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Babymonster clocks up 10b views on YouTube
Babymonster hit the 10-billion-view mark on YouTube through its official channel, YG Entertainment announced Thursday. This makes the group the second girl group from Korea to achieve the feat after Blackpink. The seven-member act has 17 videos with over 100 million views, including the music videos for “Sheesh” and “Drip,” both of which garnered more than 400 million plays. Babymonster's channel has over 13 million subscribers, the third most for a K-pop girl group after Blackpink and Twice. It
Sept. 3, 2026 -
And2ble to return in October: report
Boy group And2ble is set to release a new album in late October, local media reported Thursday. The quintet is shooting a music video for the forthcoming endeavor, it added. It would follow approximately five months after the group's debut EP, “Sequence 01: Curiosity.” The mini album sold over 730,000 copies in the first week, the fourth most for a debut album from a K-pop group. Lead track “Curious” earned first place on two television music chart shows. Also on Thursday, the five members celeb
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Mark to make solo comeback, tackle cyberbullying
Mark Lee is poised to drop a single on Sept. 10, his agency Upper Room announced Wednesday. “My Friend” will mark Mark's first new music since leaving NCT. The performer struck out on his own in April, choosing to part ways with both the boy band and label SM Entertainment after 10 years. He set up his own agency in June. A teaser for the upcoming single shows him ready to move forward against different backdrops, from a cityscape to a forest. On Thursday, Mark's agency issued a statement saying
Sept. 3, 2026 -
From protection to value creation: Korea resets IP strategy
South Korea’s newly elevated intellectual property authority is seeking to turn patents and ideas into sources of revenue, moving beyond its traditional role of examining and registering intellectual property rights. “The biggest change is that our role no longer ends with granting and protecting rights,” Intellectual Property Minister Kim Yong-sun said in an interview with The Korea Herald. “We are expanding it to help intellectual property generate revenue through transactions and commercializ
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Seoul stocks open higher tracking US gains as oil prices ease
Seoul shares opened higher Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, while oil prices eased after US President Donald Trump played down the prospect of a prolonged conflict with Iran. After opening 1.33 percent higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index trimmed gains, trading 37.68 points, or 0.57 percent, higher at 6,600.4 as of 9:15 a.m. The main index plunged 3.99 percent to 6,562.72 in the previous session amid concerns about tensions in the Middle East and the possibil
Sept. 3, 2026 -
NBA-Clippers lose five first-round draft picks, fined $30 million after Leonard probe
The NBA came down hard on the Los Angeles Clippers, stripping the team of five first-round draft picks, fining it $30 million and suspending owner Steve Ballmer for a year over salary cap circumvention tied to Kawhi Leonard. After a yearlong probe, the NBA said in a statement Wednesday that an independent investigation found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rule violations by the Clippers organization. The league launched the investigation following media reports that Leonard, a
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Balogun rejects Everton move over transfer 'treatment'
LONDON (AFP) -- Folarin Balogun's $54 million move from Monaco to Everton collapsed hours before the transfer window closed because the US striker pulled out over his "treatment" by the Premier League club, the Ligue 1 club's managing director said Wednesday. Balogun -- who was at the center of controversy at the World Cup after US President Donald Trump successfully intervened to have FIFA suspend a red card so he could play against Belgium in the round of 16 -- had undergone a physical examina
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Three Nordic FAs seek EU talks over FIFA concerns
PARIS (Reuters) -- The soccer associations of Finland, Sweden and Denmark have written to European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef seeking a meeting over concerns about governance at FIFA, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said Wednesday. The letter was signed by Finnish federation President Ari Lahti, Denmark's Jesper Moller and Sweden’s Simon Astrom, the sources told Reuters. The approach to Micallef raises the possibility that EU policymakers could become involved in a dispute
Sept. 3, 2026 -
S. Korea's foreign reserves post record monthly gain in Aug.
South Korea's foreign reserves rose by the largest amount in August due to an increase in dollar-denominated assets, the central bank said Thursday. The country's foreign reserves stood at $442.28 billion as of end-August, up $14.33 billion from a month earlier, according to data from the Bank of Korea. The on-month gain marked the largest increase since the BOK began compiling the data in 1971, while the balance marked the highest level since May 2022, when it stood at $447.71 billion. The BOK
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Lutnick says US considering ‘targeted’ chip tariffs on firms that don’t build in US
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday that President Donald Trump's administration is working to craft a "targeted" and "thoughtful" tariff policy for semiconductors, reiterating that companies that produce products in the United States would not pay duties. During a CNBC interview, Lutnick confirmed that the administration is working on the envisioned tariffs, after Politico, a media outlet, reported last week that it is weighing new chip tariffs despite warnings from tech compani
Sept. 3, 2026 -
S. Korean, Japanese, Turkish frigates being considered for new US frigate class: report
The United States is considering frigate designs from South Korea, Japan and Turkey for a new class of warships, a news report said Wednesday, as it is seeking cooperation with trusted allies to rebuild its navy and shipbuilding industry. Citing three industry sources, USNI News, the US Naval Institute's news outlet, reported that the White House and the US Navy are considering the designs from the countries for a competition that could include building up to two of the ships in foreign shipyard
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Braised pork ribs with bean sprouts
Deunggalbijjim is a braised dish of pork back ribs simmered in a sweet and savory soy-based sauce. This version pairs the ribs with seasoned kongnamul, or soybean sprouts, for a dish that is mildly spicy yet clean tasting. Hearty and meant for sharing, it is the kind of food Korean families gather around on a weekend. Try this recipe from W Table. Ingredients Seasoning For boiling the ribs Bean sprout seasoning Instructions Soak the pork ribs in cold water for about 30 minutes to draw out the bl
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Lee Na-eun takes first steps onto the stage in ‘Closer’
Actress and former K-pop girl group April member Lee Na-eun will make her stage acting debut in the upcoming Korean production of the play "Closer." Written by British playwright Patrick Marber, "Closer" follows the tangled relationships of four people — Larry, Anna, Dan and Alice — amid love, obsession and betrayal in 1990s London. The play was adapted into a 2004 film of the same title starring Natalie Portman. Lee will play Alice, an attractive but enigmatic stripper, alternating the role wit
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Trump says S. Korea, Japan, others going to Alaska to 'load up' with oil, build pipelines
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that South Korea, Japan and other countries are going to Alaska to "load up with oil and build pipelines," as he highlighted his support for the state ahead of the November midterm elections. Trump made the remarks during a press availability at the White House, mentioning Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) who is up for reelection. "I definitely know nobody has helped Alaska like Donald Trump. We've invested billions and billions of dollars and created trillions o
Sept. 3, 2026 -
This fall, enjoy a night out in Seoul
Seoul is staying open later this fall, extending nighttime access to City Hall observatories, museums and Han River parks as part of a broader push to encourage residents and tourists to explore the city after dark. In August, the city set a goal of increasing nighttime spending by 5 trillion won ($3.65 billion) and attracting 30 million foreign tourists over the next five years. The initiative comes as the number of foreign visitors to Seoul rose 21 percent on-year in the first half of 2026. He
Sept. 3, 2026