From Bruce Lee to martial art, NCT’s ‘Kick It’ co-composer explains creative process

As much as NCT 127 is known as a multi-genre master, the act’s recent single “Kick It” is perhaps the best encapsulation of its dynamic, bravado nature. Released on the band’s previous “Neo Zone” album in March, the boisterous song, tightly packed with shouted vocals, bass-heavy beats and airtight production, is heavily themed on “Bruce Lee” and martial art concept. Read as “Hero” in its Korean title, “Kick It” so explicit

May 27, 2020

YouTube film fest to stream discussion with 'Parasite' actor, director

A conversation among Song Kang-ho, the star of Oscar-winning South Korean film "Parasite," and the film's writer-director, Bong Joon-ho, will be streamed during an upcoming online global film festival organized by YouTube, according to the organizer's website Wednesday. We Are One: A Global Film Festival, a 10-day free online film festival on YouTube, will stream on June 8 (US time) an 82-minute recording of a conversation between Song and Bong at the 2019 Locarno International Film

May 27, 2020

Yoo Ah-in, Park Shin-hye team up in zombie horror film ‘#Alive’

Actor Yoo Ah-in is returning to the big screen for the first time in two years, teaming up with actress Park Shin-hye in the survival thriller “#Alive.” The actors will feature as two survivors living inside an apartment during the outbreak of an unknown disease that turns the infected people into zombies. Yoo and Park will each play two very different characters who struggle to survive in their homes using whatever objects and methods they have. “Jun-woo is a YouTuber and a

May 27, 2020

[Newsmaker] tvN’s ‘The Ramyeonator’ may be slapped with KCSC warning

The Korea Communication Standards Commission’s Broadcast Advertising Sub-Commission on Tuesday decided to recommend issuing a warning to CJ Olive Networks and tvN’s show “The Ramyeonator” for exposing a specific brand of Korean ramen on the show. “The Ramyeonator” featured a popular television show host, Kang Ho-dong, eating ramen with different ingredients, trying to find the tastiest ramen combination. Kang added everything from oyster, duck, clams and cra

May 27, 2020

Korean film industry revs up for summer season

  South Korean film industry is eyeing a return to normalcy as films whose releases were delayed due to the COVID -19 pandemic are confirming early June opening dates, in time for the start of the summer season. The distributor of thriller “Intruder,” a film starring Song Ji-hyo and Kim Mu-yeol, on Friday announced the film will open in the local theaters on June 4, after a number of postponements. Originally slated to open in March, a new release date of May 21 was announced

May 27, 2020

Monsta X’s new album ‘Fantasia X’ is a world of emotions

Monsta X released their new EP “Fantasia X” on Tuesday. The record featuring seven tracks comes seven months after their seventh EP “Follow: Find You,” with all the bandmates taking part in its making. Speaking to the press during a livestreamed press showcase, Kihyun said Fantasia is a “liberating” and “energetic” track that speaks to the signature Monsta X sound. The high energy track featuring ethnic melodies and dynamic synths competed with

May 26, 2020

Retro trend continues with TV drama soundtracks

As the recent decade has seen a revival of the 1980s and 1990s in many sectors, such as fashion and food, retro music has been making its mark on South Korean pop culture, especially in TV dramas. The weekend romance series "When My Love Blooms" on tvN is a story about a middle-aged man and woman, who were in love in their 20s. Twenty years later, the two come across one another again and look back at their lives as college students. As the drama changes back and forth from the pre

May 26, 2020

Big Hit acquires Pledis in push for expansion

Big Hit Entertainment has become the biggest shareholder of its smaller rival Pledis Entertainment, the company said Monday. The acquisition is the latest in a series of moves to expand Big Hit’s presence in the burgeoning K-pop industry. Last year alone, the firm acquired Source Music, the music label for girl band GFriend, and game music company Superb. With the addition of Pledis, the firm now boasts an extensive roster of artists under its roof in a multi-label system, bringing som

May 25, 2020

#SaveOurCinema rallies support for indie films

While the global box office continues to suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic, stars in Korea are taking part in the #SaveOurCinema campaign to arouse the public’s interest in indie, arthouse films. Though the entire film industry is struggling, the government’s policies aimed at supporting the industry are more focused on multiplex operators as indie, arthouse cinemas have a comparatively smaller market share. 　 To support the low-budget film scene, film figures who got their start

May 25, 2020

Afreeca TV star ChulGu makes triumphant return

Broadcasting jockey ChulGu’s return to Afreeca TV on Sunday night was watched by nearly 330,000 fans who had eagerly awaited his comeback following his discharge from military service on May 15. “Hello everyone, it’s been a very long time,” said ChulGu as he started streaming. “I’ve come back for the first time in a year and seven months,” he continued as he expressed being nervous turning on his stream for the first time after his discharge. When Chu

May 25, 2020

Movie theaters to live stream 'League of Legends' tournament

While fears of the novel coronavirus have emptied movie theaters in South Korea, esports fans are given a rare opportunity to watch a "League of Legends" (LoL) tournament on the big screen. CGV, a multiplex chain run by entertainment giant CJ Group, said Monday it will live stream the upcoming 2020 Mid-Season Cup of LoL starting Thursday at its 24 theaters across the country. The four-day tournament features four top LoL teams from South Korea and China each to be held online due t

May 25, 2020

BTS' 'Fake Love' tops 700m YouTube views

The music video of K-pop boy band BTS' "Fake Love" has drawn more than 700 million clicks on YouTube, the band's management agency said Sunday. The lead track of BTS' 2018 release "Love Yourself: Tear" surpassed the 700 million mark at around 6 p.m., according to Big Hit Entertainment. This is the group's third music video to hit this number of views on the global video-streaming site, after "DNA" and "Boy With Luv." (Yonhap)

May 24, 2020

BTS Suga's new mixtape 'D-2' tops global iTunes charts

A new mixtape released by Suga of Korean pop sensation BTS dominated the iTunes album charts in 80 regions across the world, his management agency said Saturday. “D-2,” Suga’s second mixtape released Friday, was No. 1 on the iTunes “top album” charts in 80 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, France, Sweden, Japan and Peru as of 8 a.m. Saturday, according to Big Hit Entertainment. Its main track, “Daechwita,” also dominated the

May 23, 2020

Actor-turned-director debuts with ‘Me and Me’

An established actor of 33-year career, Jung Jin-young has gone behind the cameras for the first time to direct the film “Me and Me.” Set for release on June 18, the movie revolves around a detective named Hyeong-gu who finds everything he knew about himself had disappeared, as he was investigating a mysterious fire accident that took the lives of a married couple. Veteran actor Cho Jin-woong takes on the role of the detective. On Thursday, Jung and Cho held a press conference t

May 23, 2020

TWICE set for June comeback with ‘More & More’

Popular girl group TWICE will make a comeback with its ninth EP, “More & More,” next month, the first in a series of major K-pop comebacks expected to heat up the early summer chart race. JYP Entertainment‘s nine-piece multinational team will release its new record on June 1. It will be the band’s first collection of songs since the previous EP, “Feel Special,” from September of last year. The title song, which shares the same name as the EP itself, w

May 23, 2020

BTS' Suga releases new mixtape 'D-2'

Suga, a member of Korean pop sensation BTS, released his new mixtape "D-2" and the music video for the title track "Daechwita" on Friday. The term "daechwita" refers to a genre of Korean traditional music where percussion instruments are used to play music at a king's parade and other military ceremonies. Big Hit Entertainment, one of the largest music labels in South Korea and home to K-pop darlings BTS, unveiled Suga's second mixtape in four years following his

May 22, 2020

Indie film awards to open despite COVID-19 outbreak

The Wildflower Film Awards Korea will hold its annual ceremony Friday evening as the first film festival here to open since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Founded by the film critic and translator Darcy Paquet, Wildfower Film Awards recognizes the achievements of independent and low-budget films. The seventh edition of the event will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at the House of Literature located in central Seoul. This year’s awards will hand out a total of 13 trophies, including th

May 22, 2020

Competition for trot music shows heating up among TV networks

Television networks are doubling down on shows centered around the recent trot-music hype -- launching new shows and snatching up stars who are becoming increasingly high in demand. SBS TV is currently airing "Here Comes Trot God," and TV Chosun has two shows, "Call Center of Love" and "Bbongsoongah School," in its regular programming. TV Chosun is credited with ushering in the renaissance of trot -- a soulful genre with repetitive rhythm, simple chords and no-n

May 22, 2020

Young actors move to online platforms as TV producers woo bankable veterans

Young actors and actresses in their 20s and early 30s have been losing their presence on the South Korean small screen as producers are not willing to take chances by casting new faces in marquee roles. The fantasy romance "The King: Eternal Monarch," starring Lee Min-ho and Kim Go-eun, and the mystery drama "Born Again," starring Jang Ki-yong and Jin Se-yeon, seem to be the only two TV series led by young stars out of dozens of soap operas and shows currently on air in the

May 22, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Bori (Korea) Opened May 21 Drama, Family Directed by Kim Jin-yu Among the family of four, Bori (Kim Ah-song) is the only person who does not have a hearing disability. Just 11 years old, Bori becomes the mouth and ears of her parents and younger brother. Bori often feels like an outsider in the family, observing them speaking in sign language and oblivious to the sounds she hears. Bori comes to wish she could “lose sound” to become one of them, and with an accident, Bori acts as tho

May 22, 2020