Articles by Hong Yoo
Hong Yoo
yoohong@heraldcorp.com-
Hybe’s new girl group I’ll-It to debut as 5-piece without Youngseo
I’ll-It, the soon-to-launch girl group from the K-pop powerhouse Hybe’s subsidiary Belift Lab, will debut as a five-piece instead of a sextet as announced earlier. Such change comes as one of the members, Youngseo, has left the agency. “Following in-depth discussions about future activities, Belift Lab and Youngseo have come to a mutual agreement to terminate the exclusive contract,” announced Belift Lab on the fan communication platform Weverse on Friday. “I’
K-pop Jan. 7, 2024
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Seventeen, NewJeans win top honors at 38th Golden Disc Awards
K-pop boy band Seventeen notched Album of the Year at the 38th Golden Disc Awards Saturday with its 10th EP, “FML.” The Golden Disc Awards, one of the most prestigious annual K-pop awards, took place at Jakarta International Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday. “We are grateful to have members that work hard. We think we have continuously shown growth each year at the Golden Disc Awards. We are so proud to receive this top honor today," said Mingyu of Seventeen duri
K-pop Jan. 7, 2024
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[팟캐스트] (546) 부산 광안리 새해맞이 드론쇼 취소
진행자: 홍유, Naomi New Year's Eve drone no-show in Busan spurs outrage 기사 요약: 부산 수영구 광안리해수욕장에서 새해를 기념하기 위해 마련됐던 대규모 드론쇼가 통신 장애로 취소돼 수많은 시민들이 분통을 터뜨렸다. [1] A New Year countdown drone show slated to be held at Gwangalli beach in Busan on Sunday was abruptly canceled due to technical error, sparking complaints among the tens of thousands gathered at the port city to witness the event. *be slated to: 예정이다, 예정되다 *abruptly: 갑자기, 불쑥, 뜻밖에 [2] Online community platforms and social media were abu
Podcast Jan. 4, 2024
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Jisoo, Jennie of Blackpink ready for new solo chapters
Jisoo of Blackpink is following her bandmate Jennie’s lead in establishing her own agency for her solo career. According to industry sources, Jisoo is setting up a K-pop agency with her brother to be called Blissoo. The new agency recently began recruiting employees, including video editors, producers, designers and security guards. “We offer a unique experience of working with an artist in a startup company,” the Blissoo job announcement said. With the support of her new agenc
K-pop Jan. 4, 2024
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[Herald Interview] Jeong Sewoon finds joy in bringing diverse colors to music
K-pop singer-songwriter Jeong Sewoon finds joy in making music that comforts his listeners and that joy is amplified when there is personal development at the end of a project. In his sixth EP, “Quiz,” released on Thursday, the artist collaborated with a foreign musician for the first time for “Sharpie,” an experience which helped him expand his musical spectrum. “I worked with American pop band Nightly for the single, ‘Sharpie.’ This was my first time w
K-pop Jan. 4, 2024
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Fans upset with decision to push ahead with K-pop concert in Japan
Organizers of the K-pop concert “K-pop MasterzXKross vol.3” faced backlash from K-pop fans for proceeding with the event in Japan as scheduled on Tuesday despite a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the country only a day earlier. The concert, hosted by Japanese digital design firm Birdman and label Entertainment Next, was held at the Vantelin Dome Nagoya in Nagoya, Japan, which is around 250 kilometers away from Ishikawa prefecture where the earthquake occurred Monday. Ahead of the
K-pop Jan. 2, 2024
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NewJeans welcomes 2024 on ABC’s ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’
NewJeans kicked off the New Year with a dazzling performance on the US broadcaster ABC’s New Year's special show. The K-pop girl group performed its singles “Super Shy” and “ETA” on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024,” better known as “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on Monday. NewJeans is the first K-pop girl group to appear on America’s most-watched New Year’s Eve special prog
K-pop Jan. 2, 2024
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[Herald Review] TVXQ takes fans back 20 years during ‘20&2’ concert
Cries of joy rippled through the arena as the K-pop legend TVXQ appeared on stage to begin the last show of its two-day concert, “20&2,” at the Inspire Arena in Yongjeong-do, Incheon, on Sunday. The venue glowed red from the fan lights held by TVXQ’s fandom, Cassiopeia, who had waited five years to see their favorites on stage. Changmin and Yunho of TVXQ appeared on a lift to kick off their last show of the year with “Rising Sun,” the lead track of the duo'
K-pop Jan. 2, 2024
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[2023 K-pop in a Nutshell] From Moonbin’s death to Fifty Fifty’s legal dispute: Twists and turns in the K-pop scene
A string of unexpected twists and turns made this year a tumultuous one for both the K-pop industry and K-pop fans. Early this year, SM Entertainment removed its founder Lee Soo-man, considered the "godfather of K-pop," from the company’s head producer position to open a new chapter under a strategy plan called “SM 3.0.” SM 3.0 involves establishing five different production centers and independent music labels to diversify production, a significant departure from the
K-pop Dec. 31, 2023
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Blackpink members not renewing individual contracts at YG: agency
All four members of the K-pop sensation Blackpink are leaving YG Entertainment to pursue their solo careers. “We recently extended our exclusive contract with Blackpink for its group projects. We agreed not to proceed with an additional contract for each member’s individual activities,” said YG Entertainment in a press release on Friday. YG announced on Dec. 6 that the four-member group had renewed an exclusive contract with the agency for group activities. Since their debut in
K-pop Dec. 29, 2023
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Twice to perform at Nissan Stadium in Japan next summer
K-pop girl group Twice will hold standalone concerts at Nissan Stadium, the biggest multipurpose stadium in Yokohama, Japan, in July next year. The group announced the upcoming concert during a gig at the PayPay Dome in Fukuoka, Japan, Thursday. Twice will later hold standalone concerts at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, Japan, July 13-14, 2024, as well as at Nissan Stadium on July 27 and 28. Twice will become the second K-pop act to perform at Nissan Stadium, following legendary K-pop boy band T
K-pop Dec. 29, 2023
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[Well-curated] Cartoon heaven, luxury sushi course and NCT Dream exhibition
Animation, cartoon lovers' heaven Situated on the sixth floor of HDC IPark Mall in Yongsan, central Seoul, is a fantasylike space in which animation and cartoon characters from across the world are displayed, along with a plethora of merchandise. Dubbed Popcon D Square, the space is separated into three zones. The first zone, categorized as character shops, contains the Studio Ghibli Collection, Marvel Collection and stores Aniland and Ichiban Kuji. Figurines and stationery based on popula
weekender Dec. 29, 2023
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‘Excessive’ police questioning over celebrities’ alleged drug use comes under fire
Controversy is brewing over the police's excessive investigation of celebrities following the sudden death of actor Lee Sun-kyun. Lee was found dead in an apparent suicide on Wednesday, days after police questioning amid suspicions of illegal drug use. According to the police, the alleged case of illegal drug use against Lee was first made public on Oct. 19 through a report by the local media. It was when the case was still in the confidential initial stage of investigation. But the leaka
K-pop Dec. 28, 2023
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[2023 K-pop in a Nutshell] Easy listening, new trending genre in K-pop
Easy listening, a popular music genre of soothing vocal and instrumental sounds that first appeared in the 1940s, or also sometimes called "elevator music," hit the K-pop scene this year. In a departure from their typical conceptual-driven songs, many K-pop groups started introducing easy-listening singles. Releasing a single of this genre was one of the key factors in girl group Fifty Fifty's record-breaking feats on the biggest music charts in the West, the US-based Billboard an
K-pop Dec. 27, 2023
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New boy band TWS to debut Jan. 22
Pledis Entertainment, which represents K-pop boy band Seventeen, is to launch a new boy band under the name TWS on Jan. 22, 2024. The six-member TWS will release a single, “Oh Mymy: 7s,” on Tuesday prior to the official debut, according to Pledis Entertainment on Wednesday. The predebut single will be part of the group’s debut EP, “Sparkling Blue.” TWS is scheduled to release various video content before its official debut, such as a clip on the story behind the deb
K-pop Dec. 27, 2023
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