K-pop boy group iKon is gearing up for a comeback with its second full-length album “Return,” according to YG Entertainment Saturday. A teaser video for the upcoming album, released on the agency’s official blog Saturday, featured the members in a short film that was dubbed with member Bobby’s short reflective monologue.  iKon (YG Entertainment)“Return” marks the group’s first full-length album in over two years since 2015’s “Welcome Back,” the agency said. Following its debut with the single “M

Performance Jan. 7, 2018

S.M. Entertainment, one of Korea’s leading K-pop agencies, announced Thursday that it will hold auditions around the world to search for aspiring K-pop stars. The upcoming auditions, titled “2018 S.M. Global Audition,” will begin in Korea on Jan. 21 before traveling to 45 cities across 10 countries, including China, the US and Japan, until December. S.M. will also be holding an audition in Vietnam for the first time. Auditions will be held in five cities in Korea -- Seoul, Jeonju, Daejeon, Gwang

Performance Jan. 4, 2018

About eight months after introducing her sweet and bubbly self to the K-pop scene, soloist Kriesha Chu released her first EP “Dream of Paradise” Wednesday. When this 20-year-old Filipina-American K-pop sweetheart released her debut single “Trouble” in May, she was covered in an innocent and pure vibe, more so because of her signature beaming smile that brightened up the stage. With “Dream of Paradise,” Chu’s sugary and bubbly nature remain the same, but there seems to be a slight change in her s

Performance Jan. 4, 2018

Actress Ku Hye-sun has found a new home at startup label Partners Park, after leaving her longtime label YG Entertainment in December. Partners Park was established by Shin Hyo-jung, formerly manager of actor Kim Soo-hyun, and houses rookie actors such as Cha Joo-young and Eom Yi-joon.  Ku Hye-sun (Partners Park)Ku gained widespread recognition as an actress with KBS hit drama series “Boys Over Flowers” in 2009. In March 2016, she tied the knot with actor Ahn Jae-hyun, who co-starred with Ku in

Television Jan. 3, 2018

Solo artist Sunmi will drop her new single “Heroine” on Jan. 18, her agency MakeUs Entertainment said Tuesday, about five months after she released the infectious dance pop song “Gashina.” A teaser image released on her official social media account showed roses of different colors frozen in a chunk of ice. Roses have been an overarching image and concept for her East-Asia-inspired “Gashina.” A teaser image for Sunmi’s upcoming single “Heroine.” (MakeUs Entertainment)According to the agency, Sun

Performance Jan. 2, 2018

Lee Joon and Jung So-min couple from the recent KBS drama “My Father is Strange” may have become a real-life couple. Previously, a local news outlet reported that Lee, currently serving his mandatory military duty, was recently spotted dating Jung while he left the barracks on leave. The report said the two were seen shopping for a scarf at a local mall. (Jung So-min`s Instagram)On Monday, Lee’s agency Prain TPC confirmed the rumors, saying that the actor has been dating Jung since October last

Television Jan. 1, 2018

Dating rumors between Big Bang‘s G-Dragon and singer-turned-actress Lee Joo-yeon have resurfaced. A local media outlet on Monday reported that the Big Bang frontman and Lee, formerly a member of K-pop girl group After School, have been secretly dating for over a year, claiming that the two celebs recently went on a four-day trip to Jeju Island together. The two were swept up in dating rumors in November last year, when the photos of the two enjoying a trip in Hawaii raised suspicions among fans.

Performance Jan. 1, 2018

Reigning K-pop act Twice became the first K-pop act to attend Japan’s renowned year-end music festival “Kohaku Uta Gassen” in six-years. On Sunday, the nine-piece girl group performed the Japanese version of its breakout hit “TT” at the annual Japanese show produced by NHK and held live at NHK Hall. The group was the latest K-pop artist to have participated in the show, following TVXQ, Kara and Girls’ Generation. Due to the show’s wide reach, the program is known for inviting artists with the mo

Performance Jan. 1, 2018

Rounding out 2017, K-pop act Big Bang on Sunday wrapped up its last concert as a group before members’ upcoming military enlistment, with a promise to return as the complete five-piece.“Big Bang 2017 Concert Last Dance in Seoul,” the two-day concert that kicked off Saturday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, was especially meaningful to both the K-pop act and fans, as it marked Big Bang’s last performance before it goes on hiatus due to members G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung’s upcoming enlistment. And

Performance Jan. 1, 2018

Veteran balladeer Park Hyo-shin will return with the new wintry single “Winter Sound,” according to his agency Glove Entertainment. The agency said Thursday that Park’s upcoming new single, penned and composed by the singer himself, marks his first release since “I am a Dreamer” in October last year. Park is said to have recorded the song while recalling the person he missed most and focusing on the sound of winter. The release date for “Winter Sound” is yet to be revealed. The seasoned singer,

Performance Dec. 28, 2017

Black Eyed Pilseung, a prominent K-pop producer duo, will kick-start its K-pop management agency by holding nationwide auditions in January next year. In June, Rado and Choi Kyu-sung joined forces with CJ E&M to establish their own K-pop agency called High-up Entertainment.  Black Eyed Pilseung (High-up Entertainment)On Thursday, Black Eyed Pilseung announced the official launch of the agency, along with a plan to hold auditions in eight cities, including Gwangju, Busan and Seoul, in January nex

Performance Dec. 28, 2017

Still recovering from a series of broadcast mishaps on Sunday’s episode, tvN’s “A Korean Odyssey” was dealt another blow as one of its staff was seriously injured after falling on the set. On Wednesday, local media reported that a staff member of the drama had fallen from a height of more than three meters while setting up a chandelier at the set in the early hours of Sunday morning. He is said to have broken his spine and pelvic bone in the fall and was transferred to the hospital unconscious.

Television Dec. 27, 2017

K-pop group MissA will be ending its seven-year career, its agency JYP entertainment said Wednesday. The announcement did not come as a surprise, as the originally four-piece group only consisted of Suzy and Fei, who renewed their contracts with JYP in August this year and May last year, respectively. (JYP Entertainment)Industry insiders had also anticipated that MissA’s disbandment was only a matter of time, with the group taking a long break since the release of its EP “Colors” in 2015. Former

Performance Dec. 27, 2017

Actress Kim So-hyun is set to embark on a new phase of her career with an agency under Loen Entertainment. According to Loen Entertainment on Tuesday, Kim recently signed a contract with E&T Story Entertainment, a new agency established under Loen. Kim’s contract with her former agency Sidus HQ ended in August.  (Kim So-hyun`s Instagram)“The contract between E&T Entertainment and Kim was made based on her connection with E&T Entertainment’s CEO Park Chan-woo since 2010,” an official of Loen said

Television Dec. 26, 2017

[Next Wave] Watching her bandmates, also her longtime friends, walk out of the band over the past few years has been painful. But the vein of optimism still runs through Dalchong, who declared she would become the one and only vocalist of band Cheeze in January this year. “Looking back, I was full of concerns when I stood solo earlier this year. Standing alone was tough, but I remember that my New Year’s resolution for 2017 was, ‘Let me do whatever I can do as much as I can.’ Come to think of it

Performance Dec. 25, 2017