Most Popular
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss
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KT launches new mobile plans for foreign residents
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[Herald Interview] Unmasked by avatar: K-pop idols show true selves in metaverse
One of the most memorable moments in producing Kakao Entertainment's online audition program "Girl's Re:verse" was when one of the contestants made a rude finger gesture to the others, says producer Son Su-jung. It was the first time all 30 of the contestants' virtual characters had gathered in the metaverse, and Muneo's unexpected cursing not only caught the producers off-guard, but the other contestants as well. "(Muneo's action) smashed the boundary (of
K-popMarch 1, 2023
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[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook quits Instagram
Jungkook of BTS assured fans it was he who deleted his Instagram account, not a hacker. The boy band star wrote to fans on fan community platform Weverse that he left the social media service as he just did not feel like doing it anymore, lest fans worry. Jungkook opened his own account in December 2021 at the same time as his bandmates. His account had more than 51 million followers as of last week. He was the second Korean celebrity to log 50 million followers on the platform, following bandm
K-popFeb. 28, 2023
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11 years since debut, Hwang Min-hyun comes out solo
Hwang Min-hyun opened a new chapter in his music career as a soloist by releasing his first solo EP "Truth or Lie" on Monday. "It took me almost 11 years to release an album that contains only my voice. I promise to make good music and good performances so that the 11 years can count," Hwang said during a press conference held on Monday in Seoul. The musician has been on a fairly successful path since he first set foot on the local entertainment scene more than a decade ago.
K-popFeb. 28, 2023
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[Herald Interview] Japanese K-pop group XG on group's Korean debut
Walking into The Korea Herald studio, the seven members of K-pop group XG oozed charisma with each step. Their eyes were glistening and a slight yet poised smile was visible over each member’s face. But as soon as the bandmates sat down and uttered their first words of greeting, the tension circling them melted away to the cheerful, high-pitched laughter of the seven young women. XG conducted its first-ever exclusive media interview with The Korea Herald on Feb. 17. Here, they shared for t
K-popFeb. 28, 2023
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[Today’s K-pop] Hwang Minhyun rolls out 1st solo EP
Hwang Minhyun held a media showcase in Seoul on Monday to introduce his first solo EP, titled “Truth or Lie.” “I wanted to tell a story of my own, as it is my first solo album,” said the musician, who debuted as a member of NU’EST in 2012. He chose “Hidden Side” as the main track since it can best demonstrate his strong performance. “I wanted to dance on stage. I’ve had thirst for performance even while I was acting,” said the singer a
K-popFeb. 27, 2023
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[Herald Review] aespa lights up night in 1st solo concert 'Synk: Hyper Line'
SM Entertainment's starlet group aespa held its first-ever concert under the banner of "Synk: Hyper Line" over the weekend at Jamsil Arena in Seoul Olympic Park. It was a long-awaited first concert happening over two years after the group's debut in November 2020, and a much postponed return amid the ongoing internal feud of SM's management. But the two nights of majestic spectacle proved that the wait was more than worth it, and only made the audience wonder what more p
K-popFeb. 27, 2023
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J-Hope to release single before military service
J-Hope of BTS is set to release a solo single before heading off to serve his mandatory military duty. The K-pop superstar announced Monday that he will unveil the single “On the Street” on March 3. “On the Street" is a lo-fi hip-hop song with a downtempo vibe that combines elements of hip-hop and chill-out music. J-Hope took part in composing and writing the lyrics to the single giving the track a personal touch, interlaced with messages of hope and warmth. It was the con
K-popFeb. 27, 2023
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BTS' J-Hope to join S. Korean military
J-Hope, a member of K-pop supergroup BTS, has canceled his request to delay enlistment, the group's agency said Sunday, in a move to join the country's mandatory military service. BigHit Music did not provide a specific time frame on when he will join the military, saying only it will make an announcement as soon as the notice of enlistment is available. The move came two months after Jin, the oldest BTS member, first joined the Army, and is in line with an announcement that all seven
K-popFeb. 26, 2023
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[Herald Interview] 'My goal from the start was runner-up'
The key to staying inside the realm of stardom is making hay while the sun shines, and rapper Huh, the runner-up of the latest 11th season of "Show Me the Money," is doing just this. Less than two months after the end of the hip-hop survival show, Huh, who goes by his real name Heo Sung-hyun locally, is making a swift comeback on Friday with a two-track album titled "Midnight Law." "Some people vanish soon after getting the spotlight in a TV show because they're not
K-popFeb. 24, 2023
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[Today’s K-pop] EXO’s Kai floats teaser for solo EP
Kai of EXO uploaded a teaser poster for his third solo EP “Rover” on Friday. The performer instantly drew attention with neon green feathered wings on his back. A series of teaser content will follow until the EP is rolled out on March 13. The album will have six tracks including the titular track. His second EP “Peaches” topped the iTunes top albums chart in 65 regions when it came out in November 2021. Separately, EXO greeted fans in Japan with a video letter on Thursd
K-popFeb. 24, 2023
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[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids lands on top of Oricon chart with 1st Japan LP
Stray Kids ranked No. 1 on Oricon’s daily album ranking with its first studio album in Japan. LP “The Sound” was rolled out on Wednesday and headed straight to the top of the chart. The album consists of 10 tracks including the titular track as well as Japanese-language version of “Case 143” and “Thunderous,” lead tracks from EP “Maxident” and LP “Noeasy,” respectively. The eight-member act will take to the stage in Osaka this we
K-popFeb. 23, 2023
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SM allots right to distribute albums and tracks exclusively to Kakao Entertainment
SM Entertainment is allotting the right to distribute its albums and music exclusively to Kakao Entertainment, the subsidiary of the IT giant Kakao, with whom it has recently formed a strategic partnership to foster its new business project SM 3.0. The K-pop powerhouse revealed the details of the business partnership formed early this month on Wednesday via its official YouTube channel. Under the deal, Kakao is to acquire a 9.05 percent stake in SM through a paid-in capital increase of 217.2 bil
K-popFeb. 23, 2023
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Minnie of (G)I-dle and Anne-Marie to release collab track ‘Expectations’
The collaboration between the K-pop star Minnie of (G)I-dle and the global pop star Annie-Marie is official. The two vocalists dropped the cover image of their collaboration track “Expectations” Wednesday on their respective social media feeds. The collaboration, to be unveiled on March 9 at 6 p.m., was produced with Warner Music Korea. Warner Music Korea has continuously served as a bridge between K-pop and foreign artists. Previous collaborations it has forged are Crush and Pink Sw
K-popFeb. 23, 2023
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SM Entertainment to grant Kakao exclusive rights to distribute albums, music: sources
SM Entertainment has agreed to give Kakao Entertainment, a subsidiary of technology firm Kakao Corp., exclusive rights to circulate its albums and music as part of its alliance with the tech giant against rival K-pop company Hybe's takeover bid, music industry sources and investment banks said Thursday. They said the transfer of rights was included in a contract Kakao signed earlier this month to buy a 9.05 percent stake in SM through a rights offering and convertible shares and become a st
K-popFeb. 23, 2023
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Hybe becomes largest shareholder in SM Entertainment
Hybe, the K-pop company behind boy group BTS, said Wednesday it has acquired a 14.8 percent stake in its industry rival SM Entertainment to become its largest shareholder. Hybe said in a regulatory filing that it has paid for the purchase earlier than scheduled. On Feb. 10, the company agreed to buy the shares from SM‘s founder and former chief producer Lee Soo-man for 422.8 billion won (US$335.8 million) and said the deal will be sealed on March 6. Lee had an 18.46 percent stake in SM at
K-popFeb. 22, 2023
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[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook tops 300m views with Charlie Puth collab video
The music video for the collaboration of BTS’ Jungkook and Charlie Puth, “Left and Right,” has surpassed 300 million views on YouTube. The American singer and songwriter and the Korean idol joined forces for the song unveiled in June last year. It stayed on Billboard’s Hot 100 for 17 weeks in a row after hitting the chart at No. 22. It also was No. 1 on iTunes top songs charts in 106 regions and has been streamed via Spotify over 500 million times. The single was picked
K-popFeb. 22, 2023
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SM announces IP monetization strategy
SM Entertainment on Tuesday announced its intellectual property monetization strategy, a business it sees as a core growth area and the first part of the company’s ambitious SM 3.0 business project to be unveiled. Under the plan, the K-pop powerhouse targets at reaching 1.2 trillion won ($926 million) in revenue with an operating margin of 35 percent by 2025. This would be a 134 percent growth in sales compared to the 512.1 billion won in preliminary sales last year. SM plans to achieve s
K-popFeb. 22, 2023
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Twice to set off on world tour in Spring
K-pop girl group Twice is getting back on the plane this April to embark on its fifth world tour, “Ready To Be." This comes a year and four months after their last world tour, with this tour to it be held on the largest scale yet. Twice will kick off the tour in Seoul at the KSPO Dome on April 15 for two days, according to a statement by JYP Entertainment on Tuesday. As of now, they are scheduled to play 17 shows in 14 different cities across South Korea, Australia, Japan and North Am
K-popFeb. 22, 2023
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Jimin of BTS to debut solo with 'Face' on March 24
Jimin of K-pop band BTS is set to make his official solo debut in March. BTS' agency Big Hit Music on Wednesday announced Jimin will drop a new solo album titled "Face" on March 24, taking his first step as a solo musician. According to the agency, "Face" will be an album that shares Jimin's story of facing himself before embarking on a new journey as a solo artist. With the album, Jimin is set to portray his musical universe and unique talents through his charming
K-popFeb. 22, 2023
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[Today’s K-pop] BTS amasses 700m views with ‘Save Me’ music video
The music video for BTS’ “Save Me” surpassed 700 million views on YouTube on Monday, according to Big Hit Music on Tuesday. It is the band’s 11th music video to reach the milestone. It was touted as a “top-notch music video” as the artists “perform their intense choreography … in a one-take video which solidifies how strong and cohesive this group is with their performances,” commented American media outlet Fuse TV when it was unveiled. &ld
K-popFeb. 21, 2023