K-pop stars take stern actions against malicious comments, false accusations

The time for lenience is over. An increasing number of K-pop artists are taking a stand against hateful comments and rumors by pursuing legal action and declaring they will not settle under any circumstances. Previously, K-pop musicians were eager to hush up rumors about them when they arose -- whether they were true or not -- hoping to avoid trouble as much as possible. Their agencies also believed that taking strong action would only create a "Streisand effect" -- making the rumors b

July 1, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korean-Japanese teen trot duo Lucky PangPang makes ambitious debut

Despite their young ages, Kim Da-hyun (15) from South Korea and Sumita Aiko (16) from Japan are remarkable singers. Both were selected as the youngest contestants, respectively, on audition programs "The Current King" in Korea and "Trot Girls Japan" in Japan, which aired from November last year to February this year. The two young singers met on MBN program "Korea-Japan King's Battle" -- which aired from April to May -- where they engaged in friendly competitio

June 30, 2024

Seventeen becomes first K-pop band on Glastonbury’s main stage

Seventeen became the first K-pop group to perform on the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, on Friday, setting a significant milestone for K-pop while showcasing the genre’s growing influence. The 13-member band captivated the audience for an hour on the Pyramid Stage with a powerful set that began with Woozi's keyboard solo before launching into hits like "Maestro," "Ready to Love," "SOS," "Clap," "God of Music&qu

June 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] Song Kang-ho says acting still a challenge

"Parasite" star Song Kang-ho, who made his drama series debut with Disney+'s 16-part historical drama "Uncle Samsik," said acting remained a challenging process for him, despite his 35-year career as one of Korea's leading actors. "Uncle Samsik" is set in turbulent 1960s South Korea, highlighted by "The April Revolution," a political uprising in April 1960, challenging the autocratic rule of the nation's first president, Syngman Rhee. The mo

June 30, 2024

[What to Watch] Three feel-good movies at theaters perfect for rainy season

As the country enters the monsoon season which typically lasts from late June to early August, watching feel-good, relaxing films at a cinema while there is heavy rain outside makes for a perfect weekend activity. According to the weather forecast, the rains will start his weekend and continue throughout next week and the following three movies currently playing or soon to be released at the cinema will keep you dry and put you in a tender state of mind. “Dauren’s Wedding”

June 29, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Le Sserafim gearing up for August return: report

Le Sserafim is poised to return in late August with a new album, local media reported Friday. Agency Source Music confirmed that the group was preparing to return, but said the date and type of release had not been set. It will be about six months since its third EP “Easy,” the main track from which entered Billboard’s Hot 100, at No. 99, for the first time for the quintet. "Easy" debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 8 and became its third straight million-selling album.

June 28, 2024

Grand Bell Film Awards to proceed this year despite crisis

Grand Bell Film Awards, the country’s oldest and once most prestigious film awards, announced its return to normalcy this year. According to the head of the Motion Pictures Association of Korea, the agency that hosts the awards, the 60th Grand Bell Film Awards will take place in December. Once regarded as the country’s top awards in cinema, the Grand Bell Film Awards has struggled to recover from a string of controversies, including over unfair selection of winners and poor event org

June 28, 2024

Is 2NE1 returning with new song for 15th anniversary?

Legendary K-pop girl group 2NE1’s meeting with Yang Hyun-suk, founder and head producer of YG Entertainment, has raised speculation of a possible comeback with a new release in time for the group’s 15th debut anniversary. According to YG Entertainment, all four members of 2NE1 -- CL, Sandara Park, Park Bom and Minzy -- met Yang for talks at the agency’s headquarters in Seoul on Thursday. It was the first meeting of the quartet and Yang in eight years. “The meeting took ov

June 28, 2024

Ive drops new single ‘Summer Festa’

K-pop girl group Ive is releasing a new song in collaboration with Pepsi on Friday at 6 p.m. The song, “Summer Festa,” which is part of the “2024 Pepsi Campaign,” is a disco-pop song led by a funky guitar and groovy bass. The unique vocal tones of Ive members blend perfectly with the simple but rhythmic beat of the song that captures the vibrant atmosphere of summer. The lyrics contain messages of independence and confidence such as, “I make my own opportunity&rdquo

June 28, 2024

Jimin of BTS unveils song from 2nd solo album ahead of official release

Jimin of BTS unveiled a new song “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco)” on Friday. This song is one of the tracks in his second solo album, “Muse,” to be released on July 19. Jimin decided to collaborate with rapper Loco for this track as he thought his detailed rapping style would go well with the song, according to Big Hit Music. The title of the song was the name that Jimin had come up with for fun, for the team of producers consisting of Pdogg, Ghstloop and Evan

June 28, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Hijacking 1971” (South Korea) Opened June 21 Crime Directed by Kim Sung-han Former fighter jet pilot Tae-in (Ha Jung-woo) co-pilots a passenger plane bound for Seoul's Gimpo International Airport from Sokcho, Gangwon Province. But soon after takeoff, an in-flight emergency breaks out as the plane is hijacked. “Inside Out 2” (US) Opened June 12 Animation Directed by Kelsey Mann A now-teenaged Riley sees her mind headquarters undergo sudden renovations to make room

June 28, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids turn chic in album teaser

Stray Kids uploaded group photographs for their ninth EP “Ate” on Thursday. Donned in black and denim, the eight members gazed at the camera exuding charisma further raising expectations for the upcoming mini album. The group shots follow a teaser trailer and individual photographs which hinted that they are going for hip and chic. The album will consist of eight tracks including the main track “Chk Chk Boom” and will be rolled out July 19. Before the album's relea

June 27, 2024

[Herald Interview] Meet Lionesses: K-pop's first LGBTQ+ boy band on showing their true selves

Despite K-pop's global expansion, the K-pop industry and Korean society in general remain conservative in several aspects, particularly on LGBTQ+ issues. Amid this backdrop, Lionesses, K-pop's first-ever LGBTQ+ group, has shattered barriers and is sharing courage with fans and listeners. Debuting in 2021 with "Show Me Your Pride," Lionesses is a pioneering LGBTQ+ K-pop trio. Leader Damjun identifies as bisexual, Lee Marlang is gay and Kanghan is a questioning, who continues t

June 27, 2024

Band Surl drops Thai version song through dubbing technology

The Korean band Surl released a Thai version of their song through a collaboration with a dubbing company. According to their agency MPMG Music, Surl released the Thai version of "Dry Flower" at 6 p.m. Thursday. "Dry Flower" is the title track from Surl's 2nd mini album "I Know," released in 2019. The music video has been played 5.6 million times on the global music streaming platform Spotify, consistently receiving positive responses from listeners both domest

June 27, 2024

B.D.U debuts after winning Mnet competition 'Build Up’

B.D.U, the winning team of Mnet’s vocals-centric TV competition “Build Up: Vocal Boy Group Survival," made an impressive debut with the mini album “Wishpool.” The four bandmates -- Bitsaeon, Seunghun, Jay Chang and Minseo -- showcased their powerful and emotional voices throughout the program, earning the opportunity to take to the stage as a project group for two years. “Our group name B.D.U is an abbreviation of ‘Boys Define Universe,’ implying th

June 27, 2024

Outdoor concert returns to Olympic Park with top-notch lineup

The Credia Park Concert, the first full-scale outdoor classical music concert launched in Korea in 2010, returns in September after five years, running from Sept. 6 to 8 at the Olympic Park 88 Garden in southeastern Seoul. The concert on Sept. 6, titled "Forest of Music," features pianist Yuhki Kuramoto, violinist Danny Koo and Fortena, a group of four tenors along with Korea Coop Orchestra led by Kim Sung-zin. On the second day of the Park Concert, "Disney in Concert” will

June 27, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS RM’s 2nd solo album chosen best in H124

The second solo album from BTS' leader RM made multiple semiannual best albums charts listed by international music magazines. Billboard magazine touted the album “Right Place, Wrong Person” as “one of the richest albums released in 2024.” The artist “simply refuses to acknowledge the existence of any (boundaries of K-pop]) ... while all still sounding like a coherent and natural artistic extension of one man’s creative vision,” it added. Rolling

June 26, 2024

[Herald Review] 'Cherry Orchard': The story of 'lovely mess of a family'

In Simon Stone’s Korean take on Anton Chekhov’s classic “The Cherry Orchard,” the world-renowned director shifts the setting to contemporary Seoul. Here, aristocratic siblings Lyuba Ranevsky and Leonid Gayev have become heirs to a crumbling chaebol family named Do-young (Jeon Do-yeon) and Jae-young (Son Sang-gyu). The Song family business is on the brink of bankruptcy, but Jae-young is inept and Do-young is in denial. Enter Hwang Doo-sik (Park Hae-soo), a modern incarnati

June 26, 2024

Jay Park creates a buzz with post on adult site

Singer Jay Park revealed that he has joined OnlyFans, a content subscription service popular among adult content creators, shocking many of his fans. “Follow your boy on OnlyFans. ‘McNasty’ out June 30,” wrote Park in his Instagram post on Tuesday, sharing his OnlyFans account. His post created a buzz on social media, leaving his followers wondering whether it was part of a marketing strategy to promote his upcoming digital single, “McNasty.” “It was par

June 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Jeon Do-yeon embraces complexity of Simon Stone's 'Cherry Orchard'

In a contemporary Korean adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s tragicomedy “The Cherry Orchard,” directed by Simon Stone, Cannes-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon takes on the role of Song Do-young, a reinterpretation of Lyuba Ranevsky. Acclaimed Australian director Stone has transported Chekhov’s narrative into 2024 South Korea, mirroring the original’s portrayal of a decaying aristocracy amidst societal upheaval. Clad in a trench coat, pink tracksuit and sneakers, the "tr

June 26, 2024