LUN8 hopes to enlighten listeners through music

Nervous but poised, eight talented young boys were ready to introduce themselves as a new K-pop boy band, LUN8. “This is our first time being on a stage. It took us a lot of effort and patience to introduce an album made up of only our voices. We will do our best to show good performances to give a good impression of the group LUN8 to the public,” said Jinsu, the leader of LUN8 during their debut press conference held in Seoul on Thursday. The rookies from the agency Fantagio which h

June 16, 2023

Netflix confirms 2nd season of ‘XO, Kitty’

Global streamer Netflix will renew its teen romance series “XO, Kitty,” with expanded stories for the second season. Netflix confirmed the launch of its second season through a press release on Thursday. “XO, Kitty,” a sequel series of the “To All The Boys” franchise, presents the heart-racing journey of Kitty Song Covey (played by Anna Cathcart), who sets off on an adventure of romance in South Korea to meet her long distance boyfriend Dae (played by Choi Min

June 16, 2023

Ateez sizzles, sets sights on US award shows with 'Outlaw'

Boy band Ateez is returning sizzling and spicy, ready to shake up the world with a new episode off its "The World" album series. The album, "The World EP.2: Outlaw" (hereafter referred to as "Outlaw"), marks the eight-piece's return after about six months following the release of its first single, "Spin Off: From the Witness," in December. Ateez's members on Thursday held a press showcase event in Seoul, a day prior to the new album's releas

June 15, 2023

[Herald Interview] Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s living history on opportunities created on fringes

In South Korea, the term "fringe" is increasingly being used at various festivals, such as the DIMF Fringe of the Daegu International Musical Festival, the Kocaca Fringe Festival alongside the Jeju Haevichi Arts Festival, the Dynamic Street Fringe of the Busan International Performing Arts Festival, the Seoul Fringe Festival and many more. The term "fringe" has typically referred to the border or outer edges, and now represents the inclusive and experimental nature of perfo

June 15, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] iKON’s Kim Jinhwan to drop 1st solo album

Kim Jinhwan of iKON will debut as a solo musician on June 21, announced agency 143 Entertainment on Thursday. The news came as a surprise to fans and according to the timetable poster, the solo album project will consist of two parts -- “Paradise” and “Blue Moon.” The second part will be unveiled on July 12. Meanwhile, the band is in the middle of its international tour “Take Off” that started last month with a two-day concert in Seoul and will be held in mor

June 15, 2023

NCT Dream to unveil track 'Broken Melodies' prior to album drop

NCT Dream is set to make a return with its third studio album in July, and will drop one of its tracks, “Broken Melodies,” next Monday prior to the album’s release. The track “Broken Melodies” sings about overcoming diverse emotions evoked by being apart from a loved one and doing anything one needs to protect that love. NCT Dream dropped a teaser clip of the pre-release track on Thursday in which its member Mark recites a line from William Shakespeare’s play

June 15, 2023

‘KCON LA 2023’ artist lineup unveiled

"KCON LA 2023" will open on Aug. 18 for a three-day run with a star-studded lineup ranging from K-pop legends to the latest sensations, CJ ENM revealed Thursday. The event, which is the largest K-culture festival, will be held at the Crypto.com Arena and the LA Convention Center with a total of 20 K-pop acts. Among the K-pop acts are those making their US stage debut through this event. That includes one of the major fourth-generation female players IVE, which debuted on the Billboard

June 15, 2023

Sandara Park to drop solo album in July

Singer Sandara Park is making her long-awaited solo comeback in July with a digital album, her agency, Abyss Company, announced Thursday. "Sandara Park's fans have waited for her long. We have decided to release a special album and are currently putting all our hearts into it to return to fans," the agency added in the statement to the local press. Sandara Park debuted in 2009 as a member of now defunct group 2NE1. This marks the 38-year-old singer's return as a musician in s

June 15, 2023

Song Joong-ki greets new baby boy

Actor Song Joong-ki has uploaded a photo of his newborn son's hand grasping his finger Thursday. In January, Song announced his marriage to British former model Katy Louise Saunders a month after confirming their relationship. On Thursday, Song wrote on an online fan site that he has “met with the baby boy in Rome” where his wife was also born. Song said both mother and baby are healthy and that he’s been taking care of his family with gratitude and happiness. “(The

June 15, 2023

DKB hopes for a turning point with 'I Need Love'

Starting this year with fierce competition in JTBC's "Peak Time," boy band DKB is back ever more confident and energized with its sixth EP, "I Need Love." Ahead of dropping the new album, DKB held a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday afternoon. "I Need Love" marks the return of the nine-piece act with a new album 10 months after the release of its fifth EP, "Autumn," in August 2022. So much has happened for the boy band since it debuted amid the g

June 14, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Twice’s 1st subunit to debut in Japan next month

Misamo, the first subunit under Twice, will officially debut in Japan on July 26 with EP “Masterpiece,” JYP Entertainment announced Wednesday. The jacket photograph of the EP showed the Japanese-native trio of Mina, Sana and Momo elegantly dressed up against a backdrop that resembled an oil painting. The mini album will consist of seven tracks including “Do Not Touch,” for which head producer Park Jinyoung wrote the words. The three members also participated in writing l

June 14, 2023

[Herald Interview] Rapper Mirani pushes beyond past accomplishments with new album

A shooting star is not what rapper Mirani wants to be in the hip-hop scene but an everlasting star that shines consistently. Mirani quickly rose to stardom after her debut in 2020 by taking part in the ninth season of “Show Me the Money,” the longest-running hip-hop competition show on Mnet. Taking part in the show helped Mirani imprint her rapping talent on the public. She then landed on major local music charts with the track, “VVS,” a mission track from the show in whi

June 14, 2023

Netflix’s ‘Physical: 100’ to return with season 2

Netflix Korea on Wednesday confirmed the return of its flagship survival competition show, “Physical: 100,” for a second season. “Physical: 100,” which premiered in January, caught local and global viewers’ attention as 100 contestants battled it out in intense survival matches for the title of the most physically fit. It became the first Korean variety show to soar to the No. 1 slot in the platform's global top 10 chart of non-English TV shows. The nine-part s

June 14, 2023

Teen Top to celebrate 13th anniversary with new album

Teen Top is returning to the music scene on July 4 with new album "Teen Top [4Sho]." The band's agency TOP Media on Wednesday announced Teen Top will drop its new album, "Teen Top [4Sho]," ending a nearly three-year hiatus. The band's most recent release was in 2020 with special album "To You 2020." Since then, the four members have been carrying out their military duties and starting solo careers. The upcoming album is an expression of Teen Top's gra

June 14, 2023

Poland to hold its first K-pop stadium concert

Poland will host its first K-pop stadium concert this September at a venue large enough to fit 50,000 people, an association representing Korean entertainment agencies said Wednesday. The concert under the name “2023 KPOP NATION X Korea Music Festival” will be held at the PGE Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, on Sept. 23, according to the Korea Management Federation, which represents at least 350 Korean entertainment agencies and labels. Around eight major K-pop acts are expected t

June 14, 2023

'Queendom Puzzle' to piece together the best of girl bands

Members of old and new girl groups will take another shot at stardom with Mnet's new survival program "Queendom Puzzle." The program marks the return of Mnet's hit girl group battle "Queendom" with its third season. A total of 26 members of active or defunct girl groups will compete against each other to become one of the final seven members. Throwing its hat into the ring, the show's participants and the producers -- Chief Producer Yoon Shin-hye and Producer L

June 13, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids announce plans for Japan, Seoul concerts

Stray Kids will embark on their first dome tour in August, label JYP Entertainment announced Tuesday. The band will hop around four cities in Japan for eight concerts: Fukuoka on Aug. 16-17, Nagoya on Sept. 2-3, Osaka on Sept. 9-10 and Tokyo on Oct. 28-29. On Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, it will hold concerts in Seoul. The eight bandmates will be the first among the "fourth generation" of K-pop boy bands to play four major domes in Japan. Meanwhile, Stray Kids have been sweeping across major

June 13, 2023

Ren of NU’EST debuts solo with 1st EP ‘Ren’dezvous’

After 11 years as a member of the boy group NU’EST, Ren finally debuted as a soloist on Tuesday. “I’m so relieved and happy to finally get to make my solo debut. In my first solo mini album ‘Ren’dezvous,’ I tried to describe that my past days working as a member of NU’EST were valuable experiences that served as a 'seed' to help me bloom as a soloist and begin a new ‘season’ of my life,” said Ren during a press conference in S

June 13, 2023

Yoo Jae-suk hopes ‘The Zone: Survival Mission 2’ will be global hit

Making a Disney+ return with “The Zone: Survival Mission 2,” comedian Yoo Jae-suk hopes Korean variety shows would one day reach the same heights of popularity that Korean dramas and films have around the world. “I still believe we (entertainment shows) have a long way to go to impress both local and global viewers," Yoo said in a press conference held at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, on Tuesday. "I, of course, wish my upcoming show to b

June 13, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kim Seon-ho says working on ‘The Childe’ changed how he saw life

Kim Seon-ho is making a silver screen debut through director Park Hoon-jung’s latest noir film “The Childe,” which will open in local theaters June 21. In an interview with The Korea Herald prior to the film's opening, Kim seemed slightly on edge. “It is my first movie. I watched the film for the first time with other staff and reporters on the press screening day. I don’t remember anything except for scenes that I should have done differently and better,&rdquo

June 13, 2023