CJ ENM launches ‘Boys II Planet,' K-pop audition program simultaneously produced in Korea, China

CJ ENM is launching the global boy group project “Boys II Planet,” the world’s first-ever K-pop global audition program produced in two countries simultaneously. The production team behind Mnet's renowned audition programs “I-Land,” “Girls Planet 999: The Girls Saga” and “Boys Planet” will work on this new project. CJ ENM announced Tuesday that it is accepting applications worldwide for the program. “Boys II Planet” will be p

Nov. 26, 2024

Red Velvet’s Irene debuts solo with 1st EP ‘Like A Flower’

Irene of Red Velvet makes her official debut as a solo artist with her first solo album, “Like A Flower,” at 6 p.m., Tuesday. Her solo debut comes 10 years after her debut as a member of the K-pop girl group Red Velvet. "This album is the result of deeply thinking about what I wanted to express through my music, so I’m eager for it to be released into the world. I do feel like I could have done a better job with it, but I’ve put my best effort into preparing it,&rdqu

Nov. 26, 2024

Gong Yoo returns to Netflix with mystery melodrama ‘The Trunk’

Actor Gong Yoo returns to the Netflix original series with a mystery melodrama “The Trunk,” set for release Friday. His last Netflix series was the 2021 thriller “The Silent Sea.” Gong Yoo plays Jung-won, a music producer who marries In-ji (Seo Hyun-jin), an employee at a wedding company called NM, on a fixed-term contract basis. The drama is helmed by Kim Kyu-tae behind the hit series “It’s Okay, That’s Love” (2014) and “Our Blues” (20

Nov. 26, 2024

BTS's Jimin, Jungkook nominated for BBMAs

BTS members Jimin and Jungkook received nominations for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, which will take place on Dec. 12. The two artists are competing in the categories of Top Global K-Pop Artist and Top Global K-Pop Song, according to the BBMAs on Monday. Jimin’s track "Who" from his second solo album "Muse" earned him the Top Global K-Pop Song nomination. "Who" debuted at No. 14 on Billboard's main Hot 100 chart, becoming his sixth solo song to enter

Nov. 26, 2024

ADOR's former CEO files criminal complaint against Hybe's PR executives

Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of K-pop label ADOR, has filed a criminal complaint against its parent company's public relations executives, alleging misconduct related to their duties in promoting the label's girl group NewJeans, Min's representatives said Tuesday. Min filed the complaint with Seoul's Yongsan Police Station on Monday, accusing Hybe's Chief Communication Officer Park Tae-hee and a PR director identified only as Cho of breach of duty. The two executives belo

Nov. 26, 2024

Agency says Jung Woo-sung unsure on awards attendance after lovechild revelations

Actor Jung Woo-sung, who was recently revealed to have fathered a child out of wedlock, is reportedly discussing with his agency whether to attend the Blue Dragon Film Awards on Friday. The 51-year-old actor, who is under intense public scrutiny over his private life, is said to be deliberating on the matter with his team, his agency Artist Company said Tuesday. Some local media reported on the same day that Jung has decided to forgo attendance at the film award. Jung has been nominated for best

Nov. 26, 2024

[Herald Review] 'Gangnam B-Side' combines social realism with masterful suspense, performance

Disney+ may have delivered one of its most gripping new Korean originals with the crime thriller “Gangnam B-side” -- which offers a compelling blend of suspense, character depth, and sharp social commentary on South Korea’s growing drug problem. Bringing affluent Gangnam district’s extravagant club culture to screen with a neon-lit, visually dazzling mise-en-scene that highlights its duality of glamour and grit, “Gangnam B-side” explores the intertwined lives

Nov. 25, 2024

Industry experts predicts tough choices as NewJeans' ultimatum nears

With the deadline for NewJeans's ultimatum to Ador fast approaching, industry experts predict three potential contract termination scenarios, none of which seem likely to result in a peaceful resolution. The five-member K-pop group sent a certification of contents to their agency on Nov. 13, demanding that it address “major contract violations” within 14 days, or by Wednesday, of receiving the letter. The girl group warned that if their demands were not met, they would terminate

Nov. 25, 2024

JYP to unveil new boy group KickFlip on New Year's Day

JYP Entertainment has announced the launch of its new seven-member boy group, KickFlip, set to debut in 2025. The agency unveiled the group's official social media accounts and shared an image there, marking the start of its debut album project. According to the announcement, KickFlip will officially begin debut preparations at midnight on Jan. 1, 2025. The name KickFlip comes from the skateboarding term used for a high-level trick, where one flips the board 360 degrees with a flick of the

Nov. 25, 2024

[Herald Review] Zico celebrates 10th year as solo artist with star-studded line-up

K-pop artist and producer Zico marked the 10th anniversary of his debut as a solo artist with concerts at Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul, on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, the venue was filled with Zico’s fans. While some carried his group Block B’s fan lights, most did not, demonstrating that the audience largely comprised fans of his solo career. Zico kicked off the concert with his hit single, “New Thing,” which was an original soundtrack for Mnet’s dance s

Nov. 25, 2024

[Herald Review] ‘About Family’ warms hearts this winter

This winter, family comedy “About Family” is set to leave moviegoers feeling warm and fuzzy with its unique blend of humor and emotion. Directed by Yang Woo-seok, known for “The Attorney” and “Steel Rain,” the film invites viewers to rediscover the value of family. Set in 2000, the story follows Moo-ok (Kim Yoon-seok), the gruff yet successful owner of a popular dumpling shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Having amassed a fortune through generations of hard work, Moo-o

Nov. 25, 2024

K-pop group Ateez tops Billboard albums chart for 2nd time

K-pop boy group Ateez has topped Billboard's main albums chart for the second time in its career. Billboard announced Sunday that Ateez's 11th EP, Golden Hour: Part. 2, debuted atop the Billboard 200 by earning 184,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Nov. 21. The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States, measured by equivalent album units, comprising physical album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA), and streaming equivalent albums (SEA

Nov. 25, 2024

Actor Jung Woo-sung admits to being father of model Moon Ga-bi’s child

Actor Jung Woo-sung admitted Sunday that he was the father of a model Moon Ga-bi’s child. Moon, 35, had announced about her recent childbirth on her social media on Nov. 22. While local media reported that Jung was her child’s father, Jung on Sunday admitted through his agency that he is the baby boy’s father. However, he chose not to disclose details about his relationship with Moon. According to a media report on Sunday, Moon and Jung first met at a gathering in 2022 and kept

Nov. 24, 2024

Exclusive, new stages highlight of 2024 MAMA

This year's Mnet Asian Music Awards presented new and exclusive performances while exploring the tastes of K-pop fans worldwide Thursday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and at Osaka's Kyocera Dome on Friday and Saturday. The Korean music awards ceremony, broadcast live in around 200 countries, held part of its three-day event in the US for the first time, attracting an audience of around 93,000. 2024 MAMA was held under the theme of "Big Blur," which the festival host sai

Nov. 24, 2024

Top actors heat up December box office

As the year draws to a close, the South Korean box office is gearing up for a fierce, star-studded showdown featuring the country’s top actors. Song Kang-ho, Kim Yoon-Seok, Hyun Bin and Song Joong-ki will each bring their star power to highly anticipated films, ranging from an underdog sports drama to a heartwarming family comedy, a historical epic and a gritty survival tale. Kicking off December is director Shin Yeon-sik’s sports comedy-drama “One Win.” The film follows

Nov. 24, 2024

BLACKPINK's Rose stays at No. 3 on British Official Singles chart with 'APT.'

Rose of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has maintained her third position on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100 for the third consecutive week with "APT.," her collaboration with global pop icon Bruno Mars. It marks the fifth consecutive week that the song has stayed in the top 10. The single's position remained unchanged from last week at No. 3, behind U.S. singer-songwriters Gracie Abrams' "That's So True" and Gigi Perez's "Sailor Song," acc

Nov. 23, 2024

Oasis confirms first Korean concert in 16 years

Legendary Britpop group Oasis confirmed it would perform in South Korea next year, marking the band's first concert here in 16 years. Event organizer Live Nation Korea announced on Friday that Oasis will hold a concert on Oct. 21 next year at the Goyang Sports Complex. Tickets for the event will go on sale exclusively through Interpark Ticket from Nov. 29 at noon. Oasis confirmed the news via the band's official social media, posting, "South Korea, Our new best friends. Hold on. O

Nov. 22, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Babymonster logs 100m views with ‘Drip’ music video

Babymonster surpassed 100 million views on YouTube with the music video for “Drip,” label YG Entertainment said Friday. The visual reached the milestone in about three weeks after it landed atop the list of most-viewed video in 24 hours on the platform. It is the group’s seventh video to hit the mark, following the music videos for “Sheesh,” “Batter Up,” “Stuck In The Middle” and “Forever,” as well as performance videos for &ldquo

Nov. 22, 2024

Defense ministry denies special treatment for BTS’ V amid phone use allegations

The Ministry of National Defense has refuted claims that BTS member V, or Kim Tae-hyung, received preferential treatment while serving in the military that allowed phone use during prohibited hours. The allegations surfaced recently after former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin mentioned in an interview that she had received a text message from V last year while he was in the military. On Thursday, the ministry addressed the complaints filed with the military police regarding suspicions that V used a mobile

Nov. 22, 2024

AKMU, NewJeans to perform at Yoasobi's year-end concert

Japan's trendsetting duo Yoasobi will feature local special guests at their upcoming year-end concert in Korea. The Korea act of Yoasobi Asia Tour "Cho-Genjitsu," meaning surrealism in Japanese, set to take place on Dec. 7-8 at Inspire Arena in Jung-gu, Incheon, will feature performances by sibling duo AKMU and girl group NewJeans as guest artists. NewJeans will perform on Dec. 7, while AKMU will take the stage on Dec. 8. Unlike their first concert in Korea last year, which showca

Nov. 22, 2024