K-pop singer admits cult affiliation, vows to cut ties: Dispatch

Kyoungyoon, a member of the K-pop band DKZ, has admitted his affiliation to scandal-ridden cult JMS, but denied he attempted to spread the religious beliefs to his bandmates. Local entertainment outlet Dispatch on Monday released an exclusive interview with Kyoungyoon and his parents, through which the K-pop singer broke his silence about his connection to Christian Gospel Mission, better known as Jesus Morning Star. The interview comes around a week after Kyoungyoon initially denied that he was

March 14, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ J-Hope hits Billboard Hot 100 at No. 60 with solo song

J-Hope of BTS got on Billboard’s Hot 100 with his solo digital single “On The Street with J. Cole” at No. 60. The single also was No. 2 on its top selling songs chart. This is the fourth time the artist made the main songs chart, following “Chicken Noodle Soup,” a Becky G collaboration from 2019, as well as “More” and “Arson,” double title tracks from his first solo album “Jack In The Box” from last year. “On The Street&rdq

March 14, 2023

‘Rebound’ re-creates underdogs’ valiant fight against champions

Director Jang Hang-jun of upcoming sports comedy film “Rebound” said he prioritized matching the actors to their real-life characters as a basketball coach and high school players. The film, based on the true story of a basketball team at Busan Jungang High School in 2012, follows basketball coach Kang Yang-hyun as he tries to bring together a team of underdog players. “To create a realistic mood in the film and stay similar to this true event, we shot the film at the actual co

March 14, 2023

Pianist Son Yeol-eum releases Mozart complete piano sonatas album with recitals

It was an impulsive decision to start recording Mozart's piano sonatas, as the opportunity only presented itself due to the availability of time and place. However, as Son Yeol-eum began recording at the Tongyeong Concert Hall in January, she felt as though she had returned home and she decided to finish the complete collection of Mozart’s 18 sonatas. The pianist's ninth album, "Yeol Eum Son: Mozart Complete Piano Sonatas," is being released Friday. Even though it felt

March 14, 2023

Cult group files for injunction against Netflix doc

Local religious cult Baby Garden has filed for an injunction against the streaming of two episodes of Netflix’s documentary series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” featuring its leader Kim Ki-soon. The eight-part documentary series presents four Korean religious cult leaders -- Jeong Myeong-seok of Christian Gospel Mission, better known as Jesus Morning Star (JMS); Park Soon-ja of Odaeyang Church; Kim Ki-soon of Baby Garden; and Lee Jae-rock of Manmin Central Church -- wh

March 14, 2023

Four top classical musicians to showcase duo dynamism

Four top classical musicians, including recent international competition winners Yang In-mo and Choi Ha-young, will showcase their virtuosity and harmony as a duo. Yang In-mo, 28, the double winner of two prestigious competitions, and Kim Da-sol, also with an impressive track record, join forces to perform Webern’s Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 7, Brahms’ Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major, Op. 78, Furrer’s Lied for Violin and Piano (1993) and Beethoven’s Sona

March 14, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook tops 200m Spotify streams in record time with solo song

Jungkook of BTS has generated 200 million streams on Spotify with solo song “Dreamers,” about 110 days since its release. The song is from the official soundtrack for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It achieved the feat in the shortest time ever for a K-pop solo artist. The single debuted on Spotify’s global daily chart at No. 2 -- a record for an Asian musician. It also notched first place on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart and topped the iTunes top songs chart in 100 reg

March 13, 2023

EXO’s Kai releases 3rd mini album ‘Rover’

Kai of EXO returned to the K-pop scene with his third mini album, “Rover,” Monday. The solo effort comes a year and four months since his second mini album, “Peaches," which was released in November 2021. The album consists of six tracks led by the eponymous jam, along with “Black Mirror,” “Slidin’,” “Bomba,” “Say You Love Me” and “Sinner.” Different from his previous albums that were centered on groovy R&am

March 13, 2023

[Herald Review] At 'Carat Land,' Seventeen vows to go for another 20 years

An end opens the door to another beginning, as boy band Seventeen wrapped up its fan meeting only to begin the countdown to its April comeback. The act's seventh fan meeting, "Seventeen in Carat Land," was held over three days from Friday to Sunday at the KSPO Dome in Seoul's Olympic Park. Carat is the name of the band’s fandom. Welcoming fans to the last day of its fan event on Sunday, Seventeen members appeared on the stage singing their 2016 song "Pretty U,"

March 13, 2023

Korean Cultural Center Washington to hold exhibition on animation, literature

The Korean Cultural Center in Washington said Monday that it is holding an exhibition on South Korean animation and literature from March 24 to Dec. 29. The Culture Ministry-run institution said the exhibition aims to offer opportunities for visitors to take an in-depth look into South Korean animation content based on well-known literary works, as well as increase their understanding in Korean culture. Titled “K-Animation With Literature,” the exhibition is co-hosted with animat

March 13, 2023

[Herald Interview] How virtual idol singers took MBC's 'Show! Music Core' by storm

It's not often the case that a rookie K-pop group gets a second chance to appear on a major TV music show with its debut song. But Mave:, a virtual girl group with four AI-generated singers, made it happen. Mave:, short for "Make New Wave," debuted on Jan. 25 with its first single album "Pandora's Box." Jointly launched by game operator Netmarble and IT firm Kakao Entertainment, the group is housed under Netmarble affiliate Metaverse Entertainment. Mave:'s firs

March 13, 2023

Paris Opera Ballet announces its first Black 'etoile' in Seoul

The Paris Opera Ballet has appointed Guillaume Diop to its highest “etoile” title, marking the first time a black dancer has reached the top rank of honor reserved for just a handful of dancers in the company's 354-year history. "In the life of the dancers at the Paris Opera Ballet, there is a rare and collective moment which we share with the public at the end of the performance,” said director Jose Martinez in making the announcement on stage after Diop’s perf

March 13, 2023

Streaming services release baseball docus for 2023 KBO season

Tving, entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM’s subscription-based streaming platform, is scheduled to release its first sports documentary series, “Our Game: LG Twins,” on March 30, in time for the opening of the baseball season on April 1. The documentary features LG Twins, one of the most beloved professional Korean baseball teams, and its 2022 KBO season. The series, encompassing almost 2,500 hours of footage, documents the baseball players’ journey in seeking to once again

March 13, 2023

Japanese animation 'The First Slam Dunk' tops 4 mln admissions in S. Korea

The Japanese animated film "The First Slam Dunk" has drawn over 4 million moviegoers in South Korea, data showed Monday. The film adaptation of the popular Japanese basketball comic book series "Slam Dunk" topped 4 million admissions Sunday, 67 days after it hit local theaters on Jan. 4, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. It was another record for the film, which became the most-viewed animated Japanese film released in the nation by garnering an accumulated

March 13, 2023

‘The Glory’ producer Ahn Gil-ho admits physical assault as a high schooler, apologizes to victims

Producer Ahn Gil-ho of the hit Netflix drama “The Glory” admitted to physically assaulting students at a neighboring middle school as a high school student, and apologized to the victims in a statement via his attorney on Sunday. According to the statement released by his law firm Jipyong, director Ahn physically assaulted middle schoolers when he was 17 years old while studying abroad in the Philippines in 1996. “After hearing that his girlfriend was teased by a group of her f

March 12, 2023

‘Black Rubber Shoes’ creator, cartoonist Lee Woo-young dies

Cartoon artist Lee Woo-young, one of the creators behind the original hit comic book and animated series, “Black Rubber Shoes,” in the 1990s and the 2000s, was found dead at his home in Incheon, according to police Sunday. Lee was discovered by his family member at around 7 p.m. on Saturday, in what was an apparent suicide. Lee’s family said that he was going through a rough time due to recent lawsuits regarding copyright issues. An autopsy will not be conducted at the request

March 12, 2023

J-Hope to star on Jay Park's music talk show

BTS' member J-Hope is making a surprise appearance on public broadcaster KBS' music program "The Seasons: Jay Park's Drive" on Sunday night. The broadcaster on Sunday announced the BTS rapper-dancer will be starring on the episode set to be aired that night. The show, referred to as "The Seasons" in short, is a music talk show hosted by rapper Jay Park, where he introduces musicians from various genres through in-depth interviews and live performances. Stepping

March 12, 2023

Three Korean films confirm April release, gear up to top local box office

Three South Korean films will be released in April with the support of local multiplex theaters in an attempt to top local box offices currently dominated by foreign films such as Japanese animated films “Suzume” and “The First Slam Dunk.” According to local multiplex theaters CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox, films “Rebound,” “Killing Romance” and “Dream” will open in April, along with sponsorships by multiplex theaters to revitalize loca

March 12, 2023

‘HyeMiLeeYeChaePa’ director confident show will become ENA’s next big hit

Local cable channel ENA, which made a name for itself with the megahit legal drama series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” (2022), is aiming for another memorable hit with a highly anticipated weekly variety show called “HyeMiLeeYeChaePa.” The travel show is named after the first syllable of cast members' names: Singer-turned-actor Hyeri, Miyeon of (G)I-dle, Leejung of dance crew YGX, vocalist Choi Yena, Chaewon of Le Sserafim and TV personality Patricia. “If &lsqu

March 11, 2023

BLACKPINK sets Guinness world record for most-streamed girl group on Spotify

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK was inscribed on the Guinness World Records as the most-streamed girl group on Spotify in the world, the group's agency said Saturday. The band's songs had garnered 8.88 billion streams as of March 3, breaking the previous record of 8.4 billion streams set by the British girl group Little Mix, YG Entertainment said, citing the announcement from the Guinness World Records. "Shut Down," the main single off BLACKPINK's second full-length album, to

March 11, 2023