Jimin and Jungkook begin mandatory military service

Jimin and Jungkook of the internationally loved boy band BTS began their mandatory military service, Tuesday, as the last members to be enlisted. All seven members of BTS are now in the military. Jimin and Jungkook entered the boot camp at the 5th Infantry Division in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. Prior to the members’ enlistment, BTS’ agency asked fans to refrain from visiting the training center to prevent possible safety accidents by congestion. Fans posted placards and sent buses

Dec. 12, 2023

Lucid Fall returns as musical explorer

Back with a new ambient record, singer-songwriter Lucid Fall returns as a diligent explorer who collects, combines, and twists sounds around us. “After some transition period, I feel like my identity has split into two parts: Lucid Fall who makes songs, and Lucid Fall who explores through sounds,” the artist said in a group interview Thursday. The album "Being-with," his second ambient music album after “Dancing With Water” in 2020, is a collection of five piece

Dec. 12, 2023

Will BTS' V join special forces, defending Seoul and fighting terrorism?

After Jimin and Jungkook's enlistment on Tuesday, all seven member of K-pop superstar band BTS will be enlisted in the mandatary military service, which is required by all able-bodied South Korean men. V in particular has his eyes on becoming a member of the special forces unit of the command defending the nation's capital. It has been reported that the soon-to-be 28-year-old has applied to serve in the 35th Special Mission Battalion, a counterterrorism unit of the Capital Defense Comm

Dec. 12, 2023

Original foreign animations, budget films outshine blockbusters in 2023

This year saw Korean cinemas slowly coming back to life from the damage of the pandemic, bringing more moviegoers to theaters than last year. However, ticket sales show that it's not blockbusters or sequels that satisfy audiences, but original storytelling and unique foreign animated and budget films. According to Korea Film Council data, a total of 111.6 million moviegoers visited theaters from Jan. 1 to Dec. 7 this year. Considering that a total of 112.8 million people visited theaters fr

Dec. 11, 2023

‘The Nature Man’ wins grand prize at 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival

Director Noh Young-seok’s “The Nature Man” won the grand prize at the 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival, the organizer announced Monday. “The Nature Man,” starring Shin Un-seop, Byun Jae-sin and Jeong Yong-hoon, tells the story of two ghost-seeking YouTubers who happen to meet a bizarre man who lives in a forest by himself. The director wrote, shot and edited the film. He also did the art and music direction for the film. Judges for the film fest said “The

Dec. 11, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez lands atop Billboard 200

Ateez bagged the No. 1 spot on Billboard 200 with second studio album, according to the preview article published on Sunday in the US. LP “The World Ep. Fin: Will” is the band’s first chart-topper, surpassing the record it set with previous album, “The World Ep. 2: Outlaw,” which claimed the No. 2 spot on the main albums chart in July. The new album ranked No. 2 on UK’s Official top 100 albums chart as well, another career-high for the eight-member act. The 1

Dec. 11, 2023

Hanwha Classic continues with decade-long promotion of Baroque music

When the Hanwha Classic, a 10-year-old concert series that highlights Baroque music, returns this year with a top Italian ensemble and star mandolinist, it will be offering a rare chance not only for period music fans but also for the musicians who continue to evolve to enjoy Baroque music. Titled “Unity: Il Giardino Armonico and Avi Avital,” the concerts will take place Tuesday and Wednesday at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center. For the 10th anniversary of the Hanwha Classic

Dec. 11, 2023

Short film streaming platform Samansa launches in Korea

Samansa, a streaming platform that specializes in short films, has soft-launched operations in South Korea, becoming its second country of operations. The service, founded in Japan in 2021, provides some 800 short films from around the world, with subtitle options including Japanese and Korean. The platform claims 45,000 subscribers and 200,000 monthly active users in Japan, with numbers growing by 10 to 15 percent, monthly. "There's rapid technological development in the way people wa

Dec. 11, 2023

RM and V begin mandatory military service

RM and V of K-pop sensation BTS began their mandatory military service Monday. The two bandmates entered an Army training center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province together, according to industry sources. V is reported to have volunteered to serve in the 35th Special Mission Battalion, a special duty team in charge of defending Seoul. RM and V bid farewell to their fans through various posts on their personal social media accounts and the fan community platform, Weverse. “The hardest pa

Dec. 11, 2023

BTS' RM, Jimin, V, Jungkook to enlist in military this week

BTS' RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook are set to begin their mandatory military service this week, following in the footsteps of their three bandmates who are already serving their duties. RM and V are scheduled to join the Army on Monday, while Jimin and Jungkook will follow them the next day. Currently, three other members -- Jin, J-Hope and Suga -- are serving in the military. "The day has finally come," RM said on Weverse, a K-pop fan community platform, on Sunday. "I was really

Dec. 10, 2023

Ateez lands on UK chart with 2nd LP, to go on world tour

K-pop boy group Ateez’s second studio album, “The World Ep. Fin: Will,” landed at No. 2 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart Top 100 Saturday. The chart is compiled by the Official Charts Co. based on sales of CDs and vinyls, downloads, audio streams and video streams. Ateez debuted on the same chart with its ninth mini album, “The World Ep. 2: Outlaw,” in June this year. Ateez is the second K-pop boy group to land on the Official Album Chart Top 100 following K-

Dec. 10, 2023

'Dune: Part Two' to be more action-packed, fast-moving: director

The American epic sci-fi film "Dune," which grossed $402 million worldwide, will hit local theaters in February with its long-awaited sequel. "Dune" is the film adaptation of Frank Herbert's renowned novel of the same title released on 2021. The film follows the narrative of Paul Atreides -- a young nobleman who rises to command a desert army in a conflict for dominance over the planet's precious resource, Spice. Denis Villeneuve, the French Canadian film director a

Dec. 8, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez sells 1.7m copies of 2nd LP

Ateez sold over 1.7 million units of its second studio album in the first week, according to KQ Entertainment Friday. LP “The World Ep Fin: Will” became its third million-selling album and set a first-week sales record for the band, surpassing that of its previous album – its ninth EP “The World Ep. 2: Outlaw,” which ranked No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart when it came out in June. The new album swept all major albums chart at home and a series of those across the

Dec. 8, 2023

'The Glory' notches two accolades at AACA including best drama series award

South Korean drama production Studio Dragon said Friday it notched accolades at the 2023 Asian Academy Creative Awards for the second consecutive year with its megahit Netflix original series "The Glory." The AACA is the largest content awards ceremony in Asia held annually in December in Singapore. Works from 17 countries across the Asia-Pacific, including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Viet

Dec. 8, 2023

Antenna concert series mixes music, art and cocktails

Jazz melodies and fragrant cocktails captivated the audience at the LG Art Center, Wednesday, marking the first day of a series of special performances presented by the music agency Antenna. "Club Arc Antenna" showcases the work of six Antenna singer-songwriters, offering music, art and cocktails, as well as allowing the audience to visit backstage areas and mingle with the performers. Renowned jazz pianist Yun Seok-cheol kicked off the series on Wednesday, and will be followed by sing

Dec. 8, 2023

BTS’ V to star IU’s new music video next year

BTS member V will appear in the new music video of a singer-songwriter IU. IU's agency, Edam Entertainment, confirmed that she wrapped up filming the music video with V on Tuesday. The new album is likely to be released within the first half of 2024. V appeared as a guest on IU's official YouTube channel in September, showing their close friendship. The new music video was directed by Um Tae-hwa, who directed the 2023 film “Concrete Utopia.” Um was also in charge of directi

Dec. 8, 2023

Filming set for season 2 of 'Squid Game' unveiled to press

Global streaming service Netflix on Thursday unveiled part of the set for the second season of "Squid Game" to the press as it continues production, with filming scheduled to extend into 2024. "We have been filming the second season of 'Squid Game' since July with the interest and support of many viewers. We are burdened with the pressure to do well, but we will make sure to repay viewers with a good result," said Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director of the 2021 Netflix su

Dec. 8, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Single in Seoul” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 29 Romance Directed by Park Bum-soo Young-ho (Lee Dong-wook) -- who dreamt of being single forever and enjoying every moment of his life by himself -- meets Hyun-jin (Im Soo-jung), who gives the men around her a sense of meaning in their actions. “12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su The film covers nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979 during a coup attempt by Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jun

Dec. 8, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Aespa makes New York Times’ best song list

  Girl group aespa’s English-language single “Better Things” was chosen as one of the “Best Songs of 2023” listed by New York Times. It is the only K-pop song on the list that described it as “a K-pop kiss-off with ingeniously cascading vocal harmonies and absolutely no regrets.” The minimal dance tune was dropped in August and was put on stage for the first time at the group’s concert in Los Angeles in advance. Last month, the foursome releas

Dec. 7, 2023

Lee Young-ae returns with 'Maestra: Strings of Truth'

South Korean actor Lee Young-ae will be making her comeback to television after a near two-year hiatus via cable TV channel tvN's 12-episode drama series, "Maestra: Strings of Truth." Based on French television series "Philharmonia," the series narrates the story of a globally renowned female violinist-turned-conductor with a secret past. After returning to Korea, Cha Se-eum, played by Lee Young-ae, becomes the conductor of a Korean orchestra where mysterious incidents h

Dec. 7, 2023