‘Jewel in the Palace 2’ director not chosen yet

Rumors are flying about the much-anticipated sequel to “Jewel in the Palace” (Dae Jang Geum), an MBC hit drama which ignited the craze for Korean TV dramas in China and many Asian nations. But the TV channel said Friday that nothing was fixed yet. “We’re discussing directors, cast and the detailed storyline of Dae Jang Geum 2. But it’s all talk as of now. Nothing has been decided,” an MBC official told the Herald Business, an affiliate of The Korea Herald. Earlier in the day, the broadcaster off

April 18, 2014

EXO postpones release of mini album ‘Overdose’

K-pop boy band EXO has postponed the release date of its EP “Overdose” out of respect for the passengers onboard the sunken ferry Sewol, SM Entertainment said on Friday.“After discussions with the members over the upcoming schedule, we have decided to indefinitely put off the April 21 release date of the album,” the agency announced through its official website. "We ask for fans’ understanding, since the decision is our expression of condolence to the victims and our hope for the safe return of

April 18, 2014

G-Dragon, Taeyang to release photo collection

G-Dragon and Taeyang from popular boy group Big Bang are set to release a photography collection featuring photos and videos of themselves shot in Paris.Titled “G-Dragon x Taeyang in Paris 2014,” the collection will become available for purchase in South Korea, China and Japan on June 11.The collection features photos and videos of G-Dragon and Taeyang taken during 2014 Paris Fashion week, one of the largest fashion events in the world, held in January. The two Big Bang members had been invited

April 17, 2014

KBS bans Akdong Musician’s ‘Galaxy’

Akdong Musician’s new song “Galaxy,” a track from the duo’s recently released debut album “PLAY,” has been ruled inappropriate by the national broadcasting station KBS.The KBS Popular Music Standards Commission announced on Wednesday that “the word ‘galaxy’ is repeated several times throughout the song, so that it could be mistaken for a smartphone commercial,” apparently referring to Samsung’s Galaxy smartphone series.The rest of the tracks on “PLAY” have passed screening by KBS.Akdong Musician

April 17, 2014

KARA to have fan events in Korea, Japan

South Korean girl group KARA will hold special events for their local and Japanese fans next month in the group’s first public appearance in five months, its management agency said Wednesday.The group will hold “fan meeting” events in Seoul on May 24 and in Tokyo on June 1 for members of its fan clubs, according to DSP Media.This marks the group’s first public activities since it switched to a three-member band after the departure of two of its original five members ― Kang Ji-young and Nicole ―

April 17, 2014

EXO gives fans an ‘overdose’

Jamsil Indoor Stadium was filled to the brim with deafening screams on Tuesday night as thousands of fans flocked to the arena to witness the 12 members of EXO in the group’s latest showcase. Around 8,000 young K-pop lovers attended the “EXO Comeback Show” to see their beloved K-pop idols perform live and hear the newest singles off EXO’s soon-to-be-released six-track EP “Overdose.” As soon as the members took to the stage with back-to-back performances of their hit tracks “Wolf” from their firs

April 16, 2014

Block B returns with new single, carnival concept

K-pop boy group Block B has come out with new single “Jackpot” and a wild, carnival-crazy music video. The single was released via Youtube, social media and local music websites on Tuesday.“Jackpot” is filled with electro hip-hop beats, rhythmic rapping and lively vocals. The song features an interesting mash-up of diverse sounds ranging from piano and brass to bass, children chanting and gunshots. The music video, reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s famous children’s story “Alice in Wonderland,” pre

April 16, 2014

Gummy to return with new EP, concert

R&B singer Gummy is scheduled to release a new album and hold a solo concert in the coming months.Gummy, whose real name is Park Ji-yeon, will release a new EP in early May and stage a concert in June, according to her agency C-Jes Entertainment on Tuesday. The new EP will feature Gummy’s signature R&B style and explore various genres of music in line with the spring season, the agency said.The new record will also mark Gummy’s return to the local music scene four years after the release of her

April 16, 2014

G.NA to release comeback single next week

K-pop singer G.NA is set to release a new single next week, according to her agency Cube Entertainment on Monday.The singer’s new digital single “Pretty Lingerie” will drop at noon on April 21.According to Cube, “Pretty Lingerie” features a fresh melody and lyrics that any woman who has been in love can empathize with. “G.NA, who has typically sung about confident women, seeks to portray women’s pure and candid attitudes this time through her new song,” the agency said.G.NA also released an eye-

April 15, 2014

Lady Gaga, YG Family to hold joint festival

Global superstar Lady Gaga will join some of YG Entertainment’s biggest acts including Psy, Big Bang, 2NE1 and the agency’s newest boy band Winner on the stage for a two-day joint music festival slated for Aug. 15 and 16 in Seoul. The “AIA Real Life: NOW Festival 2014” will mark Lady Gaga’s second performance in Korea after she electrified more than 45,000 fans two years ago with her 18-and-over show. It was the largest crowd at Jamsil Sports Complex Stadium since the legendary King of Pop Mich

April 15, 2014

Bernard Park wins ‘K-pop Star,’ signs with JYP

Korean-American Bernard Park has been crowned the winner of popular singing competition program “Survival Audition K-pop Star 3.”The soulful ballad singer sealed the deal with his performance of Yoo Jae-ha’s 1980s ballad hit “Because I Loved You” and R. Kelly’s “I Believe I can Fly” in the season finale on Sunday. He beat out fellow Korean-American competitor Sam Kim, who performed a self-rendition of Big Bang’s “Liar” and Sting’s “Englishman in New York.” Along with a cash prize of 300 million

April 14, 2014

2000 Won makes debut with EP

2000 Won, a male duo who competed on “K-pop Star 2,” has formally debuted in the local music scene with its first EP “2000 Won 1st Mini Album,” featuring strong vocals and rapping.The up-and-coming Kim Hyo-bin and Kim Il-do kicked off their first live performance with the lead single “Don’t Like Seoul Anymore” in a showcase at KT Olleh Square in Seoul on Friday.The song is a sentimental track that portrays the overwhelming sense of emptiness felt after a breakup. 2,000 won passionately sings abo

April 14, 2014

Loen Entertainment rolls out virtual signing event on 1theK facebook

Loen Entertainment has launched a creative signing event for K-pop stars on its 1theK Facebook account, the agency said Monday.Upon clicking “like” for the “Wonderful Fan Signing Event” at www.facebook.com/1theK, each user can choose between a video clip of K-pop singer IU or boy band B.A.P. In each video clip, the K-pop artists hold up the user’s Facebook profile picture and have a “mini concert.” At the end, the singers sign autographs with the user’s name and profile picture automatically pri

April 14, 2014

[Band Uprising] Cold Cherry combines frigid and sweet lyrics with acoustic sounds

As the Korean music market begins to receive more international recognition, the local band scene is looking to rise up and represent the next generation of Korean music. This is the seventh installment in a series of interviews with Korean rock, acoustic and alternative bands. ― Ed.The mild and melancholic acoustic pop trio Cold Cherry, comprised of Kim Bbal-gang, Yu Hyun-jin and Lee Yu-han, got its start in the Hongdae music scene playing at any venue that was willing to have them. With so man

April 13, 2014

SM vows legal action against EXO song leak

K-pop boy group EXO’s comeback single has been leaked online, days before its official release, and the group’s agency is threatening legal action against those responsible. An audio file of “Overdose,” the title track of the group’s upcoming new album, and a video showing the members practicing the choreography to the song were uploaded on YouTube Thursday, then quickly spread through social media. SM has attempted to retreive all of the videos but has been largely unsuccessful.In a press state

April 11, 2014

Big Bang’s T.O.P to exhibit photo collection next month

Big Bang member T.O.P will hold an exhibition next month to celebrate the release of his first photography collection.The “From TOP Exhibition,” will display photos from the collection “1st Pictorial Records From TOP” released Wednesday and unpublished photos personally picked by the K-pop star.The photography collection is a result of a collaboration between T.O.P, also known as Choi Seung-hyun, and photographer Hong Jang-hyun. The two visited New York in December 2013 to capture moments from t

April 10, 2014

Film starring BoA sold to 54 countries

South Korean pop superstar BoA’s English-language debut film has been exported to 54 countries around the world, the film’s local production company said Thursday.Directed by Duane Adler, best known for his dance-centric, youth-driven screenplays for “Save the Last Dance” and the “Step Up” films, “Make Your Move” is a South Korea-U.S. co-production about a man and a woman from different backgrounds who come to understand each other and fall in love through dance. “The movie was sold to 54 countr

April 10, 2014

IU to return with first remake album

Popular singer-songwriter IU will make a return next month with her first remake album and a series of concerts.The album will be her first remake since her debut in 2008. It will feature reinterpretations and rearrangements of past hits through IU’s signature vocals and musical sensibilities.The singer-songwriter will also stage a series of concerts, titled “Just one more step ... just that,” at Sogang University’s Mary Hall. Unlike IU’s previous concert last year, which was marked by a flashy

April 10, 2014

Psy, Big Bang, other artists become YG shareholders

Psy, Big Bang and other YG Entertainment artists have now become shareholders of their own management agency.YG’s main producer Yang Hyun-suk and CEO Yang Min-suk allocated a total of 81,400 shares to 18 of the agency’s artists, transferring parts of the preemptive rights they hold as YG’s majority shareholders on Tuesday.In doing so, the two company chiefs became the first ever in the local entertainment industry to transfer exclusive preemptive rights to the agency’s artists.The decision allow

April 9, 2014

JYP chief tops music copyright earnings

Park Jin-young, singer, and main producer and head of entertainment giant JYP Entertainment, ranked No. 1 in music copyright earnings in 2013 for the third consecutive year.Park earned the most in copyright royalties as a songwriter-producer in 2013, according to the 2013 Music Copyright Total Earnings report released by the Korea Music Copyright Association on Tuesday. With a net profit of 1.2 billion won ($1.2 million) in 2013, Park topped the list of copyright earners each year since 2011. Ho

April 9, 2014