Articles by Choi Ji-won
Choi Ji-won
jwc@heraldcorp.com-
[Herald Interview] P1Harmony on music that speaks beyond language, spreads energy
With their feet stable on the ground in their third year, P1Harmony hoped they could further expand and make themselves known in the coming days. Marking the start of that journey is fifth EP "Harmony: Set In," released Wednesday. Before the album dropeed, the six-piece -- consisting of Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul and Jongseob -- invited local media for an interview Wednesday at the FNC Entertainment building in Seoul. "One of my personal goals was to drop three new albums, an
K-pop Nov. 30, 2022
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Chuu breaks silence after removal from Loona, denies any 'shameful acts'
Three days after she was ousted from Loona, Chuu has opened up for the first time about her ongoing dispute with BlockBerry Creative and denied committing "any shameful acts." Chuu on Monday evening posted a short statement in an Instagram story and addressed the controversy surrounding her and the management company for the first time since the issue broke out Friday. Stating she was still getting a grasp of the situation, Chuu said, "I wasn't contacted or have been aware of
K-pop Nov. 29, 2022
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Back with 'Birthday,' Red Velvet sets career high in ninth year
Nine years into its career, K-pop act Red Velvet continues to set new records with every music release, this time, with their new album "The ReVe Festival 2022 - Birthday." On Monday, the quintet returned to the music scene with the new EP "Birthday." The release is the latest from the act's musical series "The ReVe Festival 2022," which kicked off in March with album "Feel My Rhythm." Ahead of dropping "Birthday," Red Velvet members -- Iren
K-pop Nov. 28, 2022
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70,000 K-pop fans to flock to Osaka for 2022 Mama Awards
Once the biggest K-pop awards show in Asia, the Mama Awards are embarking on a journey to become a global music festival. Rebranded from the original Mnet Asian Music Awards, the 2022 Mama Awards will take place over two days, starting Tuesday at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan. CJ ENM, the local entertainment conglomerate organizing the awards, expects to see the awards' largest audience this year, with around 70,000 people anticipated to attend the show over the two days, and more global
K-pop Nov. 28, 2022
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Lim Young-woong, Ive win big at MMA 2022
Singer Lim Young-woong and girl group Ive headlined this year's Melon Music Awards, each taking home multiple trophies including the awards' most-coveted grand prizes. The 2022 MMA took place at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Saturday night. This year's awards show marked the event's return to its home venue three years since it last held an offline ceremony there in December 2019 before the outbreak of the pandemic. Over the 4 1/2-hour ceremony, celebratory performances by
K-pop Nov. 27, 2022
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BTS' Jungkook unveils new song 'Dreamers' at Qatar World Cup
The 2022 Qatar World Cup kicked off Sunday with K-pop super-band BTS' member Jungkook unveiling a new tournament song during the opening ceremony. As the first South Korean singer to release a song for a World Cup soundtrack, Jungkook performed "Dreamers" live during the opening ceremony at Al-Bayt Stadium in Qatar. The song's feature artist Fahad Al Kubaisi performed with Jungkook on Sunday. The seven-act ceremony lasted around half an hour, paying tribute to the 32 partic
K-pop Nov. 21, 2022
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'Sexy but kind': Bibi shrugs off the censors
Bibi is truly a one-of-a-kind musician in K-pop, especially as a young female artist who speaks through her music about raw emotions that are not often publicly discussed. With her debut LP "Lowlife Princess -- Noir," dropped Friday afternoon, Bibi has set herself out as a singer who won't compromise on self expression. On Friday morning, Bibi invited media to a cinema in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, and premiered the three new music videos from her first full-length album, which were u
K-pop Nov. 20, 2022
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Omega X sues agency & ex-CEO over yearlong violence, sexual abuse
It was not just a one-time event that the former CEO of Spire Entertainment assaulted members of Omega X during the act's recent global tour. It was a yearlong nightmare of assault -- both physical and verbal -- and sexual harassment, the bandmates say, and they are now taking legal action against the ex-CEO and the agency. Omega X on Wednesday afternoon held a press conference where the group announced the termination of its exclusive contract with Spire Entertainment. The 11 bandmates wer
K-pop Nov. 16, 2022
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BTS' J-Hope to headline 2022 Mama Awards
The Mama Awards, the annual K-pop celebration hosted by CJ ENM, are taking another leap forward in efforts to evolve into a global K-pop festival. Ahead of the 2022 Mama Awards set to take place at the end of the month in Japan, a global press conference about the event took place Wednesday at CJ ENM Studio in Sangam-dong, western Seoul. A lineup of special performers for this year's ceremony, including J-Hope of BTS, was also revealed during the conference. This year marks the first time
K-pop Nov. 16, 2022
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Oh My Girl's YooA takes her second step as soloist with 'Selfish'
It took two years, but YooA of girl group Oh My Girl has returned to her solo career with her second EP "Selfish." YooA's solo comeback was more than anticipated as she had proved herself a one-of-a-kind soloist with the debut EP "Bon Voyage" in 2020. The album and its title song "Bon Voyage," called "Forest Child" in Korean, not only scored chart success, but was also critically acclaimed for its musicality and the artistic way it expressed its natur
K-pop Nov. 15, 2022
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[Exclusive] iKon's Bobby to not renew contract with YG
Bobby, a member of K-pop boy band iKon, will not renew his contract with the act's agency YG Entertainment and the industry and fans are left wondering about the future of the group and what the next steps are for the rapper. According to industry sources on Tuesday, Bobby of iKon will not extend his exclusive contract with YG Entertainment. An industry insider, who claims to be familiar with YG Entertainment and its artists, told the Korea Herald that Bobby has decided not to renew his con
K-pop Nov. 15, 2022
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[Feature] No more a career crisis: How K-pop singers are overcoming military hiatus
It's taken a long time to confirm that even BTS cannot avoid South Korea's mandatory military duty. All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the military for around 1 1/2 years, inevitably forcing most K-pop stars to leave the limelight at the peak of their careers. So it was once considered that military service was like a death sentence for a K-pop career. Most aspiring artists cram their youth with efforts to establish their name, and a nearly two-year absence was o
K-pop Nov. 14, 2022
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[Herald Interview] A log of five songs that became life
A song often becomes the background music to a particular part of our life, and replaying it reminds us of that moment. The piece of life we experience with the song becomes edged into the musical notes, making the song itself a log of the moment. Singer Jung Eun-ji's new album "log" is a small collection of such pieces from her life and the five songs that had once played endlessly in the background. According to Jung, she is dropping the remake package to keep a promise to her f
K-pop Nov. 11, 2022
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Yong Jun-hyung apologizes over past scandal, returns with new music after 4 years
Singer and producer Yong Jun-hyung, formerly a member of the group Highlight, on Thursday shared regrets about his inappropriate actions in relation to the spycam scandal in 2019 and promised only to bring good music to fans. After a hiatus of almost four years, the 32-year-old musician dropped a new EP, “Loner,” on Thursday evening. Yong conducted an online press conference ahead of the release and shared his thoughts on his comeback and the new album. His return had already been po
K-pop Nov. 10, 2022
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Upon foundation made by BTS, Hybe's artists set to go global in 2023
Hybe, the multi-label K-pop powerhouse behind BTS, on Thursday introduced its plans for 2023, which includes the launch of four new groups and a string of new releases from its roster of big-name acts. The plans were unveiled during the company's corporate briefing, which was streamed online via YouTube on Thursday morning. Hybe's CEO Park Ji-won and Chairman Bang Si-hyuk appeared in the video and introduced the company's blueprints and visions. Hybe is a multi-label entertainment
K-pop Nov. 10, 2022
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