Kim Sun-wook’s performances rescheduled for January

Concert pianist Kim Sun-wook’s duet recital with violinist Chung Kyung-wha in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, will take place as scheduled Dec. 20, although Kim’s other engagements for December were postponed due to the resurgence of COVID-19. According to classical music show agency Vincero on Wednesday, three of Kim’s December performances have been rescheduled for January, after stricter social distancing measures came into force for Seoul. Under the revised schedule, Kim&r

Dec. 12, 2020

Movie director Kim Ki-duk dies of coronavirus

South Korean movie director Kim Ki-duk died of complications from COVID-19 in Latvia on Friday.  News reports from Russia said the director died in the hospital from complications associated with COVID-19. Kim Ki-duk's family confirmed to multiple Korean media that the news was correct and that they had received a call on the day.  According to the sources, Kim arrived in Latvia in the middle of last month. He reportedly lived there with the help of film industry figures in L

Dec. 11, 2020

KNB cancels plans for ‘Nutcracker’

The Korea National Ballet canceled its “The Nutcracker” show slated for the Christmas holidays, following the recent resurgence of COVID-19 infection cases here. The national ballet troupe announced Friday that the iconic performance of “The Nutcracker” in December would have to be fully canceled due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. The ballet troupe was to hold the performances at the Seoul Arts Center from Dec. 19-30, leaving two-thirds of seats empty under the gov

Dec. 11, 2020

BTS gets festive with 'Dynamite' holiday remix

With just two weeks left until Christmas, BTS on Friday unveiled a holiday remix version of its upbeat chart-topping song "Dynamite." The remix version, released at 2 p.m., shows the band singing in front of a Christmas tree holding selfie sticks. The jolly ambience and Christmas bells in the background heighten the festive mood. "The BTS digital single 'Dynamite' made history throughout the second half of 2020 thanks to the incredible affection and support shown from all fans,&

Dec. 11, 2020

Global interest in Korean films rises after 'Parasite' wins Oscars, KFA says

Overseas inquiries about South Korean movies have been on the rise thanks to the Oscar-winning Korean film "Parasite," the national film archive said during a forum in Seoul. The Korean Film Archive (KFA) has produced DVDs of major Korean films, ranging from the early years of the 1950s to the present, every year since 2012 and distributed them to overseas research institutions for Korean studies, cultural centers, Korean language institutes and university libraries as part of efforts

Dec. 11, 2020

BTS named 'entertainer of year' by Time magazine

K-pop megastar BTS has been named the Time magazine "entertainer of the year," the US weekly said Thursday. BTS "isn't just the biggest K-pop act on the charts. They've become the biggest band in the world -- full stop," the influential magazine said in a Twitter post. "Between releasing multiple albums and breaking every type of record in 2020, BTS ascended to the zenith of pop stardom," it added. BTS had a record year with two of its songs -- "Dynamite&quo

Dec. 11, 2020

Big Hit Labels concert: The start of a new tradition, or a trend that’s getting trite?

Fifteen years after its launch as a small company by producer Bang Si-hyuk, Big Hit Entertainment is starting a new chapter of its history with its first “labels” concert, which brings together artists from the company’s now-expanded portfolio. Taking place on the very last day of the year, “2021 New Year’s Eve Live – presented by Weverse” is expected to feature K-pop sensation BTS and other Big Hit-affiliated K-pop idols such as Tomorrow X Together, E

Dec. 10, 2020

Hwang Jung-min, Yoona tackle life of reporter in ‘Hush’

Veteran actor Hwang Jung-min will return to the small screen for the first time in eight years as a hardened reporter in JTBC’s human drama “Hush.” Hwang demonstrated why he is one of the most beloved actors in Korea at Thursday‘s online press conference, with his genuine, unfiltered personality and passion for the drama on full display. “I got the script for the first six episodes and read it in no time. It was so enjoyable,” said Hwang. “The story w

Dec. 10, 2020

Broadway actors of Korean heritage to connect via YouTube

While the iconic Broadway remains shut down until at least May, Broadway stage actors with Korean backgrounds will connect with international audiences at home via YouTube. The Korean Culture Center New York, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced it will host the year-end musical gala concert “Farewell 2020,” featuring Korean or Korean-American stage actors working on Broadway through its official YouTube channel on Dec. 17.   The concert wi

Dec. 10, 2020

Arirang TV to air documentary series on Korean films

An English-language documentary series on South Korean films, “K-Cineflex,” will air on Arirang TV from Thursday to Saturday, introducing popular Korean films and discussing the development of the Korean film industry. The 1994 film “Whiteman (Baeksaekin)” from Bong Joon-ho, the Oscar-winning director of “Parasite,” will be shown as part of the first episode Thursday at 10:30 p.m. The 16-minute film with English subtitles will be shown along with the directo

Dec. 10, 2020

Flurry of COVID-19 restrictions cause fatigue across culture scene

While the authorities are enforcing stricter social distancing rules across the Greater Seoul area to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, the culture sector is confused by the inconsistencies in the restrictions imposed by different governmental authorities. On Saturday, cultural facilities across Seoul that are funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government were shut down after the city government imposed tighter restrictions. On Sunday, the central government announced that Level 2.5 socia

Dec. 8, 2020

Rookie girl group NiziU tops Japan's weekly music chart with debut album

JYP Entertainment's new girl group NiziU has topped Japan's Oricon weekly music chart with its debut single album, the company said Tuesday. The nine-member group's album, "Step and a Step," ranked No. 1 on Japan's Oricon weekly singles chart for the first week of this month, just five days after it topped the daily CD singles chart of the Japanese music publisher, according to the agency. NiziU is only the second girl group to reach the top of the weekly Oricon chart with its debut

Dec. 8, 2020

Spike in COVID-19 cases puts S. Korean music industry on edge

Random cluster infections are breaking out across the country and the South Korean music industry is no exception from the new coronavirus. In most cases, infections have escalated into bigger cases involving consecutive screening tests, as music programs and events often feature multiple artists and a big production staff. Earlier this month, Kogyeol and Bit-to of boy group UP10TION tested positive for the infectious virus after Bit-to came into contact with a COVID-19 patient. While no addi

Dec. 8, 2020

Mnet’s ‘Running Girls’ brings idols together

Five K-pop idols in their 20s running through scenic courses around the country is the theme of Mnet’s “Running Girls,” whose first episode airs Wednesday. Sunmi, Chungha, Hani of EXID, YooA of Oh My Girl and Chuu of Loona run together as a crew in a show that is as much about bonding as it is about introducing viewers to running courses. Chungha, who was confirmed with COVID-19 on Monday, was absent from the online press conference for the show held Tuesday. With filming hav

Dec. 8, 2020

BTS' 6th most tweeted about people worldwide in 2020

K-pop superstar BTS ranked as the sixth most tweeted about people globally, data from Twitter Inc. showed Tuesday, in apparent proof of the seven-member group's strong influence in the social media platform. While US President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden topped the list, BTS was one of two musicians to be among the top 10 most tweeted about global figures, with the other being American rapper Kanye West. BTS also topped Twitter's list of the most tweeted about K-pop accounts glo

Dec. 8, 2020

Girl group TWICE tests negative for COVID-19: agency

Members of K-pop girl group TWICE have tested negative for the new coronavirus, their agency said Tuesday. "TWICE members, including Sana, and their manager have all tested negative for the new coronavirus," JYP Entertainment said in a statement sent through a text message. The agency added that Sana will go into home isolation until Dec. 18 in line with guidelines distributed by health authorities, while the remaining members will work as planned. Members of the nine-piece band got

Dec. 8, 2020

BTS becomes first S. Korean act to break into top 10 on Billboard's radio chart

BTS, one of the world's most popular pop groups, has become the first all-South Korean act to make it into the top 10 on Billboard's Radio Songs chart. The group's hit single "Dynamite" moved up a spot to rank No. 10 on the chart measuring radio airplay in the United States, Billboard reported on Monday (US time). The all-English track had earlier made history by becoming the first song by a Korean act to top Billboard's main singles chart, the Hot 100. "This week, it becomes BT

Dec. 8, 2020

Twice and other idols get tested for COVID-19

Every member of K-pop girl group Twice was tested for the new coronavirus on Monday, and so were all staff members who had come into contact with band member Sana recently. The singer Chungha tested positive Monday after she and Sana came into contact. Chungha was tested after coming into contact with another person who also tested positive. “Twice’s Sana, who came in contact recently with Chungha, as well as other members of Twice who worked with Sana and the staff, were tested t

Dec. 7, 2020

Release of blockbuster 'Seobok' postponed amid coronavirus scare

The release of South Korean science-fiction action film "Seobok" has been postponed indefinitely amid a huge, ongoing wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the film's distributor said Monday. "We decided to put off the release schedule of 'Seobok,' set to hit screens in December, due to the wide spread of COVID-19," CJ Entertainment said in a statement. "Seobok" is one of the most anticipated blockbusters this year in South Korea for its subject of the first hum

Dec. 7, 2020

Artists' voices re-created with AI

With the development of artificial intelligence and deep learning, things that were once impossible are now becoming possible, including re-creating the voices of deceased musical artists to sing contemporary songs. Music channel Mnet will show AI music project “Once More Time” on Wednesday and Dec. 16, “resurrecting” deceased artists through holograms and AI voice covers. The first episode will feature Turtleman, leader of trio Turtles, who died of a heart attack in 2

Dec. 7, 2020