How many times in life do we get the chance to see our favorite stars stand a meter in front of us, looking straight into our eyes as they perform? The Korea Herald got to experience girl group aespa's first virtual reality concert firsthand, which was a rare and unforgettable moment. The event kicked off in Seoul on Wednesday as part of the launch of SM Entertainment's VR concert brand, "Lynk-Pop," introduced by SM's subsidiary, Studio Realive (formerly Studio Kwangya),

K-pop Oct. 31, 2023

K-pop boy band Seventeen is heading to Paris in November to speak and dance at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization headquarters as the first K-pop artist in history to do so. "Seventeen will take the stage at the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum at 7 p.m., local time, on Nov. 14," the band's agency Pledis Entertainment said Friday, adding, "They will be assigned a special session and give a speech and perform for about an hour." The Youth Forum is

K-pop Oct. 27, 2023

K-pop singer G-Dragon on Friday flatly denied rumors that he had used illegal drugs. "First of all, I have not taken any drugs," he said through a statement released by his attorney, refuting the accusation point-blank. "I am also unrelated to the drug use act violation case being reported in the news recently," he reiterated, adding, "However, as many people are worried, I will fully cooperate and do the best I can in the police investigation." G-Dragon, whose real

K-pop Oct. 27, 2023

Former (G)I-dle member Soojin is gearing up for her solo comeback, two years since she left the girl group due to bullying allegations. Soojin, whose real name is Seo Soo-jin, on Wednesday posted a performance video on her newly launched social media platforms. Titled "Black Forest," the black-and-white clip showed Soojin dancing gracefully to an instrumental tune. Whether the song pertains to the K-pop star's new album was not stated, but the video clearly indicates she is nearin

K-pop Oct. 26, 2023

Singer AleXa will perform at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour on Nov. 28, taking the stage as the first K-pop female soloist at the year-end event. AleXa's agency ZB Label on Wednesday said the singer will hit the stage for the 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour at the Dallas stop. She is the first female solo singer from Korea to perform at the annual US music fest. Jingle Ball Tour is a holiday season concert that first began in 1996 in New York and turned into one of the most-anticipated

K-pop Oct. 25, 2023

Rookie boy band Ampers&One is set to debut under FNC Entertainment on Nov. 15, the talent agency confirmed Wednesday with a coming-soon clip released on social media. According to the social media post, the new band will debut at 6 p.m. on Nov. 15. Ampers&One is a multinational seven-piece consisting of two Americans, Kamden and Kyrell, a Canadian, Brian, an Australian, Mackiah, and three South Koreans, Ji-ho, Si-yun and Seung-mo. Kamden and Ji-ho were the first two members confirmed fro

K-pop Oct. 25, 2023

Enhypen's latest US concert tour ended Sunday, with a total of 85,000 fans having attended the shows. As part of its world tour, "Fate," K-pop boy band Enhypen held seven gigs in six stateside cities between Oct. 6-22. Kicking off in Los Angeles, the septet took the series to Glendale, Houston, Dallas and Newark, before the last show in Chicago on Sunday. At every show, the band delivered a fully-packed extravaganza of 25 songs, including hits like "Drunk-Dazed" and &quo

K-pop Oct. 24, 2023

Seventeen continues to set new records with its new album, "Seventeenth Heaven," including a top place on Melon's Top 100. Pledis Entertainment on Tuesday said the album and its title song, "God of Music," dominated the global music charts following its release at 6 p.m. on Monday. Among the feats achieved were a No. 1 spot on the nation's biggest music service provider Melon's Top 100 chart with "God of Music." Seventeen became the first boy band thi

K-pop Oct. 24, 2023

Girl group Billlie made its long-awaited return Monday with its first single, "Side-B: Memoirs of Echo Unseen." The four-track package comes seven months since the release of its fourth EP, "The Billage of Perception: Chapter Three," in March. Billlie's Haram, Tsuki, Siyoon, Sheon and Haruna on Monday held a press conference in Seoul ahead of the album's release later that evening. Moon Sua and Suhyeon are currently on a break due to health concerns and did not take

K-pop Oct. 23, 2023

Seventeen continues its record-setting streak with its 11th EP "Seventeenth Heaven," racking up 5.2 million copies in preorder sales. "Seventeenth Heaven" tallied pre-order sales of 5,206,718 units, the group's agency Pledis Entertainment said on Monday citing the data from the album's distributor YG Plus. The album will come out later at 6 p.m. This marks a milestone for both K-pop and Seventeen, as it had been the group's own album -- the 10th EP "FML&qu

K-pop Oct. 23, 2023

Singer-songwriter Oohyo is dropping a new album, "Oohyo Returns," on Monday. The extended play marks Oohyo's first step as she sets off on her independent journey, the album's distributor Mirrorball Music said in a statement. An album celebrating her ninth debut anniversary, "Oohyo Returns" is packed with old and new sounds from the singer. According to Mirrorball Music, the album includes revised versions of three previously released songs -- "Teddy Bear,"

K-pop Oct. 23, 2023

K-pop girl groups NewJeans and Ive were awarded a national culture merit on Saturday for their role in the promotion of Korean culture and arts. The rookie groups were recognized with the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation at the 14th Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards. The ceremony was held on Saturday at Haeoreum Grand Theater of the National Theater of Korea in central Seoul. "We are honored to receive such big award. We feel grateful to our fans, Bunnies, and everyo

K-pop Oct. 22, 2023

K-pop acts' race to the Grammys continues this year, with a growing number of artists bidding to make inroads into the world's most prestigious music event. And this time, it's not just BTS. Reports from the US music industry showed that the nominee selection process for the 66th Grammy Awards has commenced recently, with a sizable batch of K-pop singers and groups spotted among the hopefuls. K-pop's biggest group and three-time Grammy nominee BTS is taking another shot -- th

K-pop Oct. 19, 2023

Melon Music Awards, one of the nation's biggest music award shows, will take place on Dec. 2, its organizer announced Thursday. Melon, Kakao Entertainment's music streaming company, said Thursday that the 15th Melon Music Awards, or MMA2023, will take place at the Inspire Arena, a new concert venue on Yeongjongdo, Incheon. Under the slogan "K-pop Changes the World," the MMA 2023 will officially kick off its promotions starting with a teaser video on Oct. 27. Next month, the v

K-pop Oct. 19, 2023

Singer Chuu has made her long-awaited solo debut with EP "Howl." The new album, launched Wednesday, marks Chuu's first solo foray, coming six years after she debuted as part of the group Loona, and after she was removed from the group in November due to a contract dispute. The young musician, appearing tearful at her debut showcase, has had to chart a rough course, having fought with her past agency and needing to rebuild her career. "I felt bad to be involved in an issue tha

K-pop Oct. 18, 2023