Animal rights in Korean entertainment industry

The Korean entertainment industry is beginning to take animal rights issues more seriously as criticisms arise from related organizations.The producer of tvN variety show “The Meow is Fake” issued an official apology for violating animal rights after its first episode aired Sunday.The producer apologized for not providing sufficient information required during the adoption process to nonprofit organization Nabiya. The organization is currently asking for the return of the adopted cat

Jan. 9, 2020

After terrible year, YG hopes to turn things around in 2020

Less than two weeks into 2020, YG Entertainment has revealed that new boy band Treasure is on the way and Big Bang will perform at this year’s Coachella music festival in April.Treasure is set to become the first new all-boy group from YG in over four years, as Big Bang’s performance will mark the group’s first as a four-piece act.YG has also been hinting that Blackpink is aiming to release new music sometime early this year, having said the group is recording multiple tracks i

Jan. 9, 2020

BTS scores 3 awards at Gaon Chart Music Awards

K-pop boy band BTS has scored three major prizes at the 2020 Gaon Chart Music Awards, adding to its winning streak at local and overseas music awards. The septet picked up the "Artist of the Year" award in the physical album category for the second quarter of 2019 as well as the "Social Hot Star of the Year" and "Retail Album of the Year" awards at the 9th Gaon Chart Music Awards held at Seoul Sports Complex Wednesday evening.  The annual music awards are hoste

Jan. 9, 2020

BTS to pre-release single from upcoming album this month

K-pop super band BTS will drop a new digital single this month ahead of its official release of a new album in February, according to the band's management agency Thursday.Big Hit Entertainment posted a "comeback map" on the official BTS website early Thursday morning, providing the timeline of the band's release of "Map of the Soul: 7," set for Feb. 21, the second edition of BTS' ongoing "Map of the Soul" album series. According to the four-phase schedule, the band

Jan. 9, 2020

Veteran actors to play ‘Money Game’

Cable channel tvN is starting this year big with its first-ever finance drama, “Money Game,” featuring top-tier actors Go Soo, Lee Sung-min and Shim Eun-kyung.“Money Game” tells the story of three people who work at South Korea’s finance control towers -- the Financial Services Commission and the Ministry of Economy and Finance -- fighting to save the nation from going bankrupt. Go is returning to the small screen after two years as Chae Yi-hun, a government of

Jan. 8, 2020

Danish pop icon Christopher bound for Seoul in March

Mesmerizing the city with his Danish charm last year, singer-songwriter Christopher Nissen is reuniting with his fans in less than a year this March.Known as Christopher professionally, the 28-year-old pop sensation debuted in 2011 with his single “Against the Odds” and has since released four studio albums, including “Colors,” “Told You So,” and “Closer.” The singer rose to stardom in 2014 with his second studio album “Told You So,&rdqu

Jan. 8, 2020

Adoption becomes open topic on TV

More celebrities are opening up about their adoption stories on the small screen. 　Actor couple Jin Tae-hyun and Park Si-eun will appear on the SBS reality show “You Are My Destiny,” starting Jan. 20. The show will deal with their family life with their adopted daughter, Sae-yeon.  In October the couple revealed that they had adopted Sae-yeon, now in her early 20s, after meeting her at an orphanage on Jeju Island while on their honeymoon in 2015. They stayed in close touch and S

Jan. 8, 2020

Some 180,000 fans visit BTS pop-up store in Seoul

Some 180,000 fans visited a BTS pop-up store during its 80-day run in Seoul, the management agency of the K-pop boy band said Wednesday. The pop-up store, "House of BTS," operated from Oct. 18 till Sunday in the bustling commercial and entertainment district of Gangnam in southern Seoul to entertain fans with BTS merchandise and exhibitions. About 2,200 fans were admitted to the four-story shopping and entertainment complex each day during the 80-day run and the pop-up store was abuzz

Jan. 8, 2020

Boy band Infinite's Sung-kyu discharged from military

Kim Sung-kyu, the leader of boy band Infinite, will return to show business following his discharge from the military Wednesday.Kim, also known by his stage name Sungkyu, officially completed his 20-month defense duty at the Army 22nd Division in Goseong, Gangwon Province.Some 1,300 fans from China, Japan and Southeast Asian countries, as well as at home, visited the site of his military discharge to greet him. Sungkyu's side arranged a small event for the visiting fans at a sports arena in the

Jan. 8, 2020

BTS to release new album, ‘Map of the Soul: 7,’ Feb. 21

Just 10 months after setting multiple records with “Boy With Luv,” BTS announced the upcoming release of a new album in February.On Tuesday, the seven-piece K-pop juggernaut told its global fan community Weverse that it would drop a new album, “Map of the Soul: 7,” Feb. 21. The album is the sequel to the act’s Billboard 200 chart-topper EP “Map of the Soul: Persona,” released in April last year. “With ‘Map of the Soul: Persona,’ BTS san

Jan. 8, 2020

BTS to drop new album on Feb. 21

K-pop boy band BTS will return to the local music scene next month with a new album, the group's management agency said Wednesday.The group will put out "Map of the Soul: 7" on Feb. 21, the first release since it rolled out "Map of the Soul: Persona" in April last year, Big Hit Entertainment said. The group topped the Billboard 200 main albums chart for the previous "Map of the Soul: Persona" last year, with its album sales reaching a record 3.7 million copies in So

Jan. 8, 2020

'Parasite' scores 4 nominations for British Academy awards

Bong Joon-ho's black comedy "Parasite" has been nominated in four categories for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards, organizers said Tuesday.    In the nominations for the 2020 BAFTA Film Awards, slated for February, the South Korean film was listed in the categories of best film, best director, best original screenplay and best film not in the English language.     For best film, the family satire will compete with "1

Jan. 7, 2020

SF9 returns as gentlemen with ‘Good Guy’

The bandmates of SF9 suited up for new single “Good Guy,” all set to kick off a new era of the group’s career.The nine-piece group held a media debut showcase for its first full-length album “First Collection” in Seoul on Tuesday, where it showcased the album’s lead track “Good Guy” and shared New Year’s ambitions. Clad in clean-cut matching suits, the band explained that the outfits were to portray an image of “good guys.” &ldquo

Jan. 7, 2020

Seoul to get more of Mika

South Korean fans have waited four years for Mika, and they just could not get enough of the singer.Mika will be holding an extra concert on March 4, after the tickets for the British singer-songwriter’s March 5 solo concert sold out in just three minutes. Both concerts will be held at the Jamsil Arena in southern Seoul. The Seoul concerts are part of his worldwide “Revelation Tour” that started in November, following the release of his fifth studio album “My Name Is Mich

Jan. 7, 2020

Ateez kicks off new year with ‘Answer’

Rising K-pop act Ateez is already out with a new single -- “Answer” -- continuing its bombastic sonic style into the new year. The brand new single fronts the act’s “Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer EP,” the last segment to Ateez’s “Treasure” album series that began with its October 2018 debut. Blending powerful hip-hop elements and melodious electronic dance music sounds, “Answer” is reminiscent of the band’s previous releases

Jan. 7, 2020

How X1's promising career came to an abrupt end

Fans were shocked Monday night to learn that project boy band X1 was disbanding."We negotiated with the agencies representing each member of X1 on terms of unanimous agreement but failed to reach an agreement and decided to disband (the group),” the agencies said in a joint statement after the talks fell through.The decision came months after the vote-rigging scandal surrounding the “Produce” series forced the musicians from X1 and Iz*One to put their careers on hold, leav

Jan. 7, 2020

Super Junior to release 9th full-length album

K-pop boy band Super Junior's new album will hit the music scene this month, the finale of the band's time-themed album trilogy, the band's management agency said Tuesday. The upcoming album, "Timeless," scheduled for release on Jan. 28, is Super Junior's ninth full-length repackage album, according to Label SJ.  The album is the third in its album series inspired by time, following the first, "Time Slip," released in October and "Time Line" released in Novembe

Jan. 7, 2020

Learn Korean from K-pop singers on tvN show

Many K-pop fans from around the world learn Korean through K-pop, whether intentionally or not, from their repeated listening of the songs and countless replaying of the videos starring their favorite artists. What would it be like for K-pop singers to actually teach Korean?“K-pop Culture Center,” a new tvN variety show scheduled to launch next month, will do just that -- K-pop artists teaching their fans Korean language and culture through K-pop.  Each episode will feature a po

Jan. 7, 2020

'Winter Flower,' Younha's collaboration with RM, tops iTunes charts in 43 countries

"Winter Flower," South Korean female singer Younha's collaborative song with BTS' RM, topped iTunes single charts in 43 countries Tuesday, her management agency said. The first track of Younha's new album, "Unstable Mindset," released on Monday, made her the first South Korean female soloist to top the U.S. iTunes Top Song chart as the track sat atop the iTunes single charts in 43 countries and regions, according to C9 Entertainment.  Including the 43 countries, the iTun

Jan. 7, 2020

Five-month-old boy band X1 disbands amid vote-rigging scandal

X1, a South Korean boy band, decided Monday to disband amid a vote-rigging scandal involving a cable TV audition show, through which it debuted five months ago. In a brief press release, Starship Entertainment, MBK Entertainment and seven other management agencies representing its 11 members said they decided to disband the boy group. "We negotiated (the band's fate) among the members' talent agencies toward a consensus, but failed, so we decided to break up the band," according to the

Jan. 6, 2020