The Korea Herald

[Herald Interview] Rocket Punch celebrates first anniversary with ‘Juicy’

K-popAug 6, 2020

Rookie girl group Rocket Punch had a very busy year. Since debuting August last year, the band already released three mini-albums. The latest one titled “Blue Punch” was released Tuesday, three days...
S.M. Entertainment secures W100b funding from Naver

K-popAug 3, 2020

S.M. Entertainment said Monday that it has secured 100 billion won (US$83.8 million) in funding from Naver. The new funding will be injected into two S.M. affiliates – SMEJ Plus and Mystic Story – a...
[Herald Interview] Yukika’s journey from Japanese actress to K-pop artist

K-popJul 30, 2020

By the time she made her official solo debut with the digital single “Neon” in February last year, she had become so used to the K-pop scene that she had a difficult time at her Japanese showcase. “...
K-pop stocks bounce back strong from pandemic blow

K-popJul 29, 2020

JYP’s shares have also surged, with its market cap exceeding 1 trillion won just last week to outpace the valuation of its crosstown rivals S.M. and YG. The reason behind the stunning growth is undo...
K-pop album sales remain robust despite pandemic

K-popJul 21, 2020

Seventeen -- whose seventh mini-album, “Heng:garae,” ranked No. 2 in album sales -- recently witnessed explosive growth in Japan. Only two or three years ago, the band’s album sales remained in the r...
Monsta X announces new dates for North American tour

K-popJul 14, 2020

New dates for 2021 Monsta X world tour in US and Canada April 20 – Washington, District of Columbia April 23 – Atlantic City, New Jersey April 25 – Boston April 27 – New York City April 30 – Tor...
Seventeen’s top 30 tracks, ranked

K-popJul 9, 2020

Since their debut in 2015, boy band Seventeen has shown strong and steady growth. And with their latest seventh EP “Heng:garae,” the act again set a new record -- the release sold over one million co...
Bang shares his formula behind BTS’ success

K-popJul 7, 2020

In a recent paper published by Harvard Business School, Big Hit Entertainment Chairman Bang Si-hyuk shared how global sensation BTS deviates from the typical K-pop idol system and has more autonomy t...
K-pop labels call for fair profit-sharing rules for TV show clips

K-popJul 2, 2020

Entertainment labels are no longer willing to tolerate broadcasters that release and sell unaired behind-the-scene clips or “fancams” of their artists without permission. The Korea Music Content Ass...
Seventeen is back and they are fearless

K-popJun 23, 2020

Seventeen released their seventh mini-album “Heng:garae,” with “Left & Right” as its lead track, on Monday. The record, featuring six tracks, comes about nine months after their third full album “An...
[Herald Interview] Meet the couple behind BTS and TXT’s latest hits

K-popJun 15, 2020

“Everyone I worked with in the label is very mom-and-dad like. They have this ‘We’ll take care of you’ attitude,” Fontana said. They particularly praised Bang Si-hyuk, the label’s chairman and chief...
[Herald Interview] Natty makes miraculous debut after six years

K-popJun 8, 2020

Natty is a super rookie in the K-pop world who debuted only a month ago with the single “Nineteen.” Among fans of the genre, however, her name is not unfamiliar. Having been an idol trainee for six ...
Genie Music to supply K-pop to China’s Tencent Music

K-popMay 28, 2020

Genie Music, the music streaming platform owned by Korean telecom giant KT, said Wednesday it has recently signed a deal with Tencent Music to supply K-pop for streaming services in the Chinese marke...
[Herald Interview] Yubin, CEO and artist, is happier than ever

K-popMay 21, 2020

Yubin may be having the busiest year of her career, establishing her label rrr Entertaiment in February and now putting out a new digital single “Me Time.” Its release date, May 21 (521), read backw...
[Herald Interview] Sujeong of Lovelyz takes a leap as a solo musician

K-popMay 20, 2020

Sujeong of girl group Lovelyz returned to the music scene but on her own. It is the first time she is going solo since debuting in 2014 as the lead vocalist of the eight-piece band. Her first solo E...