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

Naval war film 'Noryang' surpasses 3 mln admissions

"Noryang: Deadly Sea," a movie about South Korea's legendary naval admiral Yi Sun-sin, surpassed 3 million cumulative viewers on the 11th day of opening, Lotte Entertainment said Saturday. Director Kim Han-min's final installment of his trilogy about the 16th century admiral recounts the last naval battle between a retreating Japan and the allied forces of the Joseon and the Ming dynasties that pursued them. As of 3 p.m. Saturday, the 2.5-hour epic film took up 34.2 percent

Dec. 30, 2023

K-pop idols set to return as solo artists in January

January is set to be filled with K-pop idol group members making a comeback as solo artists. Kim Sung-kyu, leader of boy group Infinite and a solo vocalist with a unique voice, will release a new song on the first day of 2024. According to his agency, DoubleH TNE, Kim will release the new song, "Feeling," at 6 p.m on Jan. 1, as part of the project called "Re:Born project" -- a collaborative project that presents a combination of music beyond genres and generations. Kicked off

Dec. 30, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Noryang: Deadly Sea” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 20 History/Action Directed by Kim Han-min In 1598, the seven-year Japanese invasion of Korea nears the end as Joseon's national hero Admiral Yi Sun-sin leads an allied fleet of Joseon and Ming to Noryang Strait and annihilates the Wae army. “12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su Over the course of nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) attempts a

Dec. 30, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans sells most-ever albums for K-pop female act

NewJeans sold more than 4.39 million units of albums so far this year, the most-ever for a K-pop female act, according to a local tally Friday. The rookie girl group achieved the feat with three albums: its namesake album from August last year and single “OMG” from January, as well as second EP “Get Up," which was rolled out in July. All three albums each sold over a million and the latest is likely to sell over 2 million, as it had logged more than 1.99 million in sales

Dec. 29, 2023

Blackpink members not renewing individual contracts at YG: agency

All four members of the K-pop sensation Blackpink are leaving YG Entertainment to pursue their solo careers. “We recently extended our exclusive contract with Blackpink for its group projects. We agreed not to proceed with an additional contract for each member’s individual activities,” said YG Entertainment in a press release on Friday. YG announced on Dec. 6 that the four-member group had renewed an exclusive contract with the agency for group activities. Since their debut in

Dec. 29, 2023

Twice to perform at Nissan Stadium in Japan next summer

K-pop girl group Twice will hold standalone concerts at Nissan Stadium, the biggest multipurpose stadium in Yokohama, Japan, in July next year. The group announced the upcoming concert during a gig at the PayPay Dome in Fukuoka, Japan, Thursday. Twice will later hold standalone concerts at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, Japan, July 13-14, 2024, as well as at Nissan Stadium on July 27 and 28. Twice will become the second K-pop act to perform at Nissan Stadium, following legendary K-pop boy band T

Dec. 29, 2023

Jeon Hye-jin’s upcoming comedy action flick, ‘Mission: Cross,’ delays release

Upcoming comedy action flick “Mission: Cross," starring actor Jeon Hye-jin, has delayed its theatrical release, according to distributor Plus M Entertainment. “Mission: Cross,” directed by Lee Myung-hoon, initially was to hit local theaters during the Lunar New Year in February 2024. But Plus M Entertainment said the release has now been delayed, without mentioning the concrete reason. The specific date of the film's release has not been decided, it added. Industry in

Dec. 29, 2023

‘Excessive’ police questioning over celebrities’ alleged drug use comes under fire

Controversy is brewing over the police's excessive investigation of celebrities following the sudden death of actor Lee Sun-kyun. Lee was found dead in an apparent suicide on Wednesday, days after police questioning amid suspicions of illegal drug use. According to the police, the alleged case of illegal drug use against Lee was first made public on Oct. 19 through a report by the local media. It was when the case was still in the confidential initial stage of investigation. But the leaka

Dec. 28, 2023

Actors, directors mourn death of Lee Sun-kyun

Actors and those in the entertainment industry in South Korea on Thursday turned out in force to say goodbye to prolific actor Lee Sun-kyun who took his own life in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee, 48, had been under police investigation since October over suspicions of using illicit drugs on several occasions earlier this year. Scores of actors and directors that Lee had worked with paid their respects at Lee’s funeral altar at the Seoul National University Hospital funeral hall in Jongno-gu, Seo

Dec. 28, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Jennie hits Billboard’s Hot 100, 1st as solo act

Jennie of Blackpink made Billboard’s Hot 100 with single “One Of The Girls,” according to chart previews that became available on Tuesday in the US. It is part of the original soundtrack for drama “The Idol,” fronted by The Weeknd, and featuring co-star Lily Rose Melody Depp. The song charted at No. 100 on the main singles chart and is Jennie’s first entry on the tally as a solo artist. Her solo special single from October, “You ＆ Me,” ranked No.

Dec. 27, 2023

Entertainment industry cancels press events to mourn Lee Sun-kyun's death

A series of press conferences and interviews were canceled following Lee Sun-kyun's sudden death on Wednesday. As Korean actors and entertainment industry insiders express their condolences, more industry events are likely to be canceled over the next few weeks. Local broadcaster tvN said Wednesday it would reschedule the live online press conference for its new romantic comedy drama "Marry Me Now" to Jan. 1. The press conference was prepared to take place at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Act

Dec. 27, 2023

Broadcasters' year-end music festivals mired in controversy

Broadcasters' year-end music festivals have come under fire for poor production value, counterfeit tickets and selecting overseas venues over domestic ones, making it hard for K-pop fans to attend. The "SBS Gayo Daejeon 2023,” which was held at Inspire Arena in Yongjeong-do, Incheon, on Christmas Day, several accidents threatened the safety of artists in attendance. A man jumped over the safety line while girl group aespa was about to leave the red-carpet photo wall. A bodyguar

Dec. 27, 2023