BTS ‘T-shirt controversy’ prickles decadeslong Korea-Japan tensions

BTS-related headlines had been mostly about breaking sales records or appearing on international TV programs; that was prior to Thursday, when Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi axed the group’s appearance last minute over a T-shirt worn by Jimin that was deemed too political.“There has been controversy over the design of a T-shirt worn by a member (of the group) and we asked the intention behind wearing (the shirt) and worked together with the record label. Regretfully, however, we decided to postpo

Nov. 11, 2018

Winner’s blue waves in the Philippines

Winner successfully wrapped up its first solo concert “Winner 2018 [Everywhere] Tour in Manila” in the Philippines on Saturday. Local fans threw special events for the group as gifts.  (Winner performs at “Winner 2018 [Everywhere] Tour in Manila” on Nov.10. / YG Entertainment)Fans flocked to the airport to welcome Winner by passionately singing “Everyday.” Banners showing images of each member adorned street lamps around the concert hall. The unique fashion donned by fans also grabbed attention,

Nov. 11, 2018

More than 100,000 tickets reserved for BTS documentary

Tickets sold in advance for an upcoming documentary about K-pop boy band BTS' ascent to global fame have passed the 100,000 mark, data showed Sunday.According to data compiled by the Korean Film Council, "Burn the Stage," set to be released Thursday in the domestic market, ranked No. 1 on the chart based on the ticket reservation rate, which is at 26.8 percent. This was followed by "Bohemian Rhapsody" with 21 percent and "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" with 20.4 percent. (Big Hit E

Nov. 11, 2018

Mamamoo fans to boycott December concert

Mamamoo’s fan association declared a boycott of the group’s upcoming December concert, as well as merchandise purchases, Saturday, in a protest against recent moves made by the act’s RBW entertainment agency. The fan group vowed to take firm actions against the agency until it gives sincere feedback regarding the improvement of labor conditions for the girl group, requesting specific measures including delaying the “2018 4 seasons F/W” concert. Mamamoo’s “Moomoo” fandom Friday issued a statement

Nov. 11, 2018

Black Pink performs before 10,000 fans in Seoul

A large arena in Seoul was rocked with cheers from some 10,000 fans when the sharp intro of "DDU-DU DDU-DU," the popular title track off girl group BlackPink's first EP album "Square Up," was played.The song opened the "Black Pink 2018 Tour [In Your Area] Seoul x BC Card" on Saturday night, the first solo concert in Korea by the rising rookie girl group since its debut in August 2016. Black Pink (YG Enetertainment)The concert at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena was originally set to begin at 6 p.m.

Nov. 11, 2018

SHINee's Onew to join Army next month

Popular boy band SHINee's leader Onew will begin his mandatory military service next month, his management agency said Friday."Onew will enter the military as an active-duty soldier on Oct.10," SM Entertainment said in a release. "We're not going to reveal the date and time of his entry as he wants to make it low-profile."He will have no separate event to bid farewell to his fans, it added. Onew (Yonhap)Debuting in 2008, Onew has released such hit songs as "Ring Ding Dong," "Lucifer," "Dream Gir

Nov. 9, 2018

Japan’s ‘Music Station’ cancels BTS appearance over ‘controversial’ T-shirt

BTS’ planned appearance on “Music Station,” a flagship music program of Japanese broadcaster Asahi, has been canceled, stirring up a whirlwind of controversy. The announcement came a day before the K-pop act’s scheduled appearance on the Japanese music program slated for Friday. “Music Station” stated on its official website, “A specific T-shirt worn by a BTS member caused a controversy, which was reported by media. We asked about the intention of wearing the outfit to the act’s agency and tried

Nov. 9, 2018

Red Velvet to drop fifth EP 'RBB'

Girl group Red Velvet will release its fifth EP, titled "RBB," on Nov. 30.The new album will have a total of six tracks, including the main song "Really Bad Boy," according to its agency, S.M. Entertainment. (S.M. Entertainment)The band hit domestic music charts with "Bad Boy" in January and "Power Up" in August. It later had a tour of Thailand, Taiwan and Singapore. The girls will have a tour of Japanese arenas in Fukuoka, Kobe and Yokohama in January next year, the agency said. The tour will b

Nov. 9, 2018

‘A Black Box’ looks at Korea’s modern history through photo of King Gojong

The Seoul Arts Center on Wednesday began a run of director Lee Su-in’s “A Black Box,” a 2017 play written by Lee Kang-baek.The story was inspired by a real picture of King Gojong that was presented to a US president’s daughter, who is known to have made belittling remarks about it. A scene from “A Black Box” (SAC)Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of US President Theodore Roosevelt, mentioned the picture in her autobiography, titled “Crowded Hours.” In the book, she wrote that King Gojong and t

Nov. 8, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Intimate Strangers(Korea) Opened Oct. 31Drama, ComedyDirected by Lee Jae-kyooA married couple made up of Seok-ho (Cho Jin-woong) and Ye-jin (Kim Ji-soo) invite a group of lifelong friends to their housewarming party: Tae-soo (Yoo Hae-jin), Soo-hyun (Yum Jung-ah), Joon-mo (Lee Seo-jin), Se-kyung (Song Ha-yoon) and Young-bae (Yoon Kyung-ho), with their seemingly perfect lives. However, a series of life-altering events unravels after Ye-jin suggests they reveal the contents of their phones. Bohemia

Nov. 8, 2018

Stray Kids fight discrimination against big, dark-furred dogs

An animal rights organization in Seoul has teamed up with a boy band to increase awareness of prejudice against dark-furred dogs.Last Wednesday, Stray Kids were named honorary ambassadors for the “Black Dog Campaign” organized by a city-run animal rights nonprofit organization, Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth, also known as CARE. President Moon Jae-in adopted a black-coated dog named Tori from CARE in July 2017. (Cheong Wa Dae)The campaign kicked off last year to address the tendency to pa

Nov. 8, 2018

BTS’ Japanese single tops Oricon chart

BTS has ranked No. 1 on the Oricon daily singles chart following its release of a new single.  (BigHit Entertainment)According to its agency, Big Hit Entertainment, the group’s ninth single “Fake Love/Airplane pt.2,” which was released Wednesday, climbed to the top of the Japanese chart with 327,342 points, beating the record of 269,861 for its previous album, “Mic Drop/DNA/Crystal Snow.”BTS also swept the top spots of iTunes top 200 charts in 10 countries, including Poland, Denmark and Portugal

Nov. 8, 2018

BTS content circulating among N. Korean teens: Unification Minister

South Korean pop culture is spreading in North Korea amid a surge in mobile phone use, according to Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon.“BTS-related content is understood to be circulating among young people in North Korea,” the minister said Monday during a plenary session of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. (Big Hit Entertainment)Cho’s remark came as Rep. Yoon Hu-duk of the ruling Democratic Party asked him to corroborate the number of mobile phone subscriptio

Nov. 8, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Youngju’ a compelling story and gripping performance about hard-hitting issues

The fact that Cha Sung-duk’s independent film “Youngju” is finally getting a theatrical release is welcome news for Korean cinema, currently saturated with an over-the-top, tear-jerking, poorly acted excess of cinematic jumble. The fact that it will screen at a solitary theater in Gwangju is a tragedy.Cha’s drama stars Kim Hyang-gi playing a young girl named Young-ju who is orphaned after her parents die in a car crash. When her younger brother Young-in -- Tang Jung-sang -- is involved in a crim

Nov. 7, 2018

Sounds of Munich

Two acclaimed orchestras based in Munich will perform in Seoul later this month, in what are perhaps the most awaited concerts of the season. Their performances will feature pianists Sunwoo Ye-kwon and Evgeny Kissin, internationally acclaimed artists who enjoy huge popular following here. The Munich Philharmonic’s concert with pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon takes place on Nov. 22 at Sejong Center. The concert will highlight two symphonic works: Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26 and Mah

Nov. 7, 2018

BTS wins Best Artist of the Year at 2018 MGA

The year 2018 has been an exhilarating ride for BTS, and what capped off a cascade of its impressive feats was a bagful of trophies at a K-pop award show in its home turf of South Korea.The group on Tuesday night received two grand awards, Best Artist of the Year and Digital Album of the Year, with its "Love Yourself" album at the 2018 MGA, a music award show jointly organized by Korean broadcaster MBC Plus and online music store Genie Music. The event was held at Namdong Gymnasium in Incheon on

Nov. 7, 2018

[Video] BTS on red carpet at 2018 MGA

BTS hit the red carpet at the 2018 MBC Plus x Genie Music Awards, with multiple wins on the horizon.MBC Plus x Genie Music Awards or MGA is a newly launched K-pop music awards co-hosted by South Korea’s major television network MBC and music streaming platform Genie.(Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)(The Korea Herald)Fans and reporters were crowding the venue in Incheon hours before the red carpet officially began at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.BTS is the creme de la creme of the supers

Nov. 6, 2018

[Photo News] Twice shine at 2018 MGA

As K-pop artists gather for this year’s MGA awards, two global sensation girl groups have certainly caught the eyes of viewers.K-pop leading girl group Twice brightened up the red carpet of the 2018 MGA. (The Korea Herald)After dropping its latest album, “Yes or Yes,” Monday via local digital music-streaming sites, the band now dominates the charts with the catchy title track of the same name. (The Korea Herald)  (The Korea Herald)Fans are excitedly looking forward to seeing “Yes or Yes” perform

Nov. 6, 2018

[Photo News] K-pop stars rock red carpet looks at 2018 MGA

(Video shot and edited by Park Ju-young/The Korea Herald)K-pop stars descended on the red carpet at the 2018 MGA on Tuesday night, a music awards show jointly held by MBC Plus and Genie Music at Incheon’s Namdong Gymnasium.Members of the girl group (G)I-DLE cut chic figures in black outfits and matching boots.(G)I-DLE. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The six-piece group, consisting of Miyeon, Minnie, Soojin, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua, was the first to arrive on the scene. The artists were greeted

Nov. 6, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Unfinished’ human-interest story in form of political thriller

At the outset, Noh Kyu-yeob’s “Unfinished” looks as if it will turn out to be another political thriller about inter-Korean relations. Its gloomy atmosphere and gritty visuals suggest, perhaps, another thinking man’s thriller like “The Spy Gone North.”In essence, however, the film is a drama about a man and his family. The story centers on Oh Young-min, a South Korean-born economist who lived in Cold War-era West Berlin until he was tricked into moving to North Korea and forced to work as a spy.

Nov. 6, 2018