The seven-piece group, famous for its distinctive metal and dance fusion sound, has returned to the music scene with a little twist this time.The special EP “Raid of Dreams,” which comes nearly seven months after their fourth mini album “The End of Nightmare,” features a total of five tracks including an intro track all produced by Ollounder and LEEZ who the group has worked with since their debut.To the delight of both music fan gamers, the record itself is a collaborati

K-pop Sept. 18, 2019

One of South Korea’s longest-running music chart shows is streaming old episodes from the 1990s and 2000s, a move that has proven a hit with music fans.SBS’ “Inkigayo” has been showcasing the best of Korean pop music to viewers across the country for the last three decades on the small screen and some of its most glorious days are now available for viewing on the YouTube channel SBS Kpop Classic.The channel has been broadcasting episodes from between the late 1990s and ea

K-pop Sept. 18, 2019

 진행자: 임현수, Paul Kerry1. Corruption allegations have Cho Kuk in a corner기사요약: 법무부 장관 후보자 조국이 청문회 전 가족과 관련된 부정부패 혐의로 곤혹을 치르고 있다.아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638[1] Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk is in a corner over mounting corruption allegations involving his family ahead of his confirmation hearing, which hasn’t even been scheduled yet. *nominee: 후보자*in a corner: 구석에 몰린, 곤란한*confirm

Podcast Aug. 21, 2019

진행자: 임현수, Paul Kerry1. Big Hit, Netmarble team up on new music-streaming platform기사요약: 투자자들에 따르면 빅히트와 넷마블이 손을 잡고 새로운 스트리밍 사이트를 개발 중이다. 아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638[1] Big Hit Entertainment, the mastermind behind global sensation BTS, and the nation’s No. 1 mobile game developer, Netmarble, have joined hands to launch a brand-new music-streaming platform, multiple sources said Tues

Podcast July 10, 2019

In another sign of its success, BTS took home two awards and rocked the stage to a cheering crowd at this year’s Billboard Music Awards.From winning top duo/group and top social artist and sitting in the front row to being the second to last act to perform, the group was front and center at the awards show, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Wednesday night (US time).(Yonhap-UPI)The band’s leader RM said, “Thank you, Army. Still can’t believe we’re here on this stage

Television May 2, 2019

Before Fox launched “The Masked Singer” in the US this year, many South Korean viewers enjoyed watching “King of Mask Singer,” a singing competition show where masked celebrities belted out songs in front of a judge panel until their identity was discovered.The show, which first aired here in 2015, went on to become one of the biggest exports from South Korean TV, spawning shows with similar formats in many countries, including the US where the show has already been renewed for a second season.D

Television March 22, 2019

The government said Wednesday it is scrapping some of the more controversial guidelines it intended to bring diversity to the screen, following criticism from politicians and K-pop fans on suggestions of an appearance-based quota. The decision comes just days after the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family published its new guidebook on gender equality on Feb. 12, in which it urged broadcasters not to present a “monolithic beauty standard” to help tackle lookism altogether.“Most idol groups hav

Television Feb. 20, 2019

JTBC hit show “SKY Castle” came to an end earlier this month, but the buzz around the show lingers on, as impressed viewers and late-comers continue to discuss the series online, amid a torrent of tweets, TV commercials and comedy skits. At the center of the discussion is Yum Jung-ah, who plays the disciplinarian mother Han Seo-jin. She takes strict parenting and education craze to a level not seen on Korean TV before, but as extreme as she may be, her character proved to be a ratings success.“I

Television Feb. 11, 2019

With its final episode to air this week, JTBC’s hit drama “Sky Castle” has been one of the most successful shows of the year so far. And Chani from boy band SF9, whose real name is Kang Chan-hee, is among the cast members who have seen the series take off and win the hearts of viewers across the country over the past few weeks. Sitting in FNC Entertainment’s office in Gangnam, the singer-actor grinned as he recalled the end-of-show party on Saturday, where he said everyone, including actors, sta

Television Jan. 29, 2019

Actress Lee Na-young, who is more well-known in the film industry, is returning to the small screen with the new rom-com series “Romance is a Bonus Book” (direct translation), in which she stars opposite Lee Jong-suk.She plays Kang Dan-Yi, a former top copy editor at a PR firm who was happily married with a daughter but who is now divorced, with her career put on halt. She strives to excel in the workplace again, representing many South Korean women who face similar struggles. Women whose career

Television Jan. 21, 2019

Lee Jong-im, a pop culture expert and author of “Idol Trainees’ Sweat and Tears,” goes beneath the surface of the heavily fortified K-pop industry and lays bare some ugly truths about the challenging idol training system. Sitting down at a cafe in central Seoul, she shared valuable insight gained through months of research and numerous attempts at interviews since 2016 -- a time when idol training shows like Mnet’s “Produce 101” were just starting to gain a presence on South Korean TV.After docu

Performance Jan. 18, 2019

Chef Baek Jong Won’s hit reality show “Alley Restaurant” gave viewers some TV gold moments on Wednesday night after a pizza restaurant owner continued to disappoint the chef with his poor cooking skills and customer service.Restaurant owner Hwang Ho-jun surprised a group of tasters again when he went over to their table and asked them whether they wanted the rest of their order because they seemed “full.”“Are you still going to eat?” Hwang asked the tasters, who then answered in disbelief, “Are

Television Jan. 10, 2019

These were the 10 hottest South Korean drama series during the first week of this month, according to big-data analyst Good Data Corporation’s weekly monitoring report. Sky Castle, drama“Sky Castle” held onto the top position as the most-talked-about TV series in South Korea for the fourth consecutive week, accounting for nearly a third of the online conversations. This figure is determined by the volume of articles and blog posts written about it, as well as reactions on social media and in onl

Television Jan. 9, 2019

GOT7 fans are in for a treat as members of the boy band will embark on an adventure in Thailand to complete a number of missions on the upcoming reality show “Real Thai.” Marking the fifth anniversary of the band’s debut, the first episode of the show is scheduled to air on Jan. 16, featuring four members of the group -- Youngjae, BamBam, Mark and Jinyoung. (XtvN) During the trailer, which was unveiled at

Television Jan. 7, 2019

A pizza restaurant owner on chef Baek Jong Won’s reality show “Alley Restaurant” has caused anger among viewers with his abrasive attitude and questionable food hygiene standards.The restaurant makeover show featured a pizza restaurant owner in Cheongpa-dong in Seoul on this week’s episode, during which chef Hwang Ho-jun served his “Mexican style” chicken noodle soup to a group of tasters who were university students. (SBS)It is safe to say Hwang did not leave a good impression as he took nearly

Television Jan. 4, 2019