Jisoo, Jennie of Blackpink ready for new solo chapters

Jisoo of Blackpink is following her bandmate Jennie’s lead in establishing her own agency for her solo career. According to industry sources, Jisoo is setting up a K-pop agency with her brother to be called Blissoo. The new agency recently began recruiting employees, including video editors, producers, designers and security guards. “We offer a unique experience of working with an artist in a startup company,” the Blissoo job announcement said. With the support of her new agenc

Jan. 4, 2024

DJ DOC to release new album for 30th anniversary

A legendary first-generation hip-hop group from the 1990s, DJ DOC, marks the 30th anniversary of its debut this year with a plan to release a new album, the first in 14 years. According to the group's agency Funky Town, DJ DOC unveiled a new song titled "Cheers," at a year-end party concert held in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Dec. 30. The new song, which is a hip-hop song based on "newtro" funk and trot, will be included on the 30th anniversary album. The group released its

Jan. 4, 2024

[Herald Interview] Jeong Sewoon finds joy in bringing diverse colors to music

K-pop singer-songwriter Jeong Sewoon finds joy in making music that comforts his listeners and that joy is amplified when there is personal development at the end of a project. In his sixth EP, “Quiz,” released on Thursday, the artist collaborated with a foreign musician for the first time for “Sharpie,” an experience which helped him expand his musical spectrum. “I worked with American pop band Nightly for the single, ‘Sharpie.’ This was my first time w

Jan. 4, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Twice to return in February

    Twice will release the group's 13th EP on Feb. 23, JYP Entertainment announced Wednesday. The nine-member act floated a teaser trailer for the EP, titled “With YOU-th,” adding that it will unveil side track “I Got You” on Feb. 2, in advance to the full release. The mini album comes about a year after the 12th EP, “Ready To Be,” which hit the Billboard 200 at No. 2 and stayed on the main albums chart for nine weeks in a row, a record streak f

Jan. 3, 2024

KBS cancels 'Beat Coin' despite show's streaming popularity

Korean Broadcasting System's decision to cancel "Beat Coin," which has been widely popular on streaming platforms but less so on the terrestrial television network's airwaves, has come under fire from the show's fans, who argue that the state broadcaster is prioritizing viewership ratings and profitability over general viewer sentiment. Starring comedians Hong Jin-kyung, Kim Sook and Jo Se-ho, model Joo Woo-jae and singer Wooyoung, "Beat Coin" is a variety show

Jan. 3, 2024

Virtual idols open up new possibilities for K-pop

As K-pop continues to reach new heights, with groups and soloists alike enjoying ever-expanding global success, recent trends have shown that K-pop stars don't necessarily have to be human to attract a following. A new boy band recently topped the pre-voting list for the Rookie of the Year award at the recent Seoul Music Awards, and in a single week, sold more than 200,000 copies of its new album. While this may seem like the story of yet another rookie idol group making a successful start

Jan. 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kim Jun-su performs last 'Dracula' with signature red hair

For a decade, whenever Kim Jun-su, the singer-turned-musical actor, has taken the stage as Dracula in the eponymous musical, it has been with his distinctive red hair. Now his trademark, the red hair was initially a serendipitous decision. Just a few days before its Korean premiere in 2014, he wanted to depict visually the white-haired Dracula who, drinking blood, became rejuvenated, so he proposed the idea of red hair to the director. "When I started in musicals, I was focused on faithfull

Jan. 3, 2024

Korean cultural content industries log 69 trillion won in sales in first half of 2023

Sales in South Korea's cultural content industries for the first half of 2023 logged a total of 69.3 trillion won ($52.8 billion), riding high on the rapid growth of the nation's music and film industries, according to a report by Korea Creative Content Agency on Wednesday. According to KOCCA's report on trends in Korea's cultural content industries during the January-June period in 2023, the industries recorded a total of 69.3 trillion won in sales, a 2.5 percent increase

Jan. 3, 2024

Korean National Ballet, Universal Ballet unveil new season lineups

As the curtains rise on a new season, South Korea's two major ballet companies -- the Korean National Ballet and Universal Ballet -- have unveiled captivating lineups to enthrall audiences. From the highly anticipated Korean premiere of John Neumeier’s “The Little Mermaid” to distinct Korean and beloved classics, both companies are set to unleash the magic of ballet with a compelling blend of movement and emotion. KNB premieres ‘Little Mermaid’ in Korea The K

Jan. 2, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Jisoo teams up with sibling: report

Jisoo of Blackpink will let her own brother oversee her individual activities, according to a local media report on Tuesday. Her older brother runs Biomom, a small company that sells supplements for kids, and the firm recently posted recruitments for staff for Blissoo, a new affiliate for entertainment business. Blackpink will let label YG Entertainment continue to handle its group activities but all four members decided not to renew their contracts, which came to terms last month, for individu

Jan. 2, 2024

IU, G-Dragon to come back to K-pop in 2024

Legendary soloists are returning with new albums for the new year. Singer-songwriter IU is set to drop her first new album in two years. She has been focusing on her acting career since releasing special mini album "Pieces" in December 2021, but confirmed her return as a singer this year. Appearing on BTS bandmate Suga's YouTube talk show "Suchwita" on Dec. 26 last year, IU said she will hold her first overseas concert tour in four years, since the "Love, Poem"

Jan. 2, 2024

Fans upset with decision to push ahead with K-pop concert in Japan

Organizers of the K-pop concert “K-pop MasterzXKross vol.3” faced backlash from K-pop fans for proceeding with the event in Japan as scheduled on Tuesday despite a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the country only a day earlier. The concert, hosted by Japanese digital design firm Birdman and label Entertainment Next, was held at the Vantelin Dome Nagoya in Nagoya, Japan, which is around 250 kilometers away from Ishikawa prefecture where the earthquake occurred Monday. Ahead of the

Jan. 2, 2024

NewJeans welcomes 2024 on ABC’s ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’

NewJeans kicked off the New Year with a dazzling performance on the US broadcaster ABC’s New Year's special show. The K-pop girl group performed its singles “Super Shy” and “ETA” on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024,” better known as “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on Monday. NewJeans is the first K-pop girl group to appear on America’s most-watched New Year’s Eve special prog

Jan. 2, 2024

Korean occult film, series open the new year

An occult film and a separate series on such topics particular to Korea are opening the year, targeting foreign audiences as well as those interested in Korean-style occult thrillers. “The Bequeathed,” a Netflix original series set for release on Jan. 19, is a six-part occult thriller directed by Min Hong-nam, who worked as an assistant director under Yeon Sang-ho on 2016's landmark zombie thriller “Train to Busan.” The series revolves around Seo-ha (Kim Hyun-joo), w

Jan. 2, 2024

[Herald Review] TVXQ takes fans back 20 years during ‘20&2’ concert

Cries of joy rippled through the arena as the K-pop legend TVXQ appeared on stage to begin the last show of its two-day concert, “20&2,” at the Inspire Arena in Yongjeong-do, Incheon, on Sunday. The venue glowed red from the fan lights held by TVXQ’s fandom, Cassiopeia, who had waited five years to see their favorites on stage. Changmin and Yunho of TVXQ appeared on a lift to kick off their last show of the year with “Rising Sun,” the lead track of the duo'

Jan. 2, 2024

Interpark’s annual ticket sales surpass W1tr

South Korea’s major performance ticketing platform Interpark Ticket has set a historic milestone in annual ticket transactions in 2023. The ticket sales from Jan. 1 to Dec. 17 reached an unprecedented 1 trillion won ($772 million), according to data provided by Interpark, the country's first-generation e-commerce platform, Friday. The figure represents an 18-percent increase compared to the previous record of 845.9 billion won set in 2022. The number of productions also saw a signific

Jan. 1, 2024

KBS, MBC, SBS wrap up 2023 with entertainment awards

South Korea's three major terrestrial television networks -- Korean Broadcasting System, Munhwa Broadcasting Corp. and Seoul Broadcasting System -- celebrated their yearly achievements with their own entertainment awards. During the 2023 MBC Entertainment Awards held on Friday, 39-year-old comic writer and TV personality Kim Hee-min, also well-known by his nickname Kian84, was given the grand prize for his performance in hit TV show "Home Alone" and "Adventure By Accident.&qu

Jan. 1, 2024

[Herald Review] Singer-songwriter Lee Seung-yoon rings in New Year with fans

Singer-songwriter Lee Seung-yoon bid farewell to 2023 and rang in the New Year with fans in his three-day concert, reminiscing that the past year has been "the peak of his life." Lee's solo concert, "Duikket," took place at the Blue Square MasterCard Hall in Yongsan, Seoul, on Dec. 29-31, with its final performance ending after midnight to welcome New Year's Day. "Duikket," a Korean word that refers to feelings that remain even after something is done, ref

Jan. 1, 2024

[2023 K-pop in a Nutshell] From Moonbin’s death to Fifty Fifty’s legal dispute: Twists and turns in the K-pop scene

A string of unexpected twists and turns made this year a tumultuous one for both the K-pop industry and K-pop fans. Early this year, SM Entertainment removed its founder Lee Soo-man, considered the "godfather of K-pop," from the company’s head producer position to open a new chapter under a strategy plan called “SM 3.0.” SM 3.0 involves establishing five different production centers and independent music labels to diversify production, a significant departure from the

Dec. 31, 2023

98% of teens, 20-somethings use streaming subscription services: report

Almost every South Korean in their teens or 20s is using some form of over-the-top media service, a report by the Korea Communications Commission showed Thursday. About 97.8 percent of all 20-somethings and 97.6 percent of teenagers aged 13 and above were using subscription-based streaming services, the highest out of all age groups. Overall, 77 percent of the general population were using OTT services, up five percent from the year before. The state-run organization conducted a survey on 7,055

Dec. 31, 2023