'Squid Game' Season 3 will make you weep

"Squid Game" has always been a spectacle -- bloody, brutal and bracingly political -- but at the same time deeply emotional, grounding its violence in stories of desperation and loss. The final season pushes that even further, delivering its most emotionally devastating chapter yet. On Wednesday, the press were given a first look at the entire third season, and the six-episode arc amplifies the series’ long-standing undercurrent of heartbreak and humanity. The performances carry much of the emot

Beautiful Mint Life packs out 3-day festival

Celebrating its 16th anniversary this year, Korea’s leading spring music festival Beautiful Mint Life 2025 (BML) came to a close Sunday following three days of indie music at its very best. Held Friday to Sunday across the Olympic Park area in Songpa-gu, Seoul, Beautiful Mint Life featured performances on three main stages: the outdoor Mint Breeze Stage set up at the 88 Lawn Field, the indoor Cafe Blossom House at Kspo Dome and the lakeside Loving Forest Garden. A total of 45,000 festivalgoers f

Weverse Con Festival expands beyond Hybe, Weverse platform

Weverse Con Festival, a concert organized by K-pop powerhouse Hybe’s fan platform subsidiary Weverse, wrapped up this year’s edition over the weekend at the Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon, with its musical diversity and festival structure greatly expanded. Now in its third year, the event, which originally featured only artists under Hybe or the Weverse platform, has broadened its musical palette to include non-Hybe, non-Weverse and even non-K-pop artists in its lineup. This year, rock

'The Rising World' - a message-driven opera that wades through cloudy narrative

"Tick, tick, tick, tick ..." A chorus encircles a giant ticking clock as they chant. Inside is a figure -- an artisan who sacrifices herself to restore order. Her act saves the princess and many others from a world submerged by water. What follows, the scene shows, is left to those who remain. One might read this as an allegory -- a warning about climate change, or a meditation on the power of unconditional sacrifice. In its first-ever original opera production, the Seoul Arts Center on Sunday p

Review: 'Hi-Five' struggles to find its superpowers

Picture this: Two newly minted superhumans discover their extraordinary abilities and decide to ... play the recorder. One holds the instrument at arm's length while the other provides the breath from across a playground using his turbocharged lung capacity. This moment of laughable absurdity perfectly encapsulates what director Kang Hyeong-cheol is going for in "Hi-Five" — a goofy superhero ensemble that wears its dumb-fun ambitions like a badge of honor. It doesn't take long for viewers to app

Le Sserafim begins first world tour with powerful statement of growth

After a difficult year marred by criticism of its live singing, girl group Le Sserafim kicked off its first world tour with an all-out, two-day show. On Saturday and Sunday, Le Sserafim held its first world tour, “Easy Crazy Hot,” at Inspire Arena in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the group. Opening the show with “Ash,” Le Sserafim quickly amped up the energy with performances of its latest main track “Hot” and the B-side “Come Over.” The tour title, “Easy Crazy

Infinite proves its enduring power with 15th anniversary concert

Veteran boy band Infinite wrapped up its 15th debut anniversary tour with a grand finale, promising an even greater future with its fans. Infinite held encore performances Saturday and Sunday for its 15th debut anniversary concert at the Inspire Arena in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, attended by 20,000 fans who, over the two days, braved the stormy weather to see Infinite onstage. After kicking off "Limited Edition" in Seoul last December, Infinite went on to perform 13 shows in eight cities including T

Review: A master, a protege and the game between

'The Match' delivers as perfectly serviceable biopic, despite sidestepping deeper implications The ancient board game of Go thrives on silent conflict. Unlike its Western counterpart chess, where dramatic captures and aggressive advances define play, Go's tension lies largely beneath the surface — abstract territories and invisible formations collide as black and white stones rest peacefully on a wooden grid. This metaphysical complexity of the game sets up director Kim Hyung-ju's central challe

'King of K-pop' G-Dragon returns to the stage

Iconic K-pop star more than delivers despite freezing weather GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province — Even Saturday's sudden cold snap could not chill the connection between G-Dragon and his fans as he he kicked off his “Ubermensch” world tour Saturday. Strong winds delayed the concert at the open-air Goyang Sports Complex Stadium by 73 minutes, but G-Dragon more than made up for the wait as he opened the show with an intense performance of "Power." Dressed in an elaborate outfit reminiscent of red roses an

TMIF begins on high note with Lim Yunchan’s performance

The festival continues until April 6, closing with Britten’s 'War Requiem.' The Tongyeong International Music Festival opened with a performance by its Festival Orchestra, comprising both domestic and international musicians, under the baton of French conductor Fabien Gabel. The concert began with Overture (1973/74) by Isang Yun -- the composer in whose honor the festival was founded in 2002. The orchestra took the stage twice with the same opening program Friday — once in front of about 1,000 e

Review: 'Woo Young-woo' star Park Eun-bin delivers in 'Hyper Knife' as psychopath doctor

Park and Sul boast fascinating chemistry as mentor and protege, but the series' credibility is strained Riding the wave of back-to-back hits such as popular Korean series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” and "Castaway Diva," Park Eun-bin solidifies her star power with a new Disney+ series that's driven less by plot and more by its compelling characters. In "Hyper Knife," Park delivers a vivid character unlike any other in her previous works. A stark departure from the warm-hearted attorney in "Extra

Review: Women of Gukgeuk

Yoo Su-yeon's new documentary captures the determined persistence of Korea's overlooked theatrical tradition When the TV drama "Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born" captivated viewers last year, its real triumph wasn't the plot or performances— it was reviving interest in gukgeuk, Korea's forgotten all-women theater. But even as millions worldwide watched the dramatized 1950s story of a talented country girl's rise to gukgeuk stardom, few knew the history behind this unique artistic tradition, let alon

Most Korean yet most universal: 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' makes you laugh and cry

IU, Park Bo-gum explore parental devotion, romance in hit series Transcending cultural boundaries, "When Life Gives You Tangerines" is perhaps the most Korean yet universally relatable series — portraying the lives and loves of characters from the 1960s to contemporary times in Korea in a way that stirs both laughter and tears in viewers. The 16-part Netflix original series follows the lives of Ae-sun (played by Lee Ji-eun, or also known as singer IU) and Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum), spanning decades

Celebrating 10 years as solo artist, Taeyeon presents wide spectrum of music

With top-notch vocal skills, Taeyeon successfully kicks off Asia tour 'The Tense' Taeyeon, one of the most beloved vocalists in the K-pop scene today, mesmerized fans with her wide musical spectrum and stunning vocals. Her Asia tour, “The Tense,” was held for three days, Friday to Sunday, at KSPO Dome. This marks her first solo concert in about a year and seven months since “The Odd of Love” and also serves as the start of a tour celebrating the 10th anniversary of her solo debut. Amid a cascade

J-Hope makes grand return with sold-out shows, new song

J-Hope kicks off first solo world tour 'Hope on the Street' Opening his world tour, BTS’ J-Hope filled the stage with everything he loves. Fresh from completing his military service last October, the singer kicked off his long-awaited solo world tour, "Hope on the Stage," with three sold out concerts at the KSPO Dome from Friday to Sunday. On Sunday, the venue rocked with fans chanting J-Hope's name as they waited for the concert to begin. Dressed in a striking red outfit and wearing sunglasses,