JYP's Japanese girl group NiziU debuts in Korea with single album ‘Press Play’

JYP Entertainment’s Japanese girl group NiziU officially debuted in South Korea with its first Korean single album, “Press Play,” on Monday. The nine-member group debuted in December 2020 as part of the agency’s project to localize K-pop in different places, “Globalization by Localization.” NiziU was trained under JYP’s strategic K-pop training system, which focuses on differentiating the group from other local bands bands through developing a K-pop iden

Oct. 30, 2023

NiziU wins best pop video at MTV VMAJs

JYP Entertainment’s girl group NiziU has won the best pop video award at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2023. According to MTV, NiziU’s titular track of its 5th single album “Paradise,” also the theme song of “Doraemon the Movie,” won as this year’s best pop video. Before this, NiziU had received the best dance video award at MTV VMAJ in 2020 with its pre-debut single “Make You Happy,” and the best buzz award -- given to artists who have ge

Oct. 29, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen reclaims sales record title with 11th EP

Seventeen set a new first-week sales record, selling over 4.62 million copies of its 11th EP in four days, according to a local tally on Friday. This surpasses Stray Kids’ “Five-Star,” which logged 4.61 million in sales and dethroned Seventeen’s previous EP “FML,” which sold more than 4.55 million in the first week. The EP “FML” still holds a record, though, as the first album in K-pop history to sell more than 3 million units on the day of releas

Oct. 27, 2023

Revamped 'Sister Act' with diverse cast gets ready for international premiere

The remake of the musical "Sister Act, which is getting ready for its world premiere on Nov. 4 in Busan, caused a buzz when it showcased its diverse cast at an open rehearsal at Dongseo University in the southern port city on Wednesday. The production house behind the musical is South Korea's EMK Musical Company, known for its success in turning international productions into popular musicals here. "Sister Act" is a blend of Korean and American talent, including cast members

Oct. 27, 2023

Argentinian politician's old tweet mocking BTS angers fans

An Argentinian vice presidential candidate’s old X post in which she said the name of boyband BTS sounded like “a sexually transmitted disease” has recently gone viral, angering the septet’s fans worldwide. Far-right politician Victoria Villarruel on Feb. 11, 2020, made the comment in response to another X (formerly Twitter) user who said the band's name sounds like the name of a health insurance company. The 48-year-old politician's comments at the time were me

Oct. 27, 2023

Seventeen 1st K-pop artist to speak at UNESCO

K-pop boy band Seventeen is heading to Paris in November to speak and dance at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization headquarters as the first K-pop artist in history to do so. "Seventeen will take the stage at the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum at 7 p.m., local time, on Nov. 14," the band's agency Pledis Entertainment said Friday, adding, "They will be assigned a special session and give a speech and perform for about an hour." The Youth Forum is

Oct. 27, 2023

‘12.12: The Day,’ story of 1979 Coup, confirms Nov. 22 release

“12.12: The Day,” a political drama revisiting a coup led by a Korean military that took place in 1979, is set to be released Nov. 22 in Korean cinemas, its distributor Plus M Entertainment said Friday. The film covers the nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, during an attempted coup in Seoul. Although the film’s motif is based on a real event, the names of the characters have been altered to allow for a fictionalized plot line, according to the director Kim Seong-su, who has helmed va

Oct. 27, 2023

Seoul International Pride Film Festival kicks off on Nov. 2

The country’s largest queer film festival, Seoul International Pride Film Festival, kicks off on Nov. 2 at CGV Myeongdong Cine Library. The weeklong festival will screen queer movies from 39 countries, including 27 world premiere films, 13 Asia premiere films and three Korea premiere films. The British queer thriller flick “Femme” by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping will open the festival. “Femme” follows a young man called Jules, who becomes the target of a horrifi

Oct. 27, 2023

G-Dragon denies illegal drug use

K-pop singer G-Dragon on Friday flatly denied rumors that he had used illegal drugs. "First of all, I have not taken any drugs," he said through a statement released by his attorney, refuting the accusation point-blank. "I am also unrelated to the drug use act violation case being reported in the news recently," he reiterated, adding, "However, as many people are worried, I will fully cooperate and do the best I can in the police investigation." G-Dragon, whose real

Oct. 27, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“The Boys” (South Korea) Opens on Nov. 1 Drama/Crime Directed by Chung Ji-young Three young men aged 19 to 20 from a small rural town are falsely arrested for involvement in a murder in 1999. Veteran detective Joon-cheol (Sol Kyung-gu) receives information on the real culprit and throws himself in to reinvestigate the case. “Killers of the Flower Moon” (US) Opened Oct. 19 Drama/Crime Directed by Martin Scorsese A series of murders among the Osage Native American tribe

Oct. 27, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen tops Oricon chart with 11th EP

Seventeen’s 11th EP topped Oricon’s daily album ranking, according to the latest chart published on Wednesday. EP “Seventeenth Heaven” landed atop the iTunes albums chart in Japan as well as Line Music’s real-time albums chart, said agency Pledis Entertainment on Thursday. It also headed straight to the top of all major music charts at home including Melon’s Top 100, becoming the first boy band to sit atop the chart this year. The 13-member act brought out th

Oct. 26, 2023

South Korean celebrities grilled over drug use

After yet another Korean star came under investigation for suspected drug use, the South Korean entertainment industry is feeling increasingly anxious over the possible fallout from multiple entertainment personalities being investigated for suspected drug use. Rapper G-Dragon, the leader of Big Bang whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, was booked without detention Wednesday for suspected violation of the Narcotics Control Act, making him the latest celebrity to be investigated for illegal drug us

Oct. 26, 2023

Ex-girl group member disgraced by bullying rumors eyes comeback

Former (G)I-dle member Soojin is gearing up for her solo comeback, two years since she left the girl group due to bullying allegations. Soojin, whose real name is Seo Soo-jin, on Wednesday posted a performance video on her newly launched social media platforms. Titled "Black Forest," the black-and-white clip showed Soojin dancing gracefully to an instrumental tune. Whether the song pertains to the K-pop star's new album was not stated, but the video clearly indicates she is nearin

Oct. 26, 2023

Cirque Du Soleil mesmerizes Seoul with 'Luzia: A Waking Dream of Mexico'

Cirque Du Soleil has returned to Seoul with its latest masterpiece, “Luzia: A Waking Dream of Mexico," along with 50 cast members for the performance. In South Korea, the Canadian circus ensemble has attracted more than 1 million spectators over the previous performances: "Quidam" in 2007 and 2015, "Alegria " in 2008 and 2022, “Varekai" in 2011, "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" in 2013 and "Kooza" in 2018. Luzia, derived fro

Oct. 26, 2023

G-Dragon booked for drug use

G-Dragon, 35, a former leader of the K-pop band Big Bang, was reportedly booked for drug use on Wednesday. G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, is under police investigation for breaching the Narcotics Control Act without detention, according to local media citing Incheon Metropolitan Police. Despite reports linking the investigation to the alleged drug use of Lee Sun-kyun, who starred in the Oscar-winning “Parasite,” police denied any connection between the two cases. The ar

Oct. 25, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans hits 300m Spotify plays with ‘Super Shy’

NewJeans has garnered 300 million streams with “Super Shy” on Spotify, according to agency Ador on Wednesday. It is the group’s fifth song to reach the milestone on the platform and did so in the shortest time for the group at 108 days. “Super Shy” is one of the three main tracks from its second EP “Get Up” and has ranked No. 5 and No. 9 on Spotify’s global daily and weekly top songs chart, respectively, both record spots for the quintet. It has s

Oct. 25, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kim Gi-hoon shows love for Hvorostovsky, Korean art songs at upcoming recital

In June 2021, South Korean baritone Kim Gi-hoon, who hails from the remote town of Gokseong, South Jeolla Province, made his name known to the world when he won the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition held in the UK. Such prestigious competition was not something new to him. In 2019, he received not one, but two second prizes from the International Tchaikovsky Competition and Placido Domingo's Operalia. Great opportunities ensued following the wins, but then came the pandemic that c

Oct. 25, 2023

[Herald Review] Based on true story, 3 boys find justice 16 years delayed in 'The Boys'

In 1999, a small supermarket in the rural town of Samrye in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, was robbed by three assailants. Three young men aged 19 to 20 were apprehended and wrongfully convicted of robbery and murder after forced confessions. Instantly noticing that something had gone wrong after receiving information on the real culprits, Joon-cheol (Sol Kyung-gu), a veteran detective, throws himself into reinvestigating the case. But his efforts are interrupted by Woo-sung (Yoo Jun-sang), the d

Oct. 25, 2023

AleXa to perform on Jingle Ball Tour as 1st K-pop female soloist

Singer AleXa will perform at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour on Nov. 28, taking the stage as the first K-pop female soloist at the year-end event. AleXa's agency ZB Label on Wednesday said the singer will hit the stage for the 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour at the Dallas stop. She is the first female solo singer from Korea to perform at the annual US music fest. Jingle Ball Tour is a holiday season concert that first began in 1996 in New York and turned into one of the most-anticipated

Oct. 25, 2023

FNC to debut new boy band Ampers&One on Nov. 15

Rookie boy band Ampers&One is set to debut under FNC Entertainment on Nov. 15, the talent agency confirmed Wednesday with a coming-soon clip released on social media. According to the social media post, the new band will debut at 6 p.m. on Nov. 15. Ampers&One is a multinational seven-piece consisting of two Americans, Kamden and Kyrell, a Canadian, Brian, an Australian, Mackiah, and three South Koreans, Ji-ho, Si-yun and Seung-mo. Kamden and Ji-ho were the first two members confirmed fro

Oct. 25, 2023