Yoon Do-hyun, founder and lead vocalist of YB Band, is one of many celebrities who minimize interaction with the press out of concern that their words may be distorted by the media, stir up controversies, or even be exploited by the government. “I think this is my first interview in over four years. I don’t even remember when was my last one,” said the 47-year-old folk rock singer to The Korea H...

K-pop boy group Winner is cooking up something special with the number four, as it returns with a new album on April 4. The four-piece act’s upcoming second full-length album is its first full-length album in four years, as well as its first release in eight months since “Love Me Love Me” from August last year. The date of Winner’s return also has another significance, as the act had rolled out...

Just as all seven dragon balls are summoned to maximize their power in Japanese manga and anime “Dragon Ball,” all 18 members of NCT, hailing from different backgrounds and countries, have joined forces to rattle the K-pop scene with its massive “NCT 2018 Empathy” project. NCT, an acronym for “Neo Cultural Technology,” was launched by entertainment behemoth S.M. Entertainment in 2016 with the id...

Seungri of Big Bang revealed his plan to enlist in the military via his social media account. The youngest Big Bang member took to Instagram on Tuesday evening to share his thoughts on his mandatory military service. “Today, Daesung enlisted. And I, the last group member who has yet to enlist, also plan to join the Army after finishing all scheduled activities for this year, in order to minimiz...

GOT7 “Eyes on You” IRIVER After several style switch-ups ranging from hip-hop to EDM, GOT7 has been pursuing “pure” and “boyish” images rather than a charismatic and edgy vibe for its last few singles. And the seven-piece’s new EP is in the vein of the effusive sound that it favored on last year’s “7 for 7” album. The seven-track album, created by the members, has nice things to talk about: “...

Actress Park Shin-hye and actor So Ji-sub will star in tvN’s upcoming variety show “Little House in the Woods,” which will be produced by Na Young-suk. According to the two celebrities’ agencies Tuesday, Park and Shin have confirmed their roles in the program that will follow the two big-name stars as they live off the grid in the middle of the woods, out of the reach of people and technology. ...

Taeyang of K-pop group Big Bang began his military service Monday. The vocalist will undergo his five-week basic training in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, after which he will be assigned to an army unit, according to his agency YG Entertainment. Fans gathered at the scene to say goodbye to the star on Monday afternoon, while his wife Min Hyo-rin was absent from the scene. Taeyang’s enlistment will...

Korean soprano Sumi Jo and gospel singer Sohyang will perform together in the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics, according to her agency SMI Entertainment and event organizers Thursday. The two singers will sing “Here as One,” the anthem for the event, during the opening ceremony that will take place at 8 p.m. on Friday at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium. The song was c...

Having been one of the few K-pop groups that brought booming girl power to the stage, Mamamoo this time portrayed a mellow and bright image. The four-piece act’s new spring-inspired EP “Yellow Flower,” released Wednesday, veers away from the group’s previous powerful image. Mamamoo’s sixth EP, “Yellow Flower,” is the first of the group’s new project series called “Four Seasons,” through which t...

Girl group Apink will return with a new single in April, the group’s agency Plan A Entertainment said Thursday. According to the agency, the six-piece act will release the song to celebrate its seventh anniversary this year. It will be the group’s first release since “Pink Up” in June last year. Band leader Park Cho-rong hinted at the upcoming song in a Naver V live broadcast last week. Apink ...

For veteran actress Kim Nam-joo, who turned 48-year-old this year (Korean age), JTBC romance-thriller “Misty” was sort of an affliction. But at the same time, it was a gift that gave her the most happiness. “I poured everything into my role as Go Hye-ran that I have no regrets. I think ‘Misty’ will be my last well-made drama of my 40s. It was the drama that caused me pain but also the one I love...

J-Hope of K-pop act BTS has released his first mixtape “Hope World” and an accompanying music video of its lead track “Daydream.” The seven-track album, released via the group’s official social media page on Friday midnight for free, was self-produced, penned and composed by the BTS member, according to his agency Big Hit Entertainment Friday. The agency also said the album honestly portrays J-...

Sunggyu “10 Stories” Loen Entertainment When offstage, Sunggyu of Infinite has always been an upfront man unafraid of expressing his deep, sophisticated feelings. And it’s a good thing to see his trait bloom musically, with the help of his mentor Kim Jong-wan, the singer with indie band Nell. Sunggyu’s first full-length solo album, also his third solo release, shows a lot of influence from...

Up-and-coming Korean musicians will showcase a wide range of genres at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) and The Great Escape music festivals. They will perform in this year’s “Korea Spotlight,” which consists of annual showcases for Korean talent hosted by the state-run Korea Creative Content Agency at SXSW and TGE. SXSW’s “Korea Spotlight” on March 16 will be headlined by artists such as ...

Veering away from the aggressive dance he once did with his bandmates, Sungkyu of K-pop boy band Infinite returned as an emotional soloist with “10 Stories,” the singer‘s first solo full-length album. “This is my third solo album, and I feel more nervous than if it were Infinite’s comeback. When I was part of Infinite, we’d told stories of the members, but today, I feel nervous as I have to talk...