YG Entertainment is once again keeping silent about dating rumors surrounding Seungri of Big Bang and rookie actress Yu Hye-won. Earlier on Friday, a Taiwanese news outlet reported that the Big Bang member had been dating Yu for about a year, with photos of the two together and Instagram posts put up by the pair that seemed to feature matching “couple” items. Yoo is a rookie actress and a model for cosmetics and fashion brands.  (Seungri, Yu Hye-won`s Instagram)Following the rumor, Yoo’s agency

Television Oct. 19, 2018

Dubbed Incheon’s “Myeongdong,” one of the busiest shopping districts in Seoul, Sinpo Market in the port city Sinpo-dong is blooming with new energy. (Photographed by Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Dating back to the late 19th century, the historical market was formed as Korean vendors started selling fresh vegetables and fish to the Japanese, Chinese and Westerners who settled near the port. Now home to about 160 stores, the market has been Incheon’s most crucial cultural and economic center for

Culture Oct. 18, 2018

Here’s good news for BTS fans: The K-pop heavyweight group has inked a deal to work with its agency for another seven years. Representing the act, Big Hit Entertainment said Thursday that it had signed a seven-year contract with all seven bandmates of BTS out of “deep trust and affection.”In its sixth year now, BTS still has over one year left in its first deal -- seven-year contracts have become the standard in K-pop -- but both sides decided to seal the deal early, which the agency explained i

Performance Oct. 18, 2018

Long before Jung Eun-ji started her K-pop career in 2011, music was more than just a hobby or something she was good at. Speaking to The Korea Herald at her record label’s headquarters, she confides it’s always been a source of healing and stability for her. Growing up, she would hum songs like Maya’s “Shout Myself” whenever she felt depressed and Kim Gun-mo’s “My Son” when her parents objected to her dream to become a musician. It’s an effect she hopes to have on others by sharing her soothing

Performance Oct. 17, 2018

In June, BTS’ “Magic Shop” blared through a crisis residential center in the central US. And it wasn’t a BTS fan who requested the song full of a hopeful message. A 20-something male survivor of a suicide attempt had asked the center’s consultant to play the Korean song during a music therapy class. Describing it as “beautiful,” he sang along to the song. This instance reported by Korean media outlets in September shows that BTS’ success goes beyond its performance on charts and sold-out world c

Performance Oct. 12, 2018

Leaving footsteps all around the word, BTS has been honored by Time magazine as “Next Generation Leaders.” On Thursday, Time shared a lengthy article shedding light on the boy band’s ongoing global success with the headline “How BTS is taking over the world.” It also unveiled its latest cover with BTS.  (Time)Introducing the seven-piece act as “Next Generation Leaders” and “young trailblazers who are reshaping music,” Time chronicled BTS’ success story, analyzing how the group’s songs, despite b

Performance Oct. 11, 2018

Marking another milestone, BTS was named favorite social artist at the 2018 American Music Awards. The 2018 AMAs, which kicked off at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater on Tuesday at 8 p.m., announced that the K-pop group had snagged the award, beating out the likes of Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovata and Shawn Mendes. It is the first time a K-pop act has won the award at the renowned awards show.  (AMAs)Currently on its Europe tour, BTS expressed its excitement and gave a shout-out to fans throu

Performance Oct. 10, 2018

Every step of BTS in the US has been history-making, from its performance at Prudential Center in Newark to its heartfelt speech in front of the United Nations in New York. But maybe it was the highly anticipated show at Citi Field in New York that allowed the K-pop phenomenon to vault to the highest tier of pop superstardom in the US, where it also marked the end of the North American leg of its “Love Yourself” world tour.  (Big Hit Entertainment)The enthusiasm for the act’s first-ever statesid

Performance Oct. 7, 2018

Among K-pop idols equipped with song-crafting skills, G-Dragon remains firmly atop a list of those with the most copyrights under their name. According to rankings released by the Korea Music Copyright Association on Sept. 30, the Big Bang frontman topped the list for being registered with 172 works, which consists of songs that the artist has either composed, produced or written lyrics.  (YG Entertainment)The hitmaker has been mainly in charge of crafting songs for the group’s albums including

Performance Oct. 4, 2018

After impressing the world with its heartfelt speech at the UN, BTS made a stop at Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show,” one of the most popular and longest-running nighttime talk shows in the US, to talk about its recent feat and next goal. The show’s highly-anticipated episode, aired on Tuesday night in US time, kicked off with BTS members, clad in flamboyant outfits, introducing themselves. RM introduced himself as a translator for the group, while Jin and J-Hope drew out cheers from crowd by callin

Television Sept. 26, 2018

Now that iKON’s Ju-ne has apologized for the controversy surrounding his Instagram post about a Japanese director, attention is now on whether he will be able to ride out the storm before the group’s imminent return. On Saturday, the iKON member posted a now-deleted image of an autograph he received from Japanese movie director and comedian Takeshi Kitano.But the image attracted criticism, as Kitano is known here for his disparaging comments about Korea.  (Dazed)In an effort to protect Ju-ne fro

Performance Sept. 26, 2018

Hanbok worn by BTS in its music video for “Idol” will be put on display in Seoul from this week. The Gangnam Tourist Information Center said Tuesday that seven of the Korean traditional garments, one worn by each member, will be displayed at the center in Sinsa-dong in Seoul from Sept. 28 to Oct 7, as a part of “2018 Gangnam Festival.”The hanbok exhibition will take place at the center’s outdoor square on its first floor from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visitors are also able to try on hanbok of the same

Performance Sept. 26, 2018

[Herald Interview]It’s been less than two months since the band Nature made its debut on the K-pop scene, but already it’s making a splash. Having launched in August under N.CH Entertainment, this promising rookie band consists of leader Lu, Saebom, Chinese members Aurora and Gaga, Chaebin, Japanese member Haru, Uchae and Sunshine. While Nature has only two songs under its belt -- its debut single “Allegro Cantabile” and pre-debut track “Girls and Flowers” -- it’s already an award winner. In an

Performance Sept. 20, 2018

GOT7“Present: You”Iriver One of the many reasons why GOT7 is such a beloved global act is that each of its seven members is special and unique -- the bandmates all have completely different personalities and musical styles. That’s also why GOT7’s new album deserves a round of applause.Just like a box of chocolates, the 16-track album is packed with different flavors. It features brand new songs and solo tracks by every member of the group. If each song were a color, lead track “Lullaby” -- a rhy

Performance Sept. 19, 2018

A spycam was discovered in the room for actress Shin Se-kyung and Apink’s Yoon Bo-mi while they were shooting for new variety program “Borderless Food Cart.” According to the program’s channel Olive, a hidden camera disguised as a portable battery charger, was found in the two celebrities’ room on Sunday when they were shooting for the show overseas. It has been revealed that the camera was installed by a male employee from an outsourced company in charge of setting cameras at the shoot. The cam

Performance Sept. 18, 2018