G-Dragon discharged from military hospital amid controversy

Big Bang frontman G-Dragon has returned to his military base amid controversy over preferential treatment he allegedly received at a military hospital. The artist’s agency YG Entertainment said Saturday that G-Dragon, who had been receiving treatment for an ankle injury at the Army Hospital in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, returned to his base in Cheorwon in Gangwon Province on Friday.     G-Dragon (Yonhap)The news came about a week after a local media outlet reported that the artist had been hospi

July 1, 2018

Tiffany shows support for LGBTQ community

Tiffany from Girls’ Generation on Wednesday expressed support for the LGBTQ community in an open letter. Writing for Billboard, the K-pop artist said she wanted to give “thanks” and express her “love” to the LGBTQ community for having given a great amount of “love, beauty, inspiration, and light in every corner of the world.”The singer, who recently released the single “Over My Skin” in the US under her new stage name, Tiffany Young, said she was inspired by some of the uplifting themes of the c

June 29, 2018

When K-pop meets diplomacy: 5 key moments

BBC Radio 1 called it “Korea’s secret weapon.” From greeting the US presidential couple to disarming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, South Korea has an unlikely go-to champion for diplomatically tricky situations: K-pop.K-pop has become more than just a music genre in recent years. It has become part of the country’s statecraft, with its horizon expanding to the realm of diplomacy among world leaders. K-pop’s influence used to mean topping the Billboard charts or appearances on the “Ellen” show

June 29, 2018

Witness of Jang Ja-yeon sexual abuse case comes forward publically

A witness of the sexual abuse case involving the late actress Jang Ja-yeon has gone public with her testimony through media interviews. The actress, identified only by her surname Yoon, was interviewed by local news networks JTBC and KBS on Thursday. As a close colleague of the deceased actress, Yoon claimed that she witnessed Jang being sexually harassed.  Late actress Jang Ja-yeon (Yonhap)Jang took her own life in 2009. She left behind handwritten notes, which allegedly revealed that she had b

June 29, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Accidental Detective 2: In Action(Korea)Opened June 13Comedy, MysteryDirected by Lee Eon-heeComic book store owner Dae-man (Kwon Sang-hoo) and detective Tae-soo (Sung Dong-il) become full-time private investigators. As their first big case, the duo looks into the seemingly accidental death of a man, which turns out to be something more. With the help of cyber whiz Yeo-chi (Lee Kwang-soo), the two seek to uncover the truth.The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion(Korea)Opened June 27Action, Thriller

June 29, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ doubles up on everything from action to humor

First things first: “Ant-Man and the Wasp” doesn’t explain any of the million questions left off by “Avengers: Infinity War.” For that you’ll have to wait for “Captain Marvel” next year, and maybe not even then.Besides that, the sequel to the surprise 2015 hit of a vastly-underestimated superhero satisfies nearly every expectation that Marvel fans would have had prior to the release.Directed by Peyton Reed, the film takes off three years after events of “Captain America: Civil War.” Violating th

June 29, 2018

2PM’s Wooyoung to begin military service

Wooyoung of 2PM will start his military service next month. The singer will enlist on July 9. He will be the third member of the six-piece K-pop act to join the Army, following bandmates Ock Taek-yeon and Jun.K. “As he wants to enlist in the Army quietly, the place of enlistment will not be revealed,” an official from JYP Entertainment said.  Wooyoung (JYP Entertainment)Wooyoung hinted at his plan at a fan event on June 16, saying the event could be his last official schedule.“I won’t get hurt.

June 29, 2018

Gangneung sets up bus stop featured on BTS album cover

The city of Gangneung in Gangwon Province has set up a replica of a bus stop featured on the cover of BTS’ full-length album “You Never Walk Alone.”Gangneung, a city on the east coast of the country, recently built the bus stop on one of its beaches, Jumunjin. The location is the spot where the shooting of BTS’ album jacket took place. (Yonhap)The new bus stop will not function as an actual stop for local buses, according to the Gangneung city government. It will instead serve as a photo spot fo

June 29, 2018

BTS makes it back to Time’s ‘most influential online’ list

K-pop sensation BTS just keeps on adding to its legacy. It was included on Time magazine’s list of 25 most influential people on the internet for the second straight year.The boy band was the sole Korean representative on the list released Thursday, taking its place alongside US President Donald Trump, Kanye West and Rihanna among others.According to the magazine, the list was based on “their global impact on social media and their overall ability to drive news.” BTS (Big Hit Entertainment)It at

June 29, 2018

BTS makes it on Time's '25 Most Influential People on the Internet'

South Korean boy band BTS has been named among the US Time magazine's "25 Most Influential People on the Internet" for 2018.Time released its annual list Thursday (US time) based on "their global impact on social media and their overall ability to drive news."BTS was chosen for their huge success with the latest EP "Love Yourself: Tear," the first K-pop album to top the Billboard 200 albums chart. Behind the success was the group's powerful fandom Army, which "eagerly consume anything related to

June 29, 2018

S.M. Entertainment to launch music-talk concert in July

S.M. Entertainment’s weekly digital music release program “The Station” will be reborn as music concerts. The agency said Thursday that it would launch a monthly music-talk concert series at SM Coex Artium in Gangnam, southern Seoul, in July. There will be live performances by artists from “The Station,” and musicians will share stories about songs and their production.  A promotional image for “The Station” (S.M. Entertainment)“The Station” was launched in 2016 with an aim to broaden musical cr

June 28, 2018

Remix version of Steve Aoki, BTS collaboration to come

A remix version of BTS’ “The Truth Untold” will be released soon. DJ and producer Steve Aoki, who is recognized around the world, announced through his social media account Wednesday, he will be releasing a remix version of “The Truth Untold.” The two acts partnered earlier this year, dropping the song through the band’s latest studio album “Love Yourself: Tear” in May.Steve Aoki (Yonhap)BTS (Yonhap)Saying that he is “so proud of the success,” Aoki added, he doesn’t want to make fans wait for lo

June 28, 2018

Kim Hyun-joong mulls screen return

Singer-turned-actor Kim Hyun-joong is considering a return to the small screen, his agency said Tuesday. According to KeyEast Entertainment, Kim has recently been offered a leading role in upcoming drama series “When Time Stopped,” a 12-part fantasy-romance. He would play a time traveler living a lonely life. Kim Hyun-joong (KeyEast Entertainment)Kim has not yet decided whether to take the offer, KeyEast said.His latest screen work was drama series “Inspiring Generation” in 2014. A former member

June 27, 2018

78.8-year-old grandpas return with scenery of central Europe

One of tvN’s all-time favorites, “Grandpas Over Flowers” is to make its return after three years.   The travel-reality show is considered the trailblazer of its genre, having first aired in 2013. With veteran senior actors -- Lee Soon-jae, Shin Goo, Park Geun-hyung and Baek Il-seob -- and actor Lee Seo-jin as a guide, the show traveled across Europe and Asia. The previous four seasons’ peak viewership ratings have been increasing, respectively marking 6.8, 7.2, 7.8 and 10 percent. The numbers ha

June 27, 2018

[Album Review] Momoland’s new album attempts to replicate past glory

Momoland“Fun to The World”(Loen Entertainment) Maybe its previous banger “Bboom Bboom” was too powerful, or our expectations were too high. While Momoland’s attempt to build on its newfound popularity with a song that echoes its past hit seems pretty reasonable, considering the rookie’s need to solidify its musical concept, the act’s new single “Baam” is an outright replication of “Bboom Bboom.” Specifically, the lead track off its “Fun to The World” EP feels like an immature version of “Bboom B

June 27, 2018

BTS stays on main Billboard charts for fifth consecutive week

K-pop boy band BTS stayed on Billboard's main albums and singles charts for the fifth straight week, according to the charts updated by the US music magazine on Tuesday."Love Yourself: Tear," the third full-length album by BTS, charted 27th on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the week of June 30, down seven notches from 20th the previous week. K-pop boy group BTS (AFP-Yonhap)The album's main track, "Fake Love," ranked 65th on the Hot 100 singles chart, up six spots from a week ago.BTS received

June 27, 2018

Suzy’s first Asian fan meeting tour to wrap up in July

Actress-singer Suzy’s first fan meeting tour in Asia will come to an end in Seoul next month.The last leg of her very first fan meeting event, dubbed “WITH,” will take place at 7 p.m. on July 7 after stops in cities including Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok, her agency JYP Entertainment said Tuesday.In Bangkok, the former member of now disbanded girl group Miss A performed solo numbers including “Holiday” and “Sober.” She wowed Thai fans with a rendition of the Thai song “Tur Mai Koey Roo,” delive

June 26, 2018

Momoland ‘thankful’ to have its name cleared on chart-rigging scandal

The past five months have been a roller coaster ride for Momoland and its fans, between the massive success of its hit “Bboom Bboom” and the wrongful accusation that the act rigged album sales. (Yonhap)What did the nine-piece group feel after the government probe cleared its name?“Thankfully we’ve been able to break free from such accusations,” said Yeonwoo, during the showcase for its new EP “Fun to the World” in Seoul on Tuesday. “Rather than it (the scandal) hurting us, we felt that what we c

June 26, 2018

YG sued for nullifying the debut of ‘Mix Nine’ trainee

YG Entertainment has been sued for cancelling the debut of Woo Jin-young, who was a trainee of audition program “Mix Nine.” On Tuesday, Woo’s agency Happyface Entertainment stated that it filed a damage suit against YG on June 18 for turning a blind eye over canceling the trainee’s promised debut for months -- Woo was supposed to debut as one of the winners of the show -- and abusing its power against the trainee’s agencies.  Woo Jin-young (JTBC)The released statement by Happyface reads, “Two mo

June 26, 2018

[Trending] G-Dragon fans slam media outlet over ‘special treatment’ coverage

G-Dragon’s fans on Tuesday mounted an online attack on a local media outlet for its report on the K-pop star’s alleged special treatment at a military hospital. G-Dragon, the leader of the K-pop boy band Big Bang, was at the center of a deepening dispute following an online petition filed against the local media outlet over its article about the singer receiving allegedly preferential treatment while serving in the military. Over 34,000 tweets with the hashtag “#Dispatch_Apologize” was posted al

June 26, 2018