Wanna One makes its ‘bittersweet’ return with first -- and last -- EP

　K-pop boy group Wanna One returned with its new -- and probably last -- album on Monday, eliciting a mix of excitement and sadness among its fans.　The project boy group, comprised of 11 winners of music channel Mnet‘s idol competition show “Produce 101,” started its group activities in August 2017 for a limited time, with its deadline set at the end of this year.　The new album, “1¹¹=1 (Power of Destiny),” is the group’s first full-length album. It has so far dropped two EPs, “1×1=1 (To Be One)”

Nov. 19, 2018

European tour marks SPO’s first step toward normalcy

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is taking tangible steps to return to normal after a yearslong struggle.The orchestra will embark Nov. 25 on a tour of five European cities -- Geneva, Udine, Lucerne, Grenoble and Paris -- and will perform at its final stop, Paris, Dec. 1. This is the first European tour for the orchestra in four years, which was left floundering after a bitter controversy over allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and irregularities. The Seoul-based orchestra has also started

Nov. 19, 2018

[Newsmaker] ‘Blame system, not men’: San E defends controversial ‘Feminist’

Rapper San E has defended his song “Feminist,” despite facing public criticism the song is “sexist” and “ignorant” of what feminism actually stands for.In a statement posted to Instagram on Monday, the rapper said “Feminist” was not meant to bash women, as he encouraged fans to give his song a thorough listen.(Yonhap)“I chose the topic to highlight the pressing (social) issue of gender-based hate,” the statement read.“My intention was to point out the hypocrisy upheld by people like the narrator

Nov. 19, 2018

Idols spotted on the way to Suneung test sites

Students in Korea who were born in the year 2000 took the national collge entrance exam Thursday, and several pop stars were among them. On the morning of the test day, reporters spotted several teenage stars headed to their assigned test sites.  Kim Chae-won (Yonhap) Kang Hye-won, Kim Chae-won and Sakura Miyawaki (Yonhap)IZ*ONE’s Kim Chae-won went to a high school in Songpa-gu, Seoul, flanked by her bandmates Kang Hye-won and Sakura Miyawaki who walked her to the gates in support.  Choi Bo-min

Nov. 16, 2018

Drunken Tiger's new song featuring RM tops US iTunes' hip-hop chart

South Korean hip-hop icon Drunken Tiger's new song featuring BTS leader RM debuted at No. 1 on the US iTunes' hip-hop chart, its agency said Friday."Timeless" from Drunken Tiger's 10th full-length album topped the hip-hop/rap songs chart, the K-pop chart and the music video chart of the US iTunes upon its release, according to Feel Ghood Music. The piece also ranked high on the main pop chart while topping iTunes' song charts of 26 countries, including Sweden, Egypt, Romania, Israel, Finland, Sa

Nov. 16, 2018

Wanna One suffers leak again ahead of album release

The main track of boy band Wanna One’s first full album was leaked four days ahead of its official release, sources in the K-pop scene said Thursday.They said a music file and lyrics for “Spring Breeze” from the album titled “1¹¹=1 (Power of Destiny)” have spread quickly across social media since Wednesday. Wanna One (Yonhap)This is not the first time that the band has experienced an illegal leaking of its material. In March, files for “Boomerang” and “Gold,” both on the band’s second EP, “0+1=1

Nov. 15, 2018

How BTS’ Suga dealt with nerve-wracking college entrance exam

It’s that time of year again, when around 600,000 Korean students go through one of the most nervous and significant moments of their lives by sitting the nationwide college entrance exam. And with Suneung, Korea’s annual college entrance exam, taking place on Thursday, BTS Suga’s recollection on Twitter of that nerve-wracking day has resurfaced across social media, which fans called as super down-to-earth. His tweet, dated November 2015, read, “Hi this is Suga. Today is the college entrance exa

Nov. 15, 2018

BTS concert in Japan draws crowds despite controversy over A-bomb image

Renowned Korean boy band BTS has successfully finished its two concerts in Tokyo, drawing a total of 100,000 fans, the group's management agency said Thursday.BTS performed live about 30 songs, including the Japanese version of "I Need You," "Run" and "DNA," during the "Love Yourself" concerts at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday and Wednesday. (Yonhap)The group received an enthusiastic response from the fans for performing "Fake Love," the title track off its latest Japanese single album "Fake Love/Air

Nov. 15, 2018

E’Dawn cuts ties with Cube Entertainment

E’Dawn from boy band Pentagon is leaving Cube Entertainment.The singer, who was mired in controversy after going public with his relationship with fellow singer HyunA, will no longer be at Cube Entertainment as of Wednesday, the agency confirmed in a statement.“Cube Entertainment agreed with E’Dawn to end his contract on the 14th,” the statement read. (E'Dawn's Instagram)The decision comes nearly a month after the agency cut ties with female solo artist HyunA, who remains romantically connected

Nov. 14, 2018

Mariinsky Ballet’s Spanish rom-com comes to Seoul

The Mariinsky Ballet will perform “Don Quixote” at the Sejong Center in Seoul from Thursday to Sunday, with ballerino Kim Ki-min and ballerina Viktoria Tereshkina in the lead roles. The production is Alexnader Gorsky’s version of the ballet, created in the early-20th century. It is a reinvention of choreographer Marius Petipa’s work, which premiered in 1869 at the Bolshoi Theatre. The Mariinsky Ballet’s Kim Ki-min performs as the poor barber Basilio in Gorsky’s “Don Quixote” (Mariinsky Theatre)

Nov. 14, 2018

'League of Legends' virtual K-pop group slays the charts

“POP/STARS” by virtual K-pop girl group “K/DA,” composed of game characters from online multiplayer arena game “League of Legends,” has made it to the top of the US iTunes’ K-pop and Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales charts, following its release on Nov. 3.“K/DA Ahri, K/DA Evelynn, K/DA Kai’Sa, and K/DA Akali take the world stage with their debut single,” reads the description of the song’s music video on YouTube, which had garnered nearly 55 million views as of Wednesday. (Billboard)On Billb

Nov. 14, 2018

Brokerage issues positive outlook for JYP Entertainment

South Korean music label JYP Entertainment has seen a strong quarter on the strength of its veteran players and newcomer acts, along with steady overseas market expansion, a brokerage said Tuesday. “JYP Entertainment has shown a solid third-quarter performance due to the increase in overseas revenue of the major lineup (of artists such as GOT7, Twice) and the rapid growth of the newcomer lineup (Stray Kids),” NH Investment & Securities said in a report.  (JYP Entertainment)The music label’s oper

Nov. 14, 2018

Big Hit apologizes for recent BTS wardrobe controversy

BTS' agency Big Hit Entertainment has issued a statement over the recent controversies surrounding its artists' wardrobe choices."We don't condone any activities of war or the use of atomic weapons. ... We had no intention to hurt victims of the dropping of atomic bombs," it said Tuesday night, referring to the controversy regarding BTS member Jimin's T-shirt that had an image of an atomic bomb.(Big Hit Entertainment)It was the company's first public statement on the issue since Japanese music p

Nov. 14, 2018

Boy band member sued by own fans over fraud, embezzlement

A member of a popular South Korean boy band in the 1990s has been sued by his own fans over fraud and embezzlement, court officials here said Tuesday. Kang Sung-hoon, the main vocalist of the boy band Sechs Kies, and his fan club, "Hoony World," are facing investigation from legal authorities after 70 of the band's fans lodged a complaint with Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office claiming that the two misappropriated fan donations, according to the officials. The fans said that Hoony World

Nov. 13, 2018

Achim Freyer’s “Das Rheingold” kicks off 2-year journey

Achim Freyer’s “Das Rheingold” will kick off a two-year journey on Wednesday. The German producer’s latest opera -- the first installment of the Ring Cycle by Richard Wagner -- will premiere Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center, where it will run until Nov. 18. The other three operas will be performed in the next two years. Singers perform during a rehearsal of Achim Freyer’s “Das Rheingold” on Monday at the Seoul Arts Center. (World Art Opera)Wagner’s Ring Cycle, or “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” is

Nov. 13, 2018

Black Pink’s Jennie rules local, global charts with ‘Solo’

Jennie’s first solo single, “Solo,” topped both the Korean and global charts upon its release Monday evening. Representing the act, YG Entertainment said Tuesday that the Black Pink artist’s first solo track has landed atop eight local music-streaming charts including Melon, Bugs, Mnet and Genie. The song has also shot to No. 1 on iTunes charts in 49 countries including Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Egypt, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Poland and Spain. (YG Entertainment)Written

Nov. 13, 2018

Psy to hold signature ‘All Night Stand’ concerts

Singer Psy is planning to entertain fans with another installment of the “All Night Stand” concerts at the end of 2018. “All Night Stand” will be held at the KSPO Dome at Olympic Park in Seoul from Dec. 21-24. (Instagram)Psy notified fans of the upcoming shows via his social media account on Monday, posting a couple of playful tips, such as “Although it’s winter outside, where you’ll be with me is going to be summer. Wear mid-summer clothing inside your mid-winter jackets.”“All Night Stand” star

Nov. 13, 2018

Korean idols taking state exam for college entrance

Idols often seem to live in a different universe, surrounded by glitz and glamor onstage and on TV screens. But when it comes to Suneung, Korea’s annual college entrance exam, stars are on the same plane as every other 18 year-old in the country. Although not all celebrities decide to take Suneung, there are quite a number who wish to continue their studies alongside their careers. Stars who have said they will take the test this year are: Weki Meki’s Choi Yoo-jung and Lua; DIA’s Somyi; Stray Ki

Nov. 13, 2018

'Love Story’: Making North Korea relatable

Director Lee Kyung-sung’s “Love Story” is a play that is faithful to the theater’s fundamental function: imagination.“Love Story” follows on the heels of Lee’s 2017 work “Walking Holiday,” inspired by a walking tour of the Demilitarized Zone, which highlighted the reality of the divided Korean Peninsula.“Love Story,” however, is different as it provides a look at the physically unreachable land beyond the border. Actor Woo Bum-jin, actress Sung Soo-yeon and actor Na Kyung-min perform in “Love St

Nov. 12, 2018

Ruling, opposition parties take stance on recent ‘T-shirt controversy’ surrounding BTS

South Korean political parties across the aisle voiced their stances on the latest pop culture controversy involving a boy band and a certain T-shirt.Japanese broadcaster Asahi on Thursday canceled BTS’ scheduled appearance on its music show “Music Station,” citing a certain T-shirt worn by a member of the band as the reason behind the decision. The T-shirt featured images and phrases linked to South Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945 -- including a photo of the atomic bombin

Nov. 11, 2018