SHINee’s Taemin to hold solo concert in Japan

K-pop boy band SHINee’s Taemin will hold a solo concert in Japan, according to his agency. “Tae-min will hold his very first concert titled, ‘Taemin the 1st stage Nippon Budokan’ from July 1-2,” S.M. Entertainment said.  SHINee's Taemin (S.M. Entertainment)The concerts will take place at the Nippon Budokan arena, which can accommodate more than 8,000.The venue has hosted not only famous Japanese artists but also other big-name foreign celebrities including the Beatles, Celine Dion, Deep Purple a

April 16, 2017

Coldplay comes to Korea

Coldplay entered Korea through Incheon Airport on Thursday. The group posted a photo of fans waiting at the airport via its official social media channels. (Coldplay Facebook)The band will host concerts in Seoul on Saturday and Sunday at Jamsil Olympic main stadium. It is the group’s first visit to Korea since its debut in 1998. Coldplay added an extra performance due to the enthusiastic response from fans. Tickets sold out in minutes. Coldplay is a four-piece rock band consisting of Chris Marti

April 14, 2017

Eric Nam features in Forbes ’30 Under 30 Asia’ list

Singer Eric Nam was named one of the world’s most influential Asian celebrities by Forbes. Singer Eric Nam is featured in Forbes‘ ’30 Under 30 Asia‘ list Wednesday. (Herald DB)Forbes unveiled its 2017 “30 Under 30 Asia” list Wednesday, which features 300 young innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who are making an impact in the world. The second annual list includes 30 honorees, all under age 30, for each of the 10 industries that make up the list. Nam was featured as one of the most recognized

April 14, 2017

JYJ’s Park Yu-chun to wed in fall

JYJ’s Park Yu-chun confirmed Thursday that he is set to tie the knot with a non-celebrity woman in this fall.Singer-actor Park Yu-chun (C-Jes Entertainment)“It’s true that Park Yu-chun will get married in fall,” a C-Jes Entertainment official told The Korea Herald. “We want to be careful about giving any further details, since Park is currently serving as a public service officer and the bride-to-be is a non-celebrity woman.” Earlier in the day, local media reports said that Park is to wed a 28-

April 13, 2017

Kim Whan-ki's painting breaks Korean auction record at 6.55 bln won

A painting by Korean abstract artist Kim Whan-ki has been sold for 6.55 billion won ($5.74 million) on Wednesday, making it the most expensive South Korean artwork ever sold.At an auction held in Seoul, Kim's "Tranquility 5-IV-73 #310" with his signature style of blue dots and a white-edged square broke the previous record of 6.32 billion won set by the very same artist during an auction held in Hong Kong last November with a painting named "12-V-70 #172." The auction for the 205-by-261-centimet

April 13, 2017

Former I.O.I member Kim Chung-ha to drop first solo single

Kim Chung-ha of disbanded girl group I.O.I is set to embark on a solo career, according to her agency MNH Entertainment.  Kim Chung-ha (MNH Entertainment)The agency said Wednesday the singer’s first digital single will be prereleased on April 21 via online music streaming sites and Kim will share details of the song via the Naver V app on Wednesday evening. The official album release is slated for May. Kim will be the first to debut as a solo artist among the 11 former members of I.O.I., which w

April 12, 2017

Kim So-hyang cast in US production of ‘Sister Act’

Musical actress Kim So-hyang has been cast in the US production of the hit Broadway musical “Sister Act,” her agency said Wednesday.According to EA&C, Kim will play a supporting role in the Asian tour of the musical that will kick off in May. It highlighted that this marks the first time a Korean actress has been cast in the American production of the musical.  Kim So-hyang (EA&C)Kim, 36, said she has been looking to participate in an American production and that “Sister Act” is a huge opportuni

April 12, 2017

IU to sue YouTuber for sexual harassment

IU (Fave Entertainment)IU’s agency said Wednesday it plans to pursue legal action against a man running a channel on video-sharing platform YouTube for his recent sexual comments about the singer, comparing her to his dog.Fave Entertainment told local media that it had met with legal representatives to file charges against the man, and vowed a “strong response without mercy.”In a follow-up video, he alleged that the comment was merely a joke and that the reporter who wrote the story on his video

April 12, 2017

Universal Music to launch Korean label

Global record label Universal Music will launch its first Korean label, On the Record, the company said Tuesday. “On the Record” is meant to signify that the label will present music that needs to be more widely known, according to the company. (Universal Music)Universal Music has various subsidiary labels over the world, including Def Jam where Justin Bieber is signed, Republic with Ariana Grande and Interscope with Eminem. However, this marks the first time for the music giant to launch a Kore

April 11, 2017

Quartet EXID seeks to grow despite Solji’s absence

An eclipse is usually associated with an image of darkness and shadow, and such was the case for EXID with its main vocalist Solji missing from the launch of its latest EP “Eclipse.”The remaining four members, however, said the temporary shake-up is only a prelude to better things to come. “The title symbolizes our changes as an artist and our commitment to ‘rise again’ as a full five-member team after Solji’s return, as does the full moon after a lunar eclipse,” LE said during a media event hel

April 11, 2017

Former Wonder Girl Ha:tfelt joins Amoeba Culture

Park Ye-eun, former member of Wonder Girls also known by her stage name “Ha:tfelt,” has inked a management deal with Amoeba Culture, the agency said Tuesday.“As of April 7, 2017, Ye-eun has become the newest member of the Amoeba Culture family as solo artist Ha:tfelt,” the agency said in a press release. “She has shown a lot of potential both with her career as a member of the Wonder Girls and as a solo artist. We will try our best to make sure that she can show off her wide spectrum of musical

April 11, 2017

BTS among nominees for Billboard's Top Social Media Artist

K-pop idol group BTS or Bangtan Boys has been nominated for the "Top Social Media Artist" of the Billboard Music Awards 2017, the organizer unveiled on its website on Monday. (Yonhap)The popular boy band will compete with Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande and Shawn Mendes. It is the only Korean artist on the nominee list.The Billboard said they were picked based on "key fan interactions with music, including album and digital songs sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social eng

April 11, 2017

‘SMTown Live’ concert will be back in Seoul

S.M. Entertainment artists will reunite at the 2017 SMTown concert tour titled “SMTown Live,” according to the agency Tuesday. S.M. Entertainment artists perform at the “SMTown Live Tour V in Japan” held at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, in 2016. (S.M. Entertainment)“The upcoming concert will gather the artists on the big stage again in Korea since the fourth tour, which was held in 2014 in the country,” an S.M. Entertainment representative said.The 2014 “SMTown Live World Tour IV in Seoul” featu

April 11, 2017

Kim Hyun-joong to push ahead with Japan tour amid DUI charge

South Korean singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong will hold his upcoming publicity events in Japan as scheduled despite being charged with drunk driving, his agency said Monday. (Herald DB)According to Keyeast Entertainment, Kim will release a new single in Japan on June 6 and hold a 16-city tour there, titled "Inner Core," starting the next day. Kim, a member of the K-pop boy band SS501, was caught driving under the influence of alcohol on a street in Seoul's Songpa Ward around 1:55 a.m. on March 26, ac

April 10, 2017

BTS tops brand value for five consecutive months

Bangtan Boys, or BTS, has been ranked as the boy band with the highest brand value for the fifth consecutive month. The Korea Reputation Center analyzed over 39 million pieces of data on 43 Korean boy bands between March 7 and April 8 and the result showed BTS receiving the highest consumer participation although the amount of its big data decreased by 5.48 percent compared the previous month.Korean boy band BTS (Big Hit Entertainment)“The amount of big data decreased for BTS but its music sourc

April 10, 2017

Winner among Apple Music’s ‘Best of Week’

Boy band Winner’s recent single “Really Really” is making an impact on foreign charts, with Apple Music Pop selecting it as one of the songs on its “Best of the Week” list.Winner (YG Entertainment)The list compiles popular songs across the globe, selected by Apple Music’s editors. Among the songs on the latest list were “Last Day Live” by the Chainsmokers and “Galway Girl” by Ed Sheeran.Winner last week unveiled its single album “Fate Number For,” which topped iTunes album charts in 21 regions a

April 10, 2017

[Next Wave] Deepflow looks to make his crew next big thing

His name may be obscure to many, but Deepflow and his crew are artists that no self-respecting Korean hip-hop lover would gloss over. Considered one of the most prominent underground rappers in the country, the rapper-producer’s pride rested on showing off “real” hip-hop that you cannot see on TV.Deepflow (Vismajor Company)But Deepflow has overcome his disdain for the mass media, introducing his crew Vismajor to the general public. “Back when I made the album “Yanghwa” (in 2015), I wrote the lyr

April 10, 2017

Junggigo to release solo album

Hip-hop musician Junggigo, who has collaborated with K-pop’s trendiest artists, will be releasing his first solo LP on April 20. 　“Junggigo will kick off his official activities with a media showcase at the Hyundai Card Understage in Itaewon on April 20,” Starship Entertainment, Junggigo’s label, said Monday. Junggigo revealed the cover art for the album, titled “Across the Universe,” on Sunday.The 36-year-old singer-producer recently released “Let me Love You” with boy band EXO’s Chanyeol.Album

April 10, 2017

Taeyeon of Girls' Generation to hold solo concert in May

Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation will hold a solo concert series in Seoul next month to kick off her Asia tour, her agency said Friday.The “Taeyeon solo concert: Persona” series will be held from May 12 to 14 at the Olympic Hall of Seoul Olympic Park in southern Seoul, according to S.M. Entertainment. It will mark the second time she will perform in solo concerts, following Seoul and Busan gigs last year. Following the Seoul concert, Taeyeon will embark on a tour across Asia, covering cities includi

April 7, 2017

Controversial rap show ends with more noise than it would like

The rap audition program “High School Rapper” went out on a high note last week by becoming one of the most-talked about shows in the country. But it also attracted criticism and sparked controversy over its contestants’ alleged wrongdoings.Its final episode last Friday pitted seven high schoolers against each other, and Yang Hong-won -- who had been the front-runner throughout the show -- came out victorious. Yang -- who goes by the stage name of Young B -- now has a chance to work with hip-hop

April 7, 2017