Most Popular
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1 in 3 Koreans live alone, family types becoming diverse
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Korea, Japan finance chiefs vow to tame rampant FX market volatility
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K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
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Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
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Why is Apple Pay struggling to get purchase in Korea?
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Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
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[Today’s K-pop] BTS pop-up event to come to Seoul
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[Graphic News] More Koreans say they plan long-distance trips this year
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Korean soundtrack album sales surge, merchandise profits plunge
In line with the K-pop boom in and out of South Korea, sales of original soundtrack albums of Korean dramas and movies have surged. K-pop merchandise sales, on the other hand, have been sluggish in the wake of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Sunday. Last year, 28,939 copies of soundtrack albums of hit dramas and movies were sold at Ktown4u, an online shopping mall that sells albums of K-pop groups and related goods. This marked huge jump from 8,784 copies in 2020 and 2,624 in 2019,
K-popFeb. 20, 2022
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2 members of K-pop girl group Momoland test positive for COVID-19
Two members of South Korean girl group Momoland have tested positive for the coronavirus during their trip in Mexico, their management agency said Sunday. "Hyebin and Nancy tested positive for coronavirus in Mexico," MLD Entertainment said in a statement. The six-member group was visiting Mexico to promote its new digital single, seeking to advance into the Central and South American market. Another member, Jooe, tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month and has fully recovered.
K-popFeb. 20, 2022
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[Today’s K-pop] Red Velvet to return in March: report
Red Velvet will make a comeback in March with a new album, according to local media reports on Friday. Label SM Entertainment confirmed the news saying the band is preparing for a new album due out next month. The quintet’s last album was its sixth EP “Queendom” released in August last year, which marked the group’s return after being away for more than 1 1/2 years. The EP topped iTunes top albums chart in 54 regions as well as all major charts at
K-popFeb. 18, 2022
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[Herald Interview] Blitzers spends rock ‘n’ roll year after debut
Rookie boy band Blitzers on Thursday successfully closed the curtains to their first US tour, making a foray into the global music scene less than a year since the act’s debut last May. Starting Feb. 5, the act traveled around six cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, New York and Chicago. “It’s such a big opportunity for us, so we hope to show everything that we’ve prepared,” member Lutan said during an exclusive interview with The Korea Hera
K-popFeb. 18, 2022
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[Herald Interview] Han Yo-han makes soundtrack of his life by revisiting boyhood
A keyboard piano, several electric guitars, a widescreen monitor, speakers and mini figurines dot Han Yo-han’s modest studio room. Unlike the powerful, flashy beats the musician is known for, Han appears down-to-earth and straightforward. In a pair of sneakers and donned in black head to toe, the rapper entered his private space, which was covered in a snug ambiance. “You’re lucky to catch the natural side of me,” he said, laughing, as he showed his atelier where he
K-popFeb. 18, 2022
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[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen to host fan meeting in March
Seventeen will meet its fans in person at its sixth fan meet event in Seoul, the group’s agency Pledis Entertainment announced on Thursday. The event, titled “Seventeen in Carat Land,” will be held in person on March 25-27. The final day will be livestreamed online. On Monday, the 13-member act reclaimed the No. 1 spot on Oricon’s daily single chart with its special single in Japanese “Ainochikara.” It topped the chart for six consecutive days upon releas
K-popFeb. 17, 2022
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[Today’s K-pop] Treasure tops iTunes chart in 30 regions
Returning after a year, Treasure headed straight to the top of the iTunes chart in 30 regions with its first EP “The Second Step: Chapter One.” Main track “Jikjin” claimed the No. 1 spot on a string of music charts at home as well as Line Music’s top 100 chart in Japan. The accompanying music video that reportedly cost 500 million won ($417,711) to produce garnered 10 million views on YouTube in about 21 hours since release, according to label YG Entertainmen
K-popFeb. 16, 2022
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BTS to hold first live concerts in Seoul in over 2 years next month
K-pop supergroup BTS will hold its first live concerts in Seoul in about two and a half years next month, the group's management agency said Wednesday. Three concerts, titled "BTS Permission To Dance On Stage - Seoul," will be held on March 10 and March 12-13 at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul, Big Hit Music said in a statement on Weverse. This will be the septet's first in-person concerts in Seoul since its world tour performance in October 2019. The first and the last sh
K-popFeb. 16, 2022
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BTS' V tests positive for COVID-19
K-pop supergroup BTS' V has become the fifth member of the group to test positive for COVID-19. The 26-year-old singer, whose original Korean name is Kim Tae-hyung, visited a hospital Tuesday to get a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test after experiencing a mild sore throat and received a positive result, the group's management agency Big Hit Music said in a statement posted to Weverse. He completed two rounds of vaccinations and was not presenting any extraordinary symptoms other than a mild f
K-popFeb. 16, 2022
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Treasure takes second step with ‘Jikjin,’ aims for music show No. 1
Boy band Treasure hopes to nab their first music show win with their new song “Jikjin.” Ahead of making a return with their latest EP “The Second Step: Chapter One” on Tuesday, the twelve-member group conducted a press conference and discussed the release and its lead single “Jikjin.” Over the past year, the boys spent their time gearing up to open up the second journey in their career. In January 2021, the band dropped their first studio album “The Fi
K-popFeb. 15, 2022
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[Today’s K-pop] Mamamoo’s Moonbyul to hold solo concert
Moonbyul of Mamamoo will perform two solo concerts in Seoul from March 5, according to agency RBW Entertainment Tuesday. Under the title “Director’s Cut: 6quence,” she will perform a series of songs including the tracks from her recent solo third EP “6quence.” The EP was her first solo album in two years and topped the iTunes albums charts in 20 regions. It sold over 70,000 copies in the first week. The concert will be similar to a movie that catches different
K-popFeb. 15, 2022
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Taeyeon says third solo LP ‘INVU’ shows her ‘now’
Taeyeon hopes to prove that she is an irreplaceable, one-of-a-kind character with her third full-length album “INVU.” The soloist and member of K-pop group Girls’ Generation conducted a media showcase event on Monday afternoon ahead of dropping her new LP later that day to discuss the album and its production. The singer’s latest, “INVU,” read as “I envy you” is an attempt to show who she is “now.” “It’s a return after
K-popFeb. 14, 2022
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[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to return with EP next month
Stray Kids will make a comeback with an EP on March 18, announced label JYP Entertainment Monday. It follows the teaser video that surprised fans at a fan meet event the band held in southern Seoul on Sunday. In the trailer, Felix walked into a mysterious spot and looked around terrified. Then the rest of the bandmates appeared, further raising the tension until a word sign changed into “oddinary,” title of the EP, from “ordinary.” “You are the special being
K-popFeb. 14, 2022
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ITZY's Yeji tests positive for coronavirus
Yeji, a member of K-pop girl group ITZY, tested positive for the coronavirus Monday after Lia, the group's management agency said, as the virus continued to spread fast across the country, fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant. "Yeji took a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) examination yesterday and received a positive result today," JYP Entertainment said on the group's official website for fans. All members of the five-piece group took the first PCR test on Saturday to fin
K-popFeb. 14, 2022
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Apink to drop special album marking its 10th anniv.
K-pop girl group Apink on Monday will release a special album celebrating the 10th anniversary since its debut, the group's management agency said. The album titled "Horn" will be the first release from the six-member group since "Look" in April 2020. The lead single "Dilemma" is a dance number with an addictive hook. Its lyrics are about the dilemma of a woman who does not want to break up with her lover although she knows he no longer loves her and thus should let
K-popFeb. 14, 2022
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[Herald Interview] Hwang In-kyu ready to rock ‘n’ roll by interweaving bass with traditional sounds
Harmony is defined as playing more than one note at once or at a counterpoint. Musician Hwang In-kyu crafts music through his bass and expands the possibilities of its sounds into other tunes. Bass: a sound that harmonizes music A typical song structure includes a chorus, verses and a bridge, and the bass guitar acts as a bridge between the melody and listeners by helping them identify the song‘s beat, the bassist says. The 29-year-old described the four-string bass as a “wild
K-popFeb. 11, 2022
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What you need to know in spring: Big Bang is coming back
New bands and new hit songs appear at lightning speed in the music scene, but old music and memories flood back: Big Bang is gearing for a return. After years of rumors that the band is preparing a new project or might even reunite for the Coachella music festival in the US, the K-pop superstars are ready to add value to the year by greeting and meeting fans by answering the speculation with their new song. On Monday, Big Bang surprised fans as YG Entertainment said via a press release that
K-popFeb. 11, 2022
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[Graphic News] K-pop album sales increased 37% last year
The K-pop album market has been experiencing an unprecedented boom but the sales of digital music have been sluggish amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to the year-end data released by Korea’s album sales tracker Gaon Chart, the nation’s top 400 albums sold 57 million copies in and out of the country in 2021, up 36.9 percent from 41.7 million the previous year. The sales of the top 400 albums have been on a steep rise after exceeding 20 million for the first time in 2018.
K-popFeb. 11, 2022
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[Today’s K-pop] Pentagon’s Yeo One suffers injury from car accident
Yeo One of Pentagon will suspend activities for the time being due to a back injury, agency Cube Entertainment said Thursday. He was hit by a car that was driven by a drunken driver the previous day, while he was on his way home. He was brought to the hospital immediately and received emergency care. He appeared in a program in the afternoon but suffered pains returning home and now is recovering after a treatment, the firm said. Local media found a scene from the show that was broadcast
K-popFeb. 10, 2022
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Suzy returns to singing after 4 yrs with new single
Singer-actress Suzy is returning to singing for the first time in four years with a new single, her management agency said Thursday. The song titled "Satellite" will hit various music services at 6 p.m. next Thursday, according to Management Soop. The singer has participated in the project as a co-writer, with the lyrics about a nostalgic sweetness, it added. The upcoming single is Suzy's first public release since her second mini album "Faces of Love" in January 2018. The 27
K-popFeb. 10, 2022