Most Popular
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Yoon, Lee end first talks with differences, agree to meet more
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What is Hybe’s next move?
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China outpaces Korea in smaller OLED shipments for 1st time
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[Herald Interview] Mom’s Touch seeks to replicate success in Japan
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Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics
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'Queen of Tears' finale sets record viewership ratings as tvN's most-watched series ending
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Police to open alleged stalking probe over pastor over Dior bag scandal
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Samsung chip business back on track, logs W1.9tr operating profit in Q1
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[News Focus] Lee tells Yoon that he has governed without political dialogue
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Seoul to deploy more military doctors to fill med prof void
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Why Chen’s engagement is dividing EXO fans
A score of protesters took to the street in Gangnam on Sunday afternoon demanding that K-pop singer Chen leave EXO, the band he’s been part of for over eight years.One female protester said she feels betrayed by the 27-year-old singer for announcing his engagement and his fiancee’s pregnancy without even a “sorry” in a letter last week.“He’s pursuing his happiness at the expense of other people’s dreams, youth and passion,” she said while protestin
K-popJan. 21, 2020
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BTS unveils ‘Black Swan’ ahead of February return
Offering a taste of its “Map of the Soul: 7” album, BTS unveiled “Black Swan,” the first single of the group’s upcoming LP. On Friday evening, the seven-piece act released the song on streaming sites at home and abroad, along with an art film performed by Slovenian dance troupe MN Dance Company. Based on the emo hip-hop genre, the reflective song delves deeply into BTS members’ emotional depth and contemplations as artists. Lyrically, the musicians fear
K-popJan. 17, 2020
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K-pop generates over 6 billion tweets in 2019
K-pop remained a dominant topic on Twitter in 2019, as the platform’s internal data shows 6.1 billion tweets about the Korean music industry.The number is up nearly 15 percent from the year prior, an indication that K-pop is more popular than ever on the platform.And according to Kim Yeon-jeong, Twitter’s head of global K-pop partnerships, the tweet service plans to keep the upward trend going. “To make the K-pop community more lively on Twitter, we plan to provide quality
K-popJan. 14, 2020
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Enoi makes bold return with ‘Cheeky’
After entering the K-pop scene shrouded in innocence last year, K-pop rookie group Enoi is making a bold return with the new single “Cheeky.” The seven-piece act, fronted by leader Laon alongside Dojin, Hamin, Avin, Jinwoo, J-Kid and Gun, held a media showcase for its first EP, “Red in the Apple,” in Seoul on Monday. The band debuted in April last year under the newly established Kithewhale Company label. It says the band’s name “Enoi” comes from the las
K-popJan. 14, 2020
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EXO's Chen to get married
EXO’s Chen announced Monday afternoon that he will be getting married, hinting that his wife-to-be is also pregnant with his child. In a handwritten letter sent through his agency SM Entertainment, the singer said he has a “girlfriend who he would like to spend the rest of his life with.”He also said a “blessing has arrived” to him, hinting that his soon-to-be-wife is pregnant. “I don’t know where to begin and I’m so nervous and shaky. But I d
K-popJan. 13, 2020
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After terrible year, YG hopes to turn things around in 2020
Less than two weeks into 2020, YG Entertainment has revealed that new boy band Treasure is on the way and Big Bang will perform at this year’s Coachella music festival in April.Treasure is set to become the first new all-boy group from YG in over four years, as Big Bang’s performance will mark the group’s first as a four-piece act.YG has also been hinting that Blackpink is aiming to release new music sometime early this year, having said the group is recording multiple tracks i
K-popJan. 9, 2020
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BTS to release new album, ‘Map of the Soul: 7,’ Feb. 21
Just 10 months after setting multiple records with “Boy With Luv,” BTS announced the upcoming release of a new album in February.On Tuesday, the seven-piece K-pop juggernaut told its global fan community Weverse that it would drop a new album, “Map of the Soul: 7,” Feb. 21. The album is the sequel to the act’s Billboard 200 chart-topper EP “Map of the Soul: Persona,” released in April last year. “With ‘Map of the Soul: Persona,’ BTS san
K-popJan. 8, 2020
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SF9 returns as gentlemen with ‘Good Guy’
The bandmates of SF9 suited up for new single “Good Guy,” all set to kick off a new era of the group’s career.The nine-piece group held a media debut showcase for its first full-length album “First Collection” in Seoul on Tuesday, where it showcased the album’s lead track “Good Guy” and shared New Year’s ambitions. Clad in clean-cut matching suits, the band explained that the outfits were to portray an image of “good guys.” &ldquo
K-popJan. 7, 2020
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Ateez kicks off new year with ‘Answer’
Rising K-pop act Ateez is already out with a new single -- “Answer” -- continuing its bombastic sonic style into the new year. The brand new single fronts the act’s “Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer EP,” the last segment to Ateez’s “Treasure” album series that began with its October 2018 debut. Blending powerful hip-hop elements and melodious electronic dance music sounds, “Answer” is reminiscent of the band’s previous releases
K-popJan. 7, 2020
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How X1's promising career came to an abrupt end
Fans were shocked Monday night to learn that project boy band X1 was disbanding."We negotiated with the agencies representing each member of X1 on terms of unanimous agreement but failed to reach an agreement and decided to disband (the group),” the agencies said in a joint statement after the talks fell through.The decision came months after the vote-rigging scandal surrounding the “Produce” series forced the musicians from X1 and Iz*One to put their careers on hold, leav
K-popJan. 7, 2020
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Treasure to debut as first new boy band from YG in over 4 years
YG says the official debut of the revamped 12-piece boy band Treasure is on the way, marking the first boy band to debut from YG in over four years, since iKON in 2015.In a blog post on Monday, YG said the company is thankful for fans who have been waiting a long time, and added that new content is coming this month through multiple channels. Treasure consists of a dozen members who were put together after appearing on YG’s K-pop competition “Treasure Box,” which aired around a
K-popJan. 6, 2020
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CJ ENM CEO apologizes for vote rigging on Mnet’s ‘Produce’ series
CJ ENM, the company behind Mnet, has officially responded to the vote-rigging scandal surrounding the cable channel’s flagship audition show. “I’m extremely sorry for the hurt it caused to many trainees who passionately followed their dreams of debuting,” CEO Heo Min-heoi said at a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Seoul on Monday.The apology comes after the show’s key producers were found to have fixed the votes for some contestants in return
K-popDec. 30, 2019
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Year in review: The biggest K-pop news of the year
To say the least, the year 2019 was a tumultuous one. Ups and downs, tears of joy and sorrow dominated the headlines. Here are some of the major stories that dominated K-pop news. 1. Plight of YG Entertainment At the beginning of the year, it seemed like K-pop powerhouse YG Entertainment would have a solid 2019. YG’s girl group Blackpink was enjoying growing popularity around the world, while the label’s crown jewel Big Bang was gearing up for a possible comeback when all the
K-popDec. 22, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Dispute continues over military exemption for K-pop stars
Debate heated up over whether successful K-pop stars should be exempted from Korea’s mandatory military service during a public hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul on Thursday.Chaired by Rep. Ahn Min-suk of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the hearing saw a panel of lawmakers and culture critics call for reform of the country’s military exemption rules in order to give international K-pop stars like BTS military service exemption.Pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun said exempti
K-popDec. 19, 2019
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Playlist: 15 best K-pop Christmas songs, from Twice, EXO to LOONA and more
Christmas is just around the corner and what is the festive season without Christmas songs?That’s why we’ve put together a list of 15 Christmas-themed tracks with a little K-pop twist to usher in one of the most celebrated holidays around the world.“Merry & Happy” – TwiceOur first choice is Twice’s 2017 track from the repackaging of the group’s first studio album of the same title, “Merry & Happy.”Released Dec. 11, 2017, the midtempo
K-popDec. 17, 2019
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Academics explain driving force behind BTS’ global success
Academics from around the world got together in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss the global success of BTS and K-pop in general.Sponsored by Big Hit Entertainment, which houses the likes of BTS and TXT, the global seminar “K-Pop Beyond BTS” took place at Yonsei University, attracting scores of scholars, journalists and YouTubers. In a keynote speech, Hong Seok-kyeong, a professor of communication at Seoul National University, said BTS and other K-pop boy bands offer “soft ma
K-popDec. 11, 2019
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[INTERVIEW] Holland is turning scars into triumphant pop
It wasn’t only a bold light blue Supreme coat and fashionable trainers that Holland was sporting that are new. He seemed more confident than ever when we met for the second time late November even as our conversation was on mental health -- an issue that has recently sparked debate in South Korea “I think agencies need to do more to take care of their artists as K-pop becomes bigger. And instead of being reactionary after something happens, people need to think twice and try to be mo
K-popDec. 11, 2019
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Big Hit denies report it is in profit dispute with BTS
BTS’ agent Big Hit Entertainment on Tuesday flatly denied a report that the label and BTS members are in a legal dispute over profit-sharing. On Monday evening, local cable TV network JTBC reported that the K-pop group had reached out to a large law firm in Seoul to pursue legal action against Big Hit over how profits are distributed. The news was broadcast as part of the channel’s flagship current affairs show “Newsroom.” Shortly after, however, Big Hit issued a lengthy
K-popDec. 10, 2019
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‘Virtual Play’: Genie Music VR service lets you see Mamamoo up-close
Streaming service Genie Music launched a new virtual reality-powered video service on Tuesday with girl group Mamamoo’s ultra-high resolution performances as the platform’s first project.The Korean streaming giant’s new platform, dubbed “Virtual Play,” uses all the latest VR technology to present a 360-degree, 3D, 8K ultrahigh resolution experience. Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, Cho Hoon, CEO of Genie Music, explained the name was inspired by the co
K-popDec. 10, 2019
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[Photo news] BTS performs at 2019 Jingle Ball
K-pop supergroup BTS on Friday wowed the audience of the 102.7 KIIS FM‘s Jingle Ball concert in Inglewood, California, US, with its performances of "Boy With Luv", "Mic Drop," and other hit songs.
K-popDec. 7, 2019