YG denies rumors of G-Dragon’s concert in China

K-pop powerhouse YG Entertainment on Wednesday warned fans about fake tickets for K-pop band Big Bang’s leader G-Dragon’s rumored concert in China.In an official statement, YG said it has spotted fake news about G-Dragon’s supposed concert in China on several online websites, including WeChat, a widely used social media platform in China. While G-Dragon will not perform in a concert in China, the company said that some people have received preorders for the tickets.“All i

Jan. 23, 2020

TWICE music video 'TT' hits 500m YouTube views

"TT," a 2016 music video by K-pop girl band TWICE, hit the milestone of 500 million YouTube views Thursday, the band's management agency said.The video achieved the feat Thursday morning, becoming the band's first to hit the 500 million mark, according to JYP Entertainment. It was released in October 2016 on TWICE's third EP, "TWICEcoaster: LANE1."The video initially surpassed the threshold of 300 million YouTube views in December 2017, the first K-pop song by female artists

Jan. 23, 2020

1980 Gwangju massacre focus of attention at Namsan Arts Center

The Namsan Arts Center, managed by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, released its 2020 season program Tuesday, stressing that this season’s program is about remembering the atrocities linked to the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising.The Gwangju massacre saw mass killings of civilians by the military junta led by Gen. Chun Doo-hwan in response to the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising in 1980, as the people of Gwangju called for democracy, protesting against the authoritarian regime.

Jan. 22, 2020

Billie Eilish to perform in Seoul in August

Chart-topping teenage pop icon Billie Eilish has announced the dates for her “Where Do We Go?” world tour in Asia.The Asian leg of her world tour will kick off in Seoul on Aug. 23, according to a poster posted on the singer’s social media account Monday. The singer will perform in six other cities -- Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Manila, and Jakarta -- between August and September.The American singer will embark on her tour in early March, starting with shows in North Ame

Jan. 22, 2020

BTS announces beginning of new world tour in April

K-pop super band BTS announced Wednesday that a new globe-trotting concert tour, "Map of the Soul," will kick off in April in Seoul.The tour is scheduled to open with four concerts on the first leg in Seoul from April 11-12 and 18-19 at Seoul Olympic Stadium and present a total of 37 performances in 17 cities across the globe in its first phase, according to Big Hit Entertainment, the management agency of BTS.The lineup of destinations includes the United States, Canada, Japan, Britain

Jan. 22, 2020

Korean stage actors make way to Broadway, West End

Like the rest of the global entertainment industry, the musical theater scene has been paying attention to the issue of racial diversity. Backed by the movement, more Korean stage actors are making their way to overseas productions, including on Broadway and West End.While the 2020 Korea Musical Awards took place Monday, stage actors who starred in overseas musical productions -- Kim So-hyang, Kim Soo-ha, Park Young-ju and Choi Eun-sil -- shared their experiences at the Musical Global Network Co

Jan. 21, 2020

[Herald Interview] Halsey says working with BTS one of best experiences in life

Halsey, the US artist who made herself known to Korean fans after featuring on K-pop sensation BTS’ hit song “Boy With Luv” last year, remembers the collaboration as one of the best experiences in her life.In an email interview conducted ahead of her Seoul concert in May, Halsey said, “I flew to Korea to film the music video for ‘Boy With Luv’ and got to spend some time there, and see how they work, how they make music video, and how dedicated they are to danc

Jan. 21, 2020

BTS tweaks K-pop marketing playbook with 'Map of the Soul: 7'

Following the smartly organized, decadelong K-pop marketing formula, boy band BTS has unexceptionally heralded its new album releases with advance teaser videos and music samples during its past seven-year career.But instead of getting advance SNS hints and teasers about the band's newest song, fans of BTS were completely left in the dark until the very moment of the official release of "Black Swan" last Friday. "Black Swan" is the first BTS single pre-released from its upcom

Jan. 21, 2020

Upset fans demand that Chen leave EXO

After Chen of K-pop boy band EXO announced his upcoming marriage, some fans took to streets in protest, labeling him a “betrayer” and calling on him to leave the group. Chen, whose real name is Kim Jong-dae, announced his marriage on Jan. 13, hinting that his wife-to-be is pregnant with his child. He posted a picture of a handwritten letter on a fan website, saying he has “a person whom he wants to spend the rest of his life with.”Chen also hinted at his girlfriend’

Jan. 20, 2020

BTS' modern art project, 'CONNECT, BTS' hits Berlin

BTS' global contemporary art initiative, "CONNECT, BTS," has landed in Berlin, the second destination following London, the band's management agency said Sunday.Big Hit said, "Rituals of Care," an exhibition of performances, kicked off at Martin-Gropius-Bau, a modern art museum in the German capital Wednesday as the second leg of the "CONNECT, BTS" art project.  The first "CONNECT, BTS" project opened at London's Serpentine Gallery Tuesday, an exhibit

Jan. 19, 2020

BTS to showcase new single on CBS' 'The Late Late Show' this month

K-pop super band BTS will appear on US broadcaster CBS' "The Late Late Show with James Corden" later this month to showcase their new single, the band's management agency said Saturday.Joining the famous US talk show on Jan. 28 (US time), BTS will stage "Black Swan," a track from the bands' upcoming "Map of the Soul: 7" album, according to Big Hit Entertainment. BTS previously appeared on the show in 2017 and 2018.  The song hit major South Korean and overseas

Jan. 19, 2020

KCON to hit Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles and Bangkok this year

KCON, an annual overseas K-pop concert series from entertainment giant CJ ENM, will hit four global cities this year including Tokyo and New York, the company said Friday. This year's KCON, a festival of Korean music and culture, will kick off on April 3 at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture, just outside Tokyo, for a three-day run. For the American leg, KCON will move to New York's Manhattan from June 12-14 before a four-day event in Los Angeles from Aug. 27-30.The show wi

Jan. 17, 2020

Queen to hit Seoul stage re-creating Bohemian sensation

Legendary British rock band Queen’s guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and their vocalist of a decade hailing from the US, Adam Lambert, have returned to Korea perform at this year’s Hyundai Card Super Concert.“I think this time, our visit to Korea may be on another level, after the fantastic success of the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ movie on our career and Freddie,” Taylor said at a press conference Thursday at the Conrad Seoul Hotel. The band last performed

Jan. 16, 2020

Violinist Chung Kyung-wha to perform at Deoksugung

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced Thursday it will hold a New Year’s concert at the palace Deoksugung at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.Korean violinist Chung Kyung-wha and pianist Kim Tae-hyung will perform in the first concert of the year at Deoksugung’s Seokjojeon Hall.  The two artists will be performing violin sonatas of Beethoven and Mozart.Admission is by invitation only. The Cultural Heritage Administration said that multicultural families and people with disabilities wh

Jan. 16, 2020

Celltrion Chairman Seo appointed Korea National Opera’s board director

South Korean biopharma giant Celltrion Group Chairman Seo Jeong-jin has been appointed the director of the board of the Korea National Opera.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Seo’s appointment Wednesday. His three-year term will run until Jan. 14, 2023.  Seo’s contributions to the cultural sector include a 3 billion won ($2.5 million) investment in the 2016 film “Operation Chromite” through Celltrion Entertainment as well as developing expertise a

Jan. 16, 2020

GFriend to release 1st album under BTS' music label next month

Girl band GFriend will release a new album next month, the six-member group's first music release under its new agency, Big Hit Entertainment, the band's agency said Thursday. GFriend is on its way to release "回: Labyrinth" on Feb. 3, the first release since the last album, "Fever Season," in early July last year, according to Source Music.  It also is the group's first release since Source Music was merged into Big Hit, the music label of BTS, later that month.Pre-order

Jan. 16, 2020

Pre-orders for BTS' new album hit all-time high of over 3.4m copies

Pre-orders for K-pop super band BTS' upcoming album hit an all-time high of 3.42 million copies within a week after it became available, the album's distributor said Thursday.Since pre-orders for "Map of the Soul: 7," the upcoming fourth full-length album by BTS, began on Jan. 9, the accumulated orders for the album have surpassed more than 3.42 million copies as of Wednesday, according to Dreamus Company, which is in charge of the BTS album's distribution. The number includes pre-orde

Jan. 16, 2020

World DJ Festival is coming back bigger, louder

The World DJ Festival, is returning to Seoul this summer, bigger than ever.The organizers of World DJ Festival 2020 -- its 14th edition -- said Seoul will see three separate shows, starting with a prefestival concert at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in the southern Seoul on April 30. The event will take place as part of the Formula-E Championship, an electric vehicle racing championship being held in Seoul for the first time. The World DJ Festival will resume May 30-31 and again on April 6-7, at th

Jan. 15, 2020

National Theater of Korea celebrates 70th anniversary

The National Theater of Korea is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year by presenting numerous programs by various performing art troupes. The National Theater Center, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is the hub of Korea’s performing arts scene, with the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, National Dance Company of Korea and the National Orchestra of Korea under its wings. Founded in 1950, it is the oldest of its kind in Asia. To celebrate its 70 years of histor

Jan. 15, 2020

BTS' music label Big Hit expanding business portfolio after successful year

Big Hit Entertainment, the music label of K-pop super band BTS, is scrambling to expand its business portfolio of K-pop artists following a sensationally successful year in 2019.A media report said earlier this week that Big Hit is on its way to acquire and merge with Pledis Entertainment, home to an army of popular K-pop bands including NU'EST and Seventeen. Pledis was established in 2010 by Han Sung-soo, who worked as a manager of K-pop diva BoA under South Korea's biggest K-pop music label, S

Jan. 15, 2020