Twice's Japanese debut album sells over 200,000 copies

K-pop sensation Twice's inaugural Japanese album has sold over 200,000 copies, according to its agency Tuesday."#TWICE" has sold 200,018 copies in Japan since the June 28 release there, JYP Entertainment said, citing a tally from Oricon, Japan's key music sales tracker. The album remains one of the top selling records in the country, ranking fifth on Oricon's daily album sales chart as of Sunday. (JYP Entertainment)The record holds Twice's past hit songs both in Japanese and Korean. It topped ni

July 25, 2017

Winner to return with new album next month

Boy band Winner on Monday set Aug. 4 as the release date for its next album. Its agency YG Entertainment uploaded teaser images along with the album‘s title “Our Twenty For” and the release date via its blog at www.yg-life.com. Winner (YG Entertainment)The photo shows images of the bandmates with an outdoor pool on the background. YG hinted that the teaser, along with a prereleased photo of the boy band shooting a music video in Hawaii, indicates the new song will be a “cool summer song.”Winner

July 24, 2017

FT Island to launch global tour to mark 10th anniversary

FT Island will kick off a global tour next month to commemorate the 10th anniversary of its debut, the band said Monday. The concert “2017 FT Island Live [X] in Seoul” will be held on Aug. 26 and 27 to mark the beginning of the group’s world tour.  (FNC Entertainment)FNC Entertainment said it will soon reveal other cities that the band will be touring.Tickets for the concert will be made available on Interpark and Auction at 8 p.m. Thursday. Members of the group’s fan club Primadonna will have a

July 24, 2017

Artday to hold July auction

Herald Artday, a subsidiary of Herald Corp., is holding an online auction from July 22 to 26, presenting major works of art by contemporary Korean and international artists. The auction will feature works by Lee U-fan and Ha Chong-hyun, internationally acclaimed Korean artists leading the dansaekhwa, or monochrome painting, movement. Additionally spotlighted will be artists such as Kim Tschang-yeul, known for his signature water drop paintings; Lee Wal-jong, who captures the picturesque life of

July 24, 2017

[KTALK] Apink to kick-start Japan tour

South Korean girl group Apink resumed its Japan tour after a four-month break, according to its agency Plan A Entertainment. The group, which started its third tour in Japan on Saturday, will unveil its eighth single “Motto Go Go” on Tuesday. The song -- based on the theme of friendship with an upbeat tempo -- follows its seventh single “Bye Bye,” released in March. Apink started its concerts in Kobe on Saturday, and will perform in Nagoya on July Wednesday and Yokohama on July Sunday. The six-p

July 23, 2017

GFriend releases teaser images for ‘Love Whisper’

K-pop act GFriend on Sunday released teaser images for its new EP “Parallel” via official social media pages.The images, uploaded just after midnight, showed the concepts to be applied on “Love Whisper,” the band‘s lead track for its fifth EP. (Source MusicThe bandmates are seen clad in pink and white, which the agency pointed out was intended for a more feminine look. According to Source Music, the title of the EP refers to the sense of longing for a love that cannot be reached, along with a st

July 23, 2017

Akdong Musician‘s ‘Dinosaur’ crusing through local charts

The brother-sister duo of Akdong Musician is at it again, as its new song “Dinosaur” continues to go strong on major online music charts in Korea.As of Sunday afternoon, the song was at the No. 1 spot on charts for Olleh Music, Bugs Music, Genie and Soribada. (YG Entertainment)With “Dinosaur,” Akdong Musician tried their hands at electronic dance music, a first for the beloved duo.On Saturday, the two held a concert in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, to wrap up their nationwide tour consisting of 17

July 23, 2017

Watch nine college professors sing EXO song

Ewha Womans University posted an old but hilarious clip on its Facebook page Friday. The clip, which dates back to March 2014, shows a group of nine professors performing on stage for their new class.  The professors, clad sharply in suits, give an energetic performance of a song by the hit K-pop group. (doo@heraldcorp.com)

July 21, 2017

Confident and ambitious: Coed K-pop group K.A.R.D eyes rookie award

Amid high expectations, K.A.R.D, the first coed K-pop group in several years, officially introduced itself to Korea with its debut EP “Hola Hola” on Wednesday. The rookie band under DSP Media, which consists of two women and two men, had already gained overseas fans before its official debut here. (Yonhap)K.A.R.D has released three pre-debut singles, which were highly acclaimed internationally. It saw fans chanting its name at overseas concerts thanks to its sleek choreography and incorporation

July 20, 2017

Song Joong-ki praises Song Hye-kyo's Mitsubishi ad offer rejection

South Korean actor Song Joong-ki on Wednesday applauded his fiance and fellow actress Song Hye-kyo's decision to decline an ad sponsorship offer from Mitsubishi Motors over the company's association with forced mobilization of Korean laborers during the second World War."I first learned that Hye-kyo declined the offer from the news. It was an act worthy of applause in my mind," Song told reporters at a press conference for "The Battleship Island" at CGV-Yongsan theater in central Seoul. (Yonhap)

July 20, 2017

Court sentences Big Bang’s T.O.P to 10 months prison, 2 years suspended

A Seoul court has sentenced Big Bang‘s T.O.P, who had been charged without detention for marijuana use, to 10 months in prison, suspended for 2 years, Thursday. A judge from Seoul Central District Court revealed that the ruling was based on evidence of his wrongdoings and that T.O.P had admitted to the charges.He said, “As the rapper is found to have committed wrongdoings that can harm both the mental and physical state of an individual, as well as have an adverse influence on society, we decide

July 20, 2017

The Chainsmokers to perform in Busan and Seoul in September

The electronic dance music-pop duo the Chainsmokers will perform two gigs in Korea in early September, Korean promoters said Wednesday.According to Hyundai Card, the group will perform at Busan KBS Hall on Sept. 11 and at Seoul Jamsil Indoor Gym on Sept. 12. Nick Martin will also perform as a special guest. (Hyundai Card)The concerts are part of the Hyundai Card Culture Project that brings world-famous artists to the country. The Chainsmokers consist of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart. The duo achiev

July 19, 2017

Liam Gallagher looks forward to playing for ‘mental’ Korean fans

It has been 26 years since the world was introduced to Liam Gallagher and his brother Noel -- a pair of “s---heads,” according to the singer’s own words -- but the 44-year-old singer has never let up, now leading a solo career in his post-Oasis and Beady Eye years.“I’ve been doing this for more than 25 years, I don’t think I’ve got anything more to ‘prove,’” said Liam Gallagher, when asked what keeps him going, in a joint interview with Korean media. “I just want to keep making music. I still be

July 19, 2017

Yang Hyun-suk to star as judge in new YG artist audition program

YG Entertainment’s CEO Yang Hyun-suk will be starring in an audition program again. The K-pop powerhouse’s CEO will be the judge of a singing audition program set to air this fall, local news outlets reported Wednesday.　The show, produced by the management agency, aims to search for the next trendy, YG-style artist to tread in the footsteps of K-pop icons Big Bang, iKon, Black Pink and others, reports said. 　 Yang Hyun-suk (YG Entertainment)It has been one year since Yang was featured in the six

July 19, 2017

Watch Korea’s youngest hip-hop duo swagger through Itaewon (Video)

Korea’s youngest hip-hop duo, Itaewon Kidz, released its debut song “Popo Song” Wednesday. The group consists of Ja-ul, age 10, and his younger brother Ja-on, 6.  Itaewon Kidz (Antworks Communication) The pair are the sons of producer Kim Tae-hoon, who decided to record their new track after watching them chant along to his beats. The music video features the two tiny tots swaggering down the Itaewon s

July 19, 2017

EXO aims to become quadruple million seller with ‘The War’

After seeing all three of its full-length albums sell over 1 million copies, EXO, one of K-pop’s most popular boy bands, dared not hesitate to reveal its ambition to set another record with new album “The War.”EXO became one of K-pop’s biggest acts when it released its first single “MAMA” in April 2012. Now attention is on whether the group will continue its exciting run with “The War,” EXO’s fourth full-length album released Tuesday evening via local streaming sites.  (Yonhap)“We are extremely

July 18, 2017

G-Dragon heats up LA with ‘M.O.T.T.E’ world tour

G-Dragon thrilled some 11,000 fans in Los Angeles on his solo world tour “ACT III, M.O.T.T.E,” the singer’s agency YG Entertainment said Tuesday. On Sunday, the singer began his sold-out concert at The Forum with “Heartbreaker,” the lead track of his first solo album of the same title. He also performed hit songs including “One of a Kind,” “That XX” and “MichiGO” during the two-hour concert. (YG Entertainment)The 28-year-old said to the crowd, “I feel alive when I sing in front of you. If not fo

July 18, 2017

Scandal-ridden Park Yu-chun opens up about marriage

Actor and singer Park Yu-chun on Monday talked about his marriage for the first time since the news surfaced three months ago."I am so sorry that I couldn't tell you about my marriage earlier," the member of popular boy band JYJ wrote on his Instagram. "I didn't even offer (fans) my apology, so it was hard to talk to you about my marriage. I beg your understanding."In June last year, a series of sexual assault complaints were filed against him. Although he was cleared of rape charges later, the

July 18, 2017

[Next Wave] Car, the garden finds his sound with new name

The Korea Herald is introducing Korean singers, musicians and actors poised to join the next wave of top stars in a twice-monthly series. -- Ed.Car, the garden has received praise from artists like G2, Paloalto, and Jerry K for his unique voice, but says that he has only recently felt that he could focus solely on music as a career. “After the (first) album was released, I had high expectations and the people who featured on the album had high expectations as well. And of course, I’m sure it was

July 17, 2017

Akdong Musician unveils new song, concept with ‘Dinosaur’

Akdong Musician seeks to leave colossal footprints with the new song “Dinosaur,” whose title, poster and teaser were unreleased via social media pages on Monday.The poster shows the brother-sister duo looking on -- apparently awestruck -- at a distance toward an unspecified object.  (YG Entertainment)It marks the latest in the number of unusual choice of subject matters the much-loved duo has tried for their music; ranging from summer snacks to plain grass.Akdong Musician recently revealed that

July 17, 2017