Articles by Choi Ji-won
Choi Ji-won
jwc@heraldcorp.com-
Ex-CEO of YG acquitted of blackmailing drug scandal whistleblower
The ex-chief of YG Entertainment, Yang Hyun-suk, has been ruled not guilty of threatening an informant in order to cover up a drug scandal involving a singer-rapper. The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday acquitted Yang of blackmailing and coercing a police source in an attempt to thwart investigations involving the agency's rapper, citing lack of evidence. Other officials of YG who had been indicted on the same charge was also acquitted. "The victim's testimony is not cre
K-pop Dec. 22, 2022
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Twice to drop new English single in January, album in March
Twice is set to kick off the new year big with a new English song and a mini album. JYP Entertainment on Wednesday announced Twice will drop a new English song in January, before making an official comeback in March with its 12th Korean mini album. The English single will be a pre-release from the upcoming album, the company's announcement poster on Twice's social media showed. Hinting about the new releases were the words "Our Youth" written below Twice's name on the po
K-pop Dec. 21, 2022
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BTS' Busan concert 'Yet To Come' to hit global cinemas
K-pop sensation BTS' latest concert in Busan will be screened via CGV in February around the world. CGV, the leading multiplex franchise run by the local entertainment giant CJ ENM, said on Tuesday that it is releasing the live recording of "BTS 'Yet To Come' in Busan" as a movie on Feb. 1. The film will be officially titled "BTS: Yet To Come in Cinemas," and get a global release via the multiplex's theaters in over 110 countries around the world, CGV said
K-pop Dec. 20, 2022
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[Herald Interview] Building the team behind a K-pop superstar
"Million-seller" had been a title not many in the K-pop industry could achieve, but it has become undeniably more commonplace compared to a few years ago. K-pop, once a minor genre in the global music market, has grown at an ever-faster pace to form a whole industry unto itself. Success inside the industry is now not just about the fame and fandom of a single K-pop act. It's the whole system of personnel working together to place and keep that artist -- the "brand" -- in
K-pop Dec. 19, 2022
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[Herald Review] Saay's first concert, a 'Mise-en-Scene' of her music
For Saay, it was all about the coherent flow, whether it be her album, her music or her life. It was the same for her first gig "Mise-en-Scene" on Thursday night. The show itself was a continuation from her second LP "S:inema." The night opened with the album's intro song "everything comes n goes" and the first track "Interstellar." After hyping everyone up with "Mind ur business," Saay turned down the music and spoke to her fans. "I
K-pop Dec. 18, 2022
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Seventeen, Stray Kids, Ive, Lee Jun-ho take top honors at 2022 AAA
The 2022 Asia Artist Awards in Japan recognized breakout stars of this year, with Seventeen, Stray Kids, Ive and Lee Jun-ho taking the top honors of the night. The AAA ceremony took place Tuesday at the Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan. This year saw the return of a live audience for the first time in three years, with streams of singers and artists attending to celebrate the honorable night together. Named for the five grand prizes for musicians were Seventeen as the year's top singer,
K-pop Dec. 14, 2022
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[Herald Interview] 'TikTok will be the ultimate entertainment commerce platform'
Soon Ent. is South Korea's top TikTok creator management firm, home to over 140 creators whose total number of followers amounts to 940 million. This includes the nation's No. 2 creator WonJeong, who recently surpassed 50 million followers. He is the only South Korean to reach the milestone other than K-pop supergroup BTS. Soon Ent.'s CEO and founder Park Chang-woo said the company is now looking to expand its global outreach, not just in terms of its creators but also its busines
K-pop Dec. 12, 2022
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TikTok creators front 58th Daejong Awards
Star TikTok creators brought a fresh new wave to the Daejong International Film Awards as honorary ambassadors of the traditional film fest. The 58th Daejong Awards, also known as the Grand Bell Awards, took place at the New Millennium Grand Theater at Konkuk University in Seoul on Friday night. The night kicked off with a red carpet ceremony where prominent actors and directors including Park Hae-il, Park So-dam and director Kim Han-min were in attendance. Alongside the cineastes were four TikT
Film Dec. 11, 2022
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[Herald Interview] Bidding a 'beautiful farewell' to a painful yet stellar decade
It was in the winter of 2017 when singer-songwriter Saay first witnessed a death in her life. The shock and sorrow were overwhelming, as it was none other than her dearest grandmother. It took Saay three years to embrace the demise of her loved one and sublimate it into writing her song "Interstellar," which starts with the lyrics "I saw death three years ago when my grandma passed away." "I wrote that line in 2020 when I was making my second EP 'FEELosophy.' I
K-pop Dec. 8, 2022
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Hybe's first Japanese band &Team makes global debut
Hybe's first Japanese idol group &Team has made its long-awaited debut. Hybe Labels Japan, the K-pop juggernaut's Japanese branch, launched its first group &Team on Wednesday. Hybe is known for housing the world's biggest K-pop group BTS. &Team made its official debut on Wednesday with its first album "First Howling: Me." According to Hybe, Bang Si-hyuk, the company's executive producer and founder, took the helm of the album's production. The nine-
K-pop Dec. 7, 2022
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[Herald Review] RM: Seeing the person before the art
RM of BTS released his first official solo album "Indigo" on Friday, marking a blue dot on the canvas of his life. The 10-track project functions not only as a record of the global superstar's life between 2019-2022, but expresses his deep respect for the late Korean artist Yun Hyong-keun. The master of Korea's monochrome painting movement served as an inspiration for the album and traces of his influence can be found throughout "Indigo," starting with his picture &
K-pop Dec. 2, 2022
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[Herald Interview] P1Harmony on music that speaks beyond language, spreads energy
With their feet stable on the ground in their third year, P1Harmony hoped they could further expand and make themselves known in the coming days. Marking the start of that journey is fifth EP "Harmony: Set In," released Wednesday. Before the album dropeed, the six-piece -- consisting of Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul and Jongseob -- invited local media for an interview Wednesday at the FNC Entertainment building in Seoul. "One of my personal goals was to drop three new albums, an
K-pop Nov. 30, 2022
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Chuu breaks silence after removal from Loona, denies any 'shameful acts'
Three days after she was ousted from Loona, Chuu has opened up for the first time about her ongoing dispute with BlockBerry Creative and denied committing "any shameful acts." Chuu on Monday evening posted a short statement in an Instagram story and addressed the controversy surrounding her and the management company for the first time since the issue broke out Friday. Stating she was still getting a grasp of the situation, Chuu said, "I wasn't contacted or have been aware of
K-pop Nov. 29, 2022
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Back with 'Birthday,' Red Velvet sets career high in ninth year
Nine years into its career, K-pop act Red Velvet continues to set new records with every music release, this time, with their new album "The ReVe Festival 2022 - Birthday." On Monday, the quintet returned to the music scene with the new EP "Birthday." The release is the latest from the act's musical series "The ReVe Festival 2022," which kicked off in March with album "Feel My Rhythm." Ahead of dropping "Birthday," Red Velvet members -- Iren
K-pop Nov. 28, 2022
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70,000 K-pop fans to flock to Osaka for 2022 Mama Awards
Once the biggest K-pop awards show in Asia, the Mama Awards are embarking on a journey to become a global music festival. Rebranded from the original Mnet Asian Music Awards, the 2022 Mama Awards will take place over two days, starting Tuesday at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan. CJ ENM, the local entertainment conglomerate organizing the awards, expects to see the awards' largest audience this year, with around 70,000 people anticipated to attend the show over the two days, and more global
K-pop Nov. 28, 2022
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