The Jeonju International Sori Festival ended on Sept. 24, with the organizers adding global and cross-cultural elements to this year's event as part of their aim to elevate the Korean traditional music festival on the global stage. The festival, one of the leading cultural events held in North Jeolla Province, ran from Sept. 15 to 24 around Jeonju Hanok Village and 14 other cities and districts of the province. Launched in 2001, this year’s festival was held under the theme of “

Culture Oct. 5, 2023

Every moment in Hawaiian-born superstar Bruno Mars' performance in Seoul was delicate and romantic -- and it was his unmatchable finesse that made it all seem so easy. The iconic “Uptown Funk” singer Bruno Mars, born Peter Hernandez, visited Korea for the first time in nine years for a two-day sold-out concert series at Jamsil Olympic Main Stadium from Saturday to Sunday. The shows were part of the 27th edition of Hyundai Card’s annual cultural project “Super Concert

Performance June 20, 2023

Every moment in Hawaiian-born superstar Bruno Mars' performance in Seoul was delicate and romantic -- and it was his unmatchable finesse that made it all seem so easy. The iconic “Uptown Funk” singer Bruno Mars, born Peter Hernandez, revisited Korea for the first time in nine years for a two-day sold-out concert series at Jamsil Olympic Main Stadium from Saturday to Sunday. The shows were part of the 27th edition of Hyundai Card’s annual cultural project “Super Conce

June 19, 2023

Blackpink will change its management to The Black Label, an affiliate of YG Entertainment, according to industry sources. On Friday, an industry insider told The Korea Herald that the four-piece girl group would leave YG to join The Black Label, and that discussions over the contracts were completed early this year. The Black Label is headed by Teddy, a creative director and songwriter who has worked with Blackpink since the group’s debut. Formerly an in-house producer for YG, Teddy co-fou

K-pop Dec. 30, 2022

Even just a couple of years ago, it would have been unheard-of for 10- and 20-something social media users to shrug off a video of a young man shouting out “Mama!” in a quirky, high-pitched voice. With the meteoric rise of TikTok, WonJeong, whose real name is Seo Won-jeong, is definitely in the opportune limelight as a creator. Over the last two years, the 26-year-old has become the nation’s No. 2 TikTok creator boasting more than 50 million followers, right next to K-pop pheno

K-pop Dec. 21, 2022

Once Dublin-born Dermot Kennedy walks down the stage and grabs a microphone, his smoldering vocal evokes a whirlwind of emotions, sometimes eruptive, grainy, melancholy, but ironically at peace. His heartfelt, down-to-earth lyrics boldly share the complexities and beautiful sides of life, embracing a light of hope although it may not always a ray of sunshine. Hailing from Ireland, Dermot Kennedy said this intense connection with his listeners and speaking to them through music have always been -

K-pop Dec. 7, 2022

Korea Herald correspondent OSAKA, Japan -- The long-awaited 2022 Mama Awards successfully came to an end in Osaka, Japan, and it was about more than handing out the haul of trophies. Living up to its reputation as one of the biggest year-end music shows in Asia, two consecutive nights overflowed with all kinds of artistic creativity, sheer talent, standout performances and, most importantly, a wave of emotions and stories that ended up in tears. It was a cloudy raining day in Osaka, but the Ky

Dec. 1, 2022

Bobby, a member of K-pop boy band iKon, will not renew his contract with the act's agency YG Entertainment and the industry and fans are left wondering about the future of the group and what the next steps are for the rapper. According to industry sources on Tuesday, Bobby of iKon will not extend his exclusive contract with YG Entertainment. An industry insider, who claims to be familiar with YG Entertainment and its artists, told the Korea Herald that Bobby has decided not to renew his con

K-pop Nov. 15, 2022

Back in 2015, Jonas Blue, hailing from the United Kingdom, was behind a DJ booth in a local London bar called “Harry’s Bar” under his real name, Guy James Robin. About seven years later, he is performing in front of thousands who are singing along to his songs at big name festivals all around the world from Ibiza to Amsterdam to Miami, just to name a few. Blue, the 33-year-old DJ and producer, landed in Korea for the first time in four years since his first gig in the country i

K-pop Oct. 26, 2022

Korean hip-hop musician and producer MC Mong wrapped up two days of concerts in Seoul, walking down memory lane with longtime fans. Dubbed “Halloween Workshop,” the Halloween-themed shows at KBS Arena in Seoul on Oct. 22 and 23 were jam-packed with the musician’s hits, ranging from classics to his recent album. Living up to his reputation as a hit-maker, MC Mong, whose real name is Shin Dong-hyun, filled the nearly three-hour set with 27 tunes, including “I Love U Oh Than

Oct. 26, 2022

Koyote, a legendary co-ed Korean vocal group that boasts a career extending across 24 years, is back on the music scene with the new album “Let’s Koyote.” The band, consisting of Kim Jong-min, Shin Ji and Bbaek Ga, held its ever-first media showcase since debuting in 1998 in Seoul on Wednesday to unveil two new songs -- “Hero” and “Soulmate” -- and look back on a long-lasting career. The two-track album is the follow-up to upbeat summery song “Go,&

K-pop Oct. 6, 2022

TOKYO -- Under the starry, lofty dome of Japan’s largest concert venue, it was made crystal clear during a concert that ran over four hours with a whopping 41-song setlist: SM Entertainment, one of Korea’s largest entertainment agencies, has not only successfully recaptured the spirit of its early heydays, but also embodied the pinnacle of collective power made possible by bringing together various music genres. The label’s joint label concert, dubbed "SMTown Live 2022 :

K-pop Aug. 31, 2022

LAS VEGAS -- In what would be one of the most memorable nights in the history of Las Vegas, BTS took over Sin City, proving the K-pop phenomenon’s matchless presence once again. Ahead of the four-day sold out show, which kicked off at Allegiant Stadium on Friday, the already festive Las Vegas strip completely transformed for BTS fans visiting from all over the world. With an array of Army -- the group’s fandom -- flooding the busy strip and fancy hotel casinos, the iconic Bellagio

K-pop April 10, 2022