Jeju haenyeo culture mark 10 years as UNESCO intangible heritage

Jeju’s haenyeo culture is marking 10 years since its inscription on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, with the annual Jeju Haenyeo Festival opening Saturday to commemorate the milestone. The 19th Jeju Haenyeo Festival is being held through Sunday around the Jeju Haenyeo Museum in Gujwa-eup under a theme reflecting on the decade since the UNESCO designation. Haenyeo are female divers from Jeju Island who harvest seafood by free-diving without oxygen tan

2026-09-19 16:14:16:00

Stray Kids’ Bang Chan donates W200m for rehabilitation care, Nepal flood recovery

Stray Kids leader Bang Chan donated 200 million won ($144,295) to support rehabilitation care in Korea and recovery efforts following severe flooding in Nepal, said JYP Entertainment, Saturday. Bang Chan donated 100 million won each to Seoul Rehabilitation Hospital and the Korean Committee for UNICEF. The contribution to Seoul Rehabilitation Hospital will be used to help establish specialized rehabilitation centers tailored to patients’ ages and medical conditions, while the donation to UNICEF K

2026-09-19 15:22:46:00

Wrong Korea, wrong anthem: Asian Games organizers apologize to S. Korea

Organizers of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games formally apologized to the South Korean delegation after North Korea’s national anthem was mistakenly played before a men’s hockey match involving South Korea, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee said Saturday. According to the committee, two organizing committee officials, including the director responsible for participating nations, visited the South Korean delegation’s office at around 9 p.m. Friday and delivered an official apology over the er

2026-09-19 15:04:50:00

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won withdraws from nomination

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won withdrew from his nomination Friday, 20 days after being tapped for the post, saying he did not want controversy surrounding him to become a burden on the Lee Jae Myung administration. “After deep consideration, I have decided to step down as nominee for justice minister,” said Kim at a press conference at the National Assembly, Saturday. “I take seriously that I have fallen short of the public’s expectations and will deeply reflect on my shortcomings.” Kim

2026-09-19 11:55:12:00

BTS, Cortis, Katseye expand nominations for MTV VMAs

BTS, Cortis and Katseye have added new nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, strengthening the presence of K-pop-linked acts ahead of this year’s ceremony. MTV announced additional nominees Friday, with all three acts named in the Best Group category. BTS is now nominated in three categories, having previously earned nods for Song of the Year and Best K-pop with “Swim,” the lead track from the group’s fifth LP, “Arirang.” The group has a particularly strong history in the Best Group c

2026-09-19 11:20:57:00

Man who resold nearly 9,000 K-pop tickets for $1.7 million arrested

A man in his 30s has been arrested for allegedly reselling nearly 9,000 tickets to K-pop concerts, sports games and other high-demand events at inflated prices, earning about 2.4 billion won ($1.74 million) over more than seven years, police said Thursday. The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency said it referred the man to prosecutors on charges including obstruction of business and violations of the Public Performance Act. Prosecutors have since indicted him. According to police officials,

2026-09-17 16:56:18:00

Beyond music shows: How gaming, news and brands are becoming K-pop’s new stages

For years, the promotional path for a K-pop "comeback" was relatively predictable: release new music, appear on weekly music shows, visit radio programs and variety shows, repeat for two to three weeks. That formula is beginning to loosen. K-pop artists are increasingly meeting audiences in places outside the typical comeback circuit — from esports finals and gaming festivals to news studios, baseball stadiums, fashion events and brand campaigns. The shift is not simply about finding more places

2026-09-17 15:38:55:00

MMA 2026 reveals first lineup of chart-topping boy groups

Plave, Riize, NCT Wish, Alpha Drive One and Lngshot have been named in the first lineup for the 2026 Melon Music Awards, with all five acts ranking prominently on Melon’s charts this year, organizer Melon said Wednesday. The 18th edition of the annual awards show will take place Nov. 14 to 15 at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul, marking the first time the event will be held over two days. Virtual idol group Plave joins the lineup. “Born Savage," the main track of its April EP “Caligo Pt. 2,” re

2026-09-16 14:27:54:00

Teenage fan dies after medical emergency before Stray Kids concert in Argentina

A 16-year-old girl died Monday after suffering a medical emergency shortly before entering Stray Kids’ concert during the “Straycity” festival at the San Isidro Racecourse near Buenos Aires, according to Argentine media reports Tuesday. Emergency personnel at the venue treated the teenager before she was taken to San Isidro Central Hospital about 400 meters away. Doctors attempted to resuscitate her, but she was later pronounced dead after suffering cardiorespiratory arrest. According to La Naci

2026-09-16 13:40:12:00

Stray Kids’ Felix donates W300m on birthday to help sick children

Stray Kids member Felix donated a total of 300 million won ($221,204) on his birthday Tuesday to support pediatric patients, children from vulnerable backgrounds and emergency efforts in Nepal. Felix donated 100 million won to Samsung Medical Center and Seoul National University Children’s Hospital, as well as 50 million won each to Books International and the Korean Committee for UNICEF. The donation to Samsung Medical Center will go toward treatment costs for children and adolescents with canc

2026-09-15 16:56:37:00