S.Coups, leader of boy group Seventeen, has been exempted from military service due to his knee injury, local media said Friday. S.Coups suffered a knee injury in August 2023 and underwent surgery. The artist’s agency, Pledis Entertainment, announced that S.Coups injured his left knee while filming with Seventeen members and was diagnosed with an anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Following his surgery, S.Coups was unable to participate in activities related to Seventeen's 11th mini

K-pop March 1, 2024

This spring will see a rush of male singers, both members of groups and solo artists, holding concerts and fan meetings. Singer-actor Hwang Min-hyun, who is also a member of the boy band NU'EST and Wanna One, will hold three days of fan meetings March 8-10 at the Shinhan Card Artium in COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Hwang will perform his new single, to be released in March, at the fan meeting, Pledis Entertainment, Hwang's agency, said. Daesung of Big Bang will hold his first-ever solo fa

Performance Feb. 28, 2024

Singer-songwriter Ahn Ye-eun is a genre unto herself. Boldly using Korean myth and unusual motifs to create music, she is a musician who enriches the Korean music scene, captivating audiences with her unique blend of tradition and modernity. "It is hard to decide which genre to register with whenever I release a song. Now I have come to think of that as my strength – doing music that cannot be determined by traditional genre definitions," said Ahn. With the strong color of her mu

Performance Feb. 27, 2024

Taeyong, the leader of NCT 127, proved his ability as a solo artist through his first solo concert, "TY Track," held at Olympic Hall, Songpa-gu, Seoul on Saturday and Sunday. After debuting as a member of NCT 127 in 2016, Taeyong released his first mini album "Shalala" in June last year, marking the start of his career as a soloist. Taeyong appeared on the stage with a large T-shaped structure – T is his initial. About 3,000 audience members cheered enthusiastically as

K-pop Feb. 26, 2024

Singer Eric Nam visited Korean fans for the first time in a year and three months. On Saturday, the Seoul performance of "Eric Nam House on a Hill World Tour" was held at Myunghwa Live Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Despite the cold weather with rain and snow, about 2,000 fans visited the venue to enjoy Nam's performance. The singer has been on a world tour starting from Orlando, Florida, the US, since September last year after releasing his English language album, "House on

Performance Feb. 25, 2024

K-pop group Stray Kids will meet Korean and Japanese fans in spring. The group’s agency, JYP Entertainment, released the poster of Stray Kids' fourth official fan meeting dubbed "SKZ's Magic School" on its official social media. The upcoming performance is the first fan meeting in about nine months after a performance held in July last year. "SKZ's Magic School" will be held from March 29 to 31 at KSPO Dome in Seoul. The last performance on March 31 will

K-pop Feb. 22, 2024

Singer Kim Bum-soo has returned with his 9th full-length studio album, "Journey," celebrating his 25th year as a singer. Although the recent landscape of the entertainment industry calls for versatility and multifaceted identities, the singer believes in dedicating himself to the role of vocalist and preserving his values as a singer. Unlike in previous albums in which Kim prioritized the singing ability, high notes and technique, Kim said that his new album is "minimal and poetic

Performance Feb. 22, 2024

Masterpieces stand the test of time, retaining their value and significance throughout the ages. Songs from the 1970s to the 2000s are these days gaining new life through reinterpretations by junior singers. Hong Joo-chan, a member of the boy group Golden Child, released solo digital single "Still Thinking About You" on Sunday. It is a remake of ballad singer Lee Jung-bong's debut album title track, which was released in 1996. The original song gained huge popularity, mesmerizing

Performance Feb. 20, 2024

In the 13 years since his debut, most of the songs that singer Maktub released have been about sweet, overwhelming love. The singer said he takes a bit of pride in his songs being chosen for romantic events such as proposals and weddings. "I'm a love enthusiast. I may have written countless love songs because I didn’t have particularly hard times dating. But I also believe that messages about love are the messages that the world needs." The 35-year-old singer-songwriter made

Performance Feb. 19, 2024

A cup of coffee and music If you find yourself walking the Namsan trail to enjoy the last few weeks of winter, you may come across a small, serene cafe full of music and the aroma of coffee. With the motto "All you need is music and more coffee," Illuso Coffee has a selection of LP albums, turntables and music-related props. The cafe is located in a narrow building, so the space is not large, but if you climb the narrow stairs, there is seating space available up to the third floor. T

Culture Feb. 16, 2024

YG Entertainment will hold an open audition in cooperation with Japanese entertainment company Avex, the first joint audition held by the two companies in about eight years since the "Younguns Audition" in 2016. The YG x Avex Audition 2024 will be held in seven major Japanese cities, kicking off in Sapporo on April 7. The other cities include Nagoya, Fukuoka, Osaka, Tokyo, Sendai and Okinawa. Those born between April 2, 2003, and April 1, 2013, are eligible to apply, regardless of thei

K-pop Feb. 15, 2024

Audiences of various ages flocked to Musinsa Garage, the largest concert hall in Hongdae area, Seoul, on Tuesday night, to take part in the fourth day of Kyungrockjeol. Kyungrockjeol is one of South Korea’s largest annual indie rock music festivals, which started in 2005 as a birthday party for Han Kyung-rok, the bassist of the punk band Crying Nut. The festival soon became an opportunity for unknown musicians to present themselves to larger audiences. Tuesday's show featured five art

Performance Feb. 14, 2024

American pop-rock band Maroon 5 is visiting Korea in March and holding a concert at the country's first multipurpose arena. According to Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort, Maroon 5 will hold a two-day concert at Inspire Arena in Yeongjong-do, Incheon, on March 8 and 9. It will be the first performance by an overseas act at the venue. Inspire Arena, the first multipurpose arena in South Korea operated by Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort, opened in December last year. It is part of Ins

Performance Feb. 13, 2024

Choi Mi-yeon, a 25-year-old college student, recently purchased a ticket for Japanese band King Gnu's upcoming concert in Korea. Among her friends who attempted to buy tickets, she was the only one lucky enough to get a ticket for the concert, which is set to take place twice in April. All 6,000 tickets quickly sold out. "It feels like more and more Japanese musicians are visiting Korea since last year, and it's getting really hard to get tickets. J-pop is certainly gaining streng

Performance Feb. 12, 2024

Several rookie boy groups who have debuted less than a year ago are making a comeback in February. The 10-member group n.SSign, which debuted in August last year, will return with a second mini album, "Happy &," on Feb. 15. The group has successfully kicked off their overseas career, holding three solo concerts at Ariake Arena in Tokyo even before their official debut. In the pre-released concept photos, the members wear boyish outfits with vivid colors, expressing playful energy.

K-pop Feb. 10, 2024