits, as fans flock to the theater to see their favorite actors. However, the talented cast of director Kim Tae-yong’s fantasy romance “Wonderland” couldn’t save it from its shortcomings. The film portrays people reuniting through AI in a simulated virtual world called Wonderland. South Korean heartthrobs Suzy and Park Bo-gum star as a couple, while Chinese actor Tang Wei boasts good chemistry with Gong Yoo. Jung Yu-mi

July 2, 2024

B.A.P to return as quartet after more than 6 years

K-pop boy group B.A.P, which debuted as a band of six in 2012, is returning to the K-pop scene as a quartet of Bang Yong-guk, Jung Dae-hyun, Yoo Young-jae and Moon Jong-up. Their comeback comes after six years. The quartet is due to release a new single in August under the new name Bang&Jung&Yoo&Moon, according to MA Entertainment, the group's agency. Bang&Jung&Yoo&Moon has been showing how the group is getting ready for the comeback through a documentary series call

July 2, 2024

BTS suits to be exhibited at Jewelry Museum

The custom suits BTS members wore for their Grammy Awards performance in March 2021 will be on exhibit at the Jewelry Museum in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, from Sept. 7 to Dec. 15. The city-run museum will showcase the custom suits that E-Land Group, a local clothing retailer, acquired in an auction. The agreement on the exhibition was signed by the city and the retailer’s private museum. E-Land Group bought the customs at Julien’s Auctions in January 2022, a year after the seven K

July 2, 2024

[Herald Interview] Star producer Jung Jong-yeon wants to create different genres, IPs

With a string of hit shows such as tvN's "The Genius" and "Great Escape" series, as well as Netflix's "Devil's Plan," producer Jung Jong-yeon is seen as having popularized reality shows centered on solving puzzles and intellectual challenges. Jung has now returned with a new Netflix original reality show, "Agents of Mystery," a six-part series where celebrities, including Karina of aespa, singer John Park, actor Kim Do-hoon, comedians Lee Eu

July 1, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Zion.T leaves label after 8 years: report

Zion.T decided not to renew his contract with The Black Label, which expired recently, according to a local media report on Monday. The label confirmed the news following the report. The singer had signed with the YG Entertainment affiliate headed by producer Teddy in 2016 after he left Amoeba Culture. His future activities will be overseen by Standard Friends, a company he established two years ago, joining the likes of rappers Wonstein and Giriboy. Zion.T debuted in 2011 with single “C

July 1, 2024

[Herald Review] aespa kicks off world tour with intense performance

Aespa held the second “Synk: Parallel Line" concert in Seoul over the weekend as it started a world tour. Over Saturday and Sunday, approximately 12,000 spectators attended the concert held at Jamsil Indoor Stadium. On Sunday, the quartet appeared on the stage in dazzling black attire, and kicked off the concert with intense tracks -- “Drama,” “Black Mamba,” and “Salty & Sweet.” Members changed into bright costumes with metallic fabric, and fill

July 1, 2024

NCT Wish drops new single ‘Songbird’

SM Entertainment's Japan-based K-pop boy group NCT Wish dropped a new single, “Songbird,” on Monday. More than 630,000 copies were pre-sold in Korea and Japan, the highest number of pre-orders since MCT Wish's debut in February. “Songbird” is a pop-dance song over a catchy guitar riff. The song conveys a hopeful message of flying high to make a miracle -- a motif of the lyrics is a bird that brings luck. The music video for the Korean version of "Songbird&q

July 1, 2024

Maestro Chung Myung-whun likely to lead KBS Symphony Orchestra

Conductor Chung Myung-whun might lead the KBS Symphony Orchestra as the next music director. Discussions with Chung are in the final stages, an orchestra official told The Korea Herald on Monday. It would be Chung's first time leading a Korean orchestra after nine years. Since stepping down from his positions as director of both the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015, Chung has not held a directorial role. Instead, he has been conducting vario

July 1, 2024

K-pop stars take stern actions against malicious comments, false accusations

The time for lenience is over. An increasing number of K-pop artists are taking a stand against hateful comments and rumors by pursuing legal action and declaring they will not settle under any circumstances. Previously, K-pop musicians were eager to hush up rumors about them when they arose -- whether they were true or not -- hoping to avoid trouble as much as possible. Their agencies also believed that taking strong action would only create a "Streisand effect" -- making the rumors b

July 1, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korean-Japanese teen trot duo Lucky PangPang makes ambitious debut

Despite their young ages, Kim Da-hyun (15) from South Korea and Sumita Aiko (16) from Japan are remarkable singers. Both were selected as the youngest contestants, respectively, on audition programs "The Current King" in Korea and "Trot Girls Japan" in Japan, which aired from November last year to February this year. The two young singers met on MBN program "Korea-Japan King's Battle" -- which aired from April to May -- where they engaged in friendly competitio

June 30, 2024

Seventeen becomes first K-pop band on Glastonbury’s main stage

Seventeen became the first K-pop group to perform on the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, on Friday, setting a significant milestone for K-pop while showcasing the genre’s growing influence. The 13-member band captivated the audience for an hour on the Pyramid Stage with a powerful set that began with Woozi's keyboard solo before launching into hits like "Maestro," "Ready to Love," "SOS," "Clap," "God of Music&qu

June 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] Song Kang-ho says acting still a challenge

"Parasite" star Song Kang-ho, who made his drama series debut with Disney+'s 16-part historical drama "Uncle Samsik," said acting remained a challenging process for him, despite his 35-year career as one of Korea's leading actors. "Uncle Samsik" is set in turbulent 1960s South Korea, highlighted by "The April Revolution," a political uprising in April 1960, challenging the autocratic rule of the nation's first president, Syngman Rhee. The mo

June 30, 2024

[What to Watch] Three feel-good movies at theaters perfect for rainy season

As the country enters the monsoon season which typically lasts from late June to early August, watching feel-good, relaxing films at a cinema while there is heavy rain outside makes for a perfect weekend activity. According to the weather forecast, the rains will start his weekend and continue throughout next week and the following three movies currently playing or soon to be released at the cinema will keep you dry and put you in a tender state of mind. “Dauren’s Wedding”

June 29, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Le Sserafim gearing up for August return: report

Le Sserafim is poised to return in late August with a new album, local media reported Friday. Agency Source Music confirmed that the group was preparing to return, but said the date and type of release had not been set. It will be about six months since its third EP “Easy,” the main track from which entered Billboard’s Hot 100, at No. 99, for the first time for the quintet. "Easy" debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 8 and became its third straight million-selling album.

June 28, 2024

Grand Bell Film Awards to proceed this year despite crisis

Grand Bell Film Awards, the country’s oldest and once most prestigious film awards, announced its return to normalcy this year. According to the head of the Motion Pictures Association of Korea, the agency that hosts the awards, the 60th Grand Bell Film Awards will take place in December. Once regarded as the country’s top awards in cinema, the Grand Bell Film Awards has struggled to recover from a string of controversies, including over unfair selection of winners and poor event org

June 28, 2024

Is 2NE1 returning with new song for 15th anniversary?

Legendary K-pop girl group 2NE1’s meeting with Yang Hyun-suk, founder and head producer of YG Entertainment, has raised speculation of a possible comeback with a new release in time for the group’s 15th debut anniversary. According to YG Entertainment, all four members of 2NE1 -- CL, Sandara Park, Park Bom and Minzy -- met Yang for talks at the agency’s headquarters in Seoul on Thursday. It was the first meeting of the quartet and Yang in eight years. “The meeting took ov

June 28, 2024

Ive drops new single ‘Summer Festa’

K-pop girl group Ive is releasing a new song in collaboration with Pepsi on Friday at 6 p.m. The song, “Summer Festa,” which is part of the “2024 Pepsi Campaign,” is a disco-pop song led by a funky guitar and groovy bass. The unique vocal tones of Ive members blend perfectly with the simple but rhythmic beat of the song that captures the vibrant atmosphere of summer. The lyrics contain messages of independence and confidence such as, “I make my own opportunity&rdquo

June 28, 2024

Jimin of BTS unveils song from 2nd solo album ahead of official release

Jimin of BTS unveiled a new song “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco)” on Friday. This song is one of the tracks in his second solo album, “Muse,” to be released on July 19. Jimin decided to collaborate with rapper Loco for this track as he thought his detailed rapping style would go well with the song, according to Big Hit Music. The title of the song was the name that Jimin had come up with for fun, for the team of producers consisting of Pdogg, Ghstloop and Evan

June 28, 2024