BTS music video 'Idol' breaks 900m YouTube views

The music video for the 2018 BTS hit "Idol" has surpassed 900 million views on YouTube in the latest feat for the K-pop dynamo. "Idol," the main track of the seven-piece act's repackaged album "Love Yourself: Answer," hit the milestone at 5:59 a.m. on Sunday, according to Big Hit Music, the group's agency. When adding the views for another version of the song featuring Trinidadian-American rapper Nicki Minaj, total views exceed 1 billion, it added. "Idol&quo

April 25, 2021

Will Youn Yuh-jung of 'Minari' become first S. Korean to win Oscars' acting trophy?

One day before the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung is grabbing attention over whether she will become the first South Korean to win an acting award at the Oscars. The 73-year-old screen veteran was nominated for best supporting actress for her role in the immigration film "Minari." Youn plays Soon-ja, an eccentric grandmother who flies to rural Arkansas from South Korea to help her daughter's family striving to build a new life in America. Youn is competi

April 25, 2021

KOCCA to support media content exports

The Korea Creative Content Agency on Thursday announced plans to expand support for local companies hoping to export and promote media content overseas. “The KOCCA has been conducting diverse online projects that reflect different demands to support the local industry that cannot continue their offline businesses due to COVID-19,” KOCCA official Lee Do-hyung said in a statement. “Through online support programs, we will further diversify the current exporting markets and hold

April 24, 2021

Maestro Chung Myung-whun reflects on life with new album of piano music

Maestro Chung Myung-whun is returning to the stage as a pianist with the release of his second piano album Thursday. Chung will be on a recital tour of five cities -- Seoul, Gunpo and Suwon in Gyeonggi Province, Gwangju and Daegu -- this month, the first time he is going on a recital tour in seven years. The recitals will focus on late piano works by Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms. In addition to Haydn’s Piano Sonata No. 60, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 30 and Brahms’ 4 Piano P

April 24, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] BTS joins hands with Louis Vuitton

BTS members have become the new faces of Louis Vuitton, label Bit Hit Music and the French fashion house announced on Friday. 　 The septet will serve as House Ambassadors for the French label. 　 “I am looking forward to this wonderful partnership which adds a modern chapter to the House, merging luxury and contemporary culture,” said Louis Vuitton men’s artistic director Virgil Abloh. 　 “I can’t wait to share all the very exciting projects we are working on,&rdqu

April 23, 2021

Youn Yuh-jung wins best supporting actress at Spirit Awards

With three days left before the 93rd Academy Awards, Youn Yuh-jung of “Minari” bagged another best supporting actress award at the 36th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards on Friday. The Spirits, a prelude to the Oscars, are dedicated to independent filmmakers. The event is organized by nonprofit arts organization Film Independent, which organizes the LA Film Festival. Youn is considered by many to be the favorite to win the Oscars for best supporting actress on Sunday (local t

April 23, 2021

COVID-19 hits the musical industry

With the daily number of new COVID-19 cases almost reaching 800, the musical industry is on high alert as actor Son Jun-ho who is to appear in the musical “Dracula” next month tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. “Son Jun-ho wasn’t feeling well recently, so he voluntarily tested for COVID-19. He tested positive and went into self-quarantine,” Son’s agency Sidus HQ said. “All staff who came in contact with Son have been or will be tested.&rdq

April 23, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Recalled (Korea) Opened April 21 Thriller Directed by Seo You-min Soo-jin(Seo Yea-ji) wakes up after an accident but she lost part of her memory. Fortunately, her husband Ji-hoon (Kim Kang-woo) is there to take care of her. After returning home, Soo-Jin realized that she now has a special power to see the future of people, the moments when they are about to face dangerous situations. 　 Seobok (Korea) Opened April 15 Science fiction Directed by Lee Yong-joo Ki-hun (Gong Yoo) is a former intell

April 23, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] BTS' V unveils part of self-written song

 V of BTS gave a taste of his self-composed song, uploading the snippet online at 4 a.m. Wednesday. 　 Par of the yet-to-be-titled song -- one minute and 48 seconds to be exact -- was accompanied with one word: “sleep,” he posted on the band’s Twitter. 　 The artist almost whispers of how one finally lumbers into sleep looking at clouds through the window, to the soft tunes of piano and strings. The rustling sounds of a blanket adds a final touch to the song that some migh

April 22, 2021

[Herald Interview] Rookie Ciipher hints of hidden charms to unlock

Rookies they may be, Ciipher’s name was already familiar to many K-pop fans thanks to their producer Jung Ji-hoon, also known as singer Rain, who has been earnestly promoting the group ahead of their debut last month. While Rain definitely has their back, the members promised of various hidden charms and talents for fans to decrypt. Comprising seven members -- Hyunbin, Tan, Hwi, Keita, Tag, Dohwan and Won -- Ciipher debuted on March 15 with their EP “I Like You (An Ggyulyeo)”

April 22, 2021

K-pop stars launch Kstars4Climate campaign to save Earth

Popular K-pop stars joined hands in a campaign to highlight the dangers of climate change and call for bolder action on the defining challenge of the age, marking the 41st Earth Day on Thursday. Some 31 members from seven K-pop groups including Oh My Girl, BTOB, Day6 and The Boyz shared their thoughts on climate change and encouraged their millions of fans around the globe to take part in climate action. In the first video, released Thursday on the campaign’s official website, the idol

April 22, 2021

Rose's first solo album 'R' sells over half a million copies

Rose, a member of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, has sold more than 500,000 units of her first solo album "R," becoming the first South Korean female soloist to breach the half-million sales mark in about 19 years, her management agency said Thursday. As of Tuesday, "R" had sold a total of 502,447 copies since its release on March 12, YG Entertainment said, citing data from the Hanteo music chart that provides real-time album sales statistics. The singer's first EP features t

April 22, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Super Junior’s Yesung to release solo record in May

Yesung of Super Junior will come out with a fourth solo EP in May, said label S.M. Entertainment on Wednesday. 　 Three images of the veteran idol hailing the new album, titled “Phantom Pain,” were uploaded on the band’s social media channel, showing him sitting on a sofa. The EP will roll out May 3, but the video will be unveiled Friday. 　 Super Junior’s main vocalist put out his first solo EP, “Here I Am,” in April 2016. It has been almost two years since

April 21, 2021

Kang Ha-neul, Chun Woo-hee team up in romance film ‘Rain and Your Story’

Kang Ha-neul is returning to the big screen for the first time in three years, teaming up with actor Chun Woo-hee in the romance film “Rain and Your Story,” directed by Jo Jin-mo. The movie begins with a narration by Young-ho (Kang Ha-neul): ”This is a story about waiting.” Set mostly in 2003, “Rain and Your Story” introduces Young-ho who is studying for his third Suneung, the national college entrance exam, in Seoul. One day, he suddenly decides to write a

April 21, 2021

BTS' 'Map of the Soul: 7' extends longest streak on Billboard 200 by K-pop group to 60 weeks

"Map of the Soul: 7," an album by global superstar BTS, has remained on the Billboard 200 chart for the 60th consecutive week this week, extending its longest-streak record by a K-pop group or singer on the chart. According to the latest Billboard chart results updated Tuesday (US time), the album released in February 2020 came in at 113th on the US music publisher's main albums chart. This marks the album's 60th consecutive week on the highly competitive chart since it debuted atop

April 21, 2021

Youn Yuh-jung from 'Minari' predicted to win best supporting actress in 2021 Oscars: poll

South Korean screen veteran Youn Yuh-jung has risen to become a safe front-runner in the race for the 2021 Oscars' best supporting actress for her role in the immigration film "Minari," a poll by an American awards prediction website showed Wednesday. As of 10 a.m., the 74-year-old actress garnered 4,583 votes from experts, editors and internet users to rank No. 1 in Gold Derby's Oscars race poll, greatly outpacing four other nominees in the category. Maria Bakalova from "Borat

April 21, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] 2PM poised for summer return

2PM is gearing up to come out with new album in summer, according to media reports on Tuesday.  The band is preparing for a new album although specific dates are yet to be set, confirmed label JYP Entertainment following the reports.  The bandmates are writing songs on their own while choosing some from songwriters that spans across genres. The six-piece act’s last album together was its sixth studio album “Gentlemen’s Game” that was released in September 201

April 20, 2021

Chamber music to celebrate Beethoven’s belated birthday

The Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music will sing “Ode to Joy” to celebrate a belated 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, after the program was postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The spring festival last year was pushed back to the fall where they presented a non-Beethoven repertoire, as well as to observe the required social distancing measures. “This year, we will do what we could not do last year,” Kang Dong-suk, violinist and artistic

April 20, 2021

Girl group TWICE to perform on Kelly Clarkson show next week

K-pop girl group TWICE is set to appear on the US TV series "The Kelly Clarkson Show" next week, its management agency said Tuesday. The K-pop act will perform "Cry For Me," its latest single released in December, on the popular American daytime show on April 27 (US time), according to JYP Entertainment. The up-tempo dance number has topped iTunes charts in 20 countries and regions, including Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand, and peaked at No. 2 on the worldwide iTunes song c

April 20, 2021

SHINee's Taemin to join military next month

Taemin, a member of K-pop boy band SHINee, will join the military next month to fulfill his mandatory service, his agency said Tuesday. The 27-year-old singer is set to enlist on May 31, according to SM Entertainment. The agency did not elaborate further on the venue and schedule of the enlistment, citing Taemin's wish to enlist in a quiet manner. The SHINee member applied for a position in the Army's military band and has recently been accepted, the agency added. Taemin separately made the

April 20, 2021